Vetiver at Chewton Glen in New Forest

I would like to start this review off by saying this is an absolutely stunning venue. We had a very warm welcome and the gentleman was kind enough to take our coats. Upon sitting down we were asked if we would like champagne, and promptly brought the first item, which was a yummy truffle dish. The service went down hill after this. Around 20 minutes after we had been given the truffle, we still had no tea and we had to ask someone to bring us some. We then also waited quite a long time for the sandwiches to arrive. The sandwiches again were very nice. After these we were asked if we would like more tea, which we were given, but my friend asked for a replacement cup. After 20 minutes of not having one, she did have to get up and ask for a cup. After this, we were presented with some warm scones, but no plates to eat from. By the time we managed to call someone’s attention to get some plates, as again no one came over with any, the scones were no longer warm. After the patisserie, we were told we would be able to have a slice of cake to take home. Again, unfortunately we waited a very long time after finishing the cakes, and we did have to chase a waiter to bring us both the bill and the cake. The food was absolutely five stars, but having to constantly chase for simple things such as plates and tea, was really disappointing, especially for a restaurant of this caliber. I hope that the restaurant do acknowledge this, as if we knew the service was improved, I could definitely see myself visiting again.

The last time I visited the Dining Room at the Chewton Glen I believe it was towards the end of 2023. And having a friend from Australia, my nephew from Italy together with my partner I returned to one of my favourite place. The table for four allocate to us overlooking the manicured lawns and the outdoor swimming pool was set with immaculate white linen, silver cutlery and Cristal glasses. The waiting staff were also spotless in their uniforms. The dining room was extremely busy which added to the atmosphere. The food did not, again, let us down. I and my nephew choose a Dover sole juicy and prepared to perfection. My partner selected from the Set menu: salt-baked Heritage Beetroot to start and duck confit. Both superb was her comment. And my friend from Australia enjoyed the soup of the day and the Halibut. The service was discreet and efficient supervised by the knowledgeable Restaurant manager. We loved the chat that with a smile, Nathasha, the head sommelier had with us. Many thanks to Clive McNish, the general manager and everyone that looked after us. I shall look forward, when the occasion arise to return.

A superb lunch dining experience from the moment we were met at the door by the Concierge team to the bar staff on the patio to the restaurant team. And of course the chefs - you would expect the food to be outstanding, and it was of course, but the atmosphere and service is what really makes this stand out. A perfect blend of attentive but discrete service, all designed to put you totally at ease. A very relaxed lunch for my mother's 91st birthday, with a personal touch at the end with a birthday cake, Oh, and if you have any doubts about a lobster curry on the menu, don't, it's absolutely sublime! Overall, not the cheapest option as a restaurant, but truly you get what you pay for. Superb.

Afternoon tea treat for my wife and myself today and i can say we've been spoiled by The Dining Room team. Great sandwiches and scones served with smile 😊

Visited with friends for a birthday gift of afternoon tea. We were greeted nicely and led to the dining room. The room was filled with gorgeous fresh flowers and service was very good throughout, attentive but not at all pushy or offhand. A delicious amuse bouche of a cheesy truffle profiterole was followed by a truly sumptuous set of sandwiches and beautiful pastries and scones. We were positively encouraged to have second helpings which were brought round as well as offered extra clotted cream, jam or delicious home made lemon curd as well as extra cakes and sweet pies from a center display. Generous sized pots of tea and we ordered extra Nyetimber sparkling which was very reasonably priced per glass. We took remaining cakes home in a nice box and had a lovely walk around the grounds and kitchen garden. Fantastic gift.Would definitely return. Nice atmosphere and ambience. Come hungry, you won't be disappointed.

Went for a birthday treat. Food was good with particular mention to the amuse bouche which was outstanding. Sandwiches were good but not wow other than the ham and mustard which was excellent. I thought the scones were a little over cooked but they did taste good and the temperature was perfect. Nice touch to have the lemon curd option too. Pastries were delicious. The waiters were smart and pleasant but service was slow (perhaps trying not to rush us). The gaps were a bit too long. The doormen were reasonably friendly but one was listening to something going on on his ear piece. No smiles! The girl who showed us to our table was eating in her cubby hole when we got to her desk. She seemed flustered. She didn’t know the prices of the teas (we had a voucher for one) and fumbled her way through the information. Having confirmed that this was a special occasion twice if not 3 times, the special occasion was not acknowledged. Going by what was appearing at other tables I think k there should have been a cake and a candle but it didn’t materialise. There was an apology for this and the waiter offered to put this right and asked us to wait in the bar. The barman then offered us a complimentary drink but neither of us really wanted that. I was driving, and we were both full of cake and tea and probably needed to lie down in a darkened room by then. It was a kind offer but a bit off the mark. Although there was a nice tea strainer on our table the tea was made with a tea bag. Additionally we weren’t offered a second pot of tea. Finally the menu on our table bore only partial resemblance to the food we had and we later discovered that this was because we had a different menu on our table. Overall a good experience but not the best and attention to detail was lacking.

We recently dined at the Bar and unfortunately had a disappointing experience. Despite only ordering a Salad and a couple of Chicken Burgers, our meal fell short of expectations. Furthermore, our order took an excessive 75 minutes to arrive, and upon delivery, the Salad was missing a key ingredient, resulting in a lacklustre mix of leaves, onions, and dressing. Additionally, the Chicken Burger was served cold, further adding to our dissatisfaction. Regrettably, our concerns went unaddressed for an extended period, leaving us feeling neglected. While we eventually provided feedback to the server, the response received was disheartening, with minimal effort made to rectify the situation. Ultimately, our dining experience was marred by subpar food quality, lacklustre service, and a disappointing overall encounter. Although a minor discount was offered by the manager, the absence of a sincere apology and the dismissive manner in which our concerns were handled left us feeling disheartened and undervalued as patrons. As frequent visitors, it's regrettable to say this will be our final visit. We hope our feedback encourages improvements for future patrons.

A longed for stay at the fantastic Chewton Glen Hotel, an absolute pleasure from arrival until departure. A very warm welcome upon our arrival, even though it was pouring with rain. Everybody was welcoming and helpful. Our room had been upgraded for my wife's birthday and on entering, we found a beautiful bouquet and a birthday card. A tour of the hotel was given by our lovely receptionist showing all of the lounges, bars, restaurant etc.. Our evening meal was a delight, everything perfectly cooked, the service was faultless. We can't wait to return. Thanks to everybody at Chewton Glen for a lovely stay and helping to make Dawn's birthday so amazing. Mike and Dawn Tribe.

What a place, what a lunch and what great service, unbelievable experience. The fresh Devon crab laced with caviar just melted in your mouth. The aged roast beef was fantastic carved at the table , the experience was worth the price we had a great time. Be careful when ordering your wine as there are bottles on there for 30k. Tom Cruise, Harry and Megan and many others have all dine there.. Go for the experience and memories you will not be disappointed…

We visited Chewton Glen with friends as a late Christmas get together. On arrival our coats were taken for us and we were taken to our table . We had a nicely laid round table in a corner. It was fine for us but the waiter could not move right around the table to serve us . I thought the food was excellent and I can honestly say it was the best roast beef I have had in a very long time . Service was slow as there only seemed to be one waiter for the whole dining room . Beautiful hotel and beautiful grounds.

I booked our visit well inadvance and explained that it was a Valentines gift to my partner. Hoping they would take note and give us a nice table with a special view, we were sat in the main dining room next to noisy children and babies. Once again I explained to our Waitress the special occasion, but it seemed to fall on deaf ears....The Afternoon tea was minimal... despite being offered refills of tea and coffee, the service was so sparce, that this was hard to negotiate top ups. We waited 10 minutes to get the staffs attention and ended up having to get up and ask for a refresh. Not what you would expect from a 5 star hotel. Others were sat with lovely views of the gardens whilst ours was a very stressful experience. There were 10 tables (some seating 8) and only 2 regular staff on. They were rushed off their feet and doing their best. Particular praise should go to the Romanian young waiter whose manners were impeccable. This was not the romantic Afternoon tea experience I had hoped for. We asked for an amendment to be made to our bill, as we had also been led to believe we had been offered an extra glass of champagne for free due to their poor service. Instead they had simply sold up on the alcohol. In the end they removed the service charge. Fair enough, but as this was our first visit with the hope of more in mind (now locals), we certainly will not be returning. The Limewood and The Pig are a much lovelier experience to visit.

Recent visit for afternoon tea on a glorious & sunny afternoon. Have eaten several times in restaurant, but this was my first time for many years having afternoon tea at the sublime Chewton Glen. All the perfectly prepared & presented sandwiches/scones & cakes were delicious & a never ending supply of tea & coffee meant we spent a wonderful couple of hours. Finished the afternoon in the bar with another glass of champagne. Perfect afternoon.

My wife and I were given this gift a while ago, but due to circumstances we were only able to visit recently. We chose to go on our wedding anniversary, and what a good time we had.The service was great, Rebecca really looked after us. The food was delicious!

We went to the Chewton Glen for afternoon tea to celebrate our wedding anniversary and the visit was superb from start to finish. All the staff were friendly and attentive and a special mention for Alex (I think that was your name) who seemed to be in charge for his attention and service. Nothing was too much trouble. He’s a real credit to the Chewton Glen. The ‘tea’ was a treat for the taste buds. We started with a selection of sandwiches, which was followed by fruit and plain scones and then the ‘Sweets’ - we could only manage the rhubarb and custard mousse, vanilla sable - which was delicious but couldn’t manage the apple and calvados macaron, praline and bitter orange eclair or the valrahona chocolate, cherry and caramel tart but we didn’t miss out as Alex packaged them up for us to enjoy later on. All was accompanied with a choice of different teas. The atmosphere in the conservatory was relaxed. All in all a thoroughly enjoyable experience. It wasn’t cheap but when you take into account the whole package - the ambience in the hotel, the views over the grounds whilst enjoying our tea, the quality and presentation of the food and the excellent service, I personally consider it good value. Well done Chewton Glen and thank you for a truly memorable experience.

My partner and I went for my birthday lunch and the visit was exceptional from start to finish. The attention to detail was second to none. We were greeted at the door and shown to the restaurant. A lady took out coats, we were seated and brought a selection of warm breads and delicious butter. As it was a celebration we opted for a Laurent Perrier champagne and a bottle of medoc. Both were exceptional .The food was outstanding I had the pork fritter and the fillet on the bone. My partner had the crab and the lamb cutlets. As it was my birthday I was treated to a birthday chocolate dessert.I felt very special and will definitely be returning for another occasion.

We have eaten at the Dining Room for the last two evenings and have had excellent food. The venison was superb!The staff, without exception, were charming and helpful. The sommelier was particularly good and went out of her way to ensure we had good wines to suite our taste.

Very disappointing. I had Venison and a side of Broccoli, Peas & Potatoes, the Venison was at best luke warm and parts of the veg were completely cold. I sent the food back, and it took another 20 minutes for a replacement meal, this time the plate was so hot it was still cooking the Venison, of the 3 small pieces 2 were now inedible and the Veg was still cold. Not sure why they could not produce hot Veg. We were needless to day not charged for my meal, but the evening was spoilt. But that was not the last of a disappointing evening – whilst waiting for the taxi we visited the bar, ordered our drinks and the barman made 2 mistakes, he added lemon to my drink when I had specifically requested it without, and then handed me mine, and turned to serve another customer leaving my husbands’ drink on the prep counter and we had to ask for it. And then came the biggest shock £36 for a Single Bacardi & Coke and a Single Gin and Tonic!!! Not impressed.

Really enjoyed the experience with the tasting menu.Chose the wine pairing and Sophia (Sommelier) did an exceptional job in selecting and explaining the wine. Really glad we chose both options

We had a lovely afternoon tea here with six family members between Christmas and New Year. We started with cocktails in the bar and were very disappointed to find that the Raspberry Rose, our favourite cocktail, has been removed from the menu and unlike other establishments who will make cocktails that are not on the menu the waiter refused and just confirmed it was no longer available!The afternoon tea was lovely and our waitress was very helpful. However we have been coming here many years and the recent price increases are getting silly! I think that the service and standard is good but not good enough for the price which is now far too expensive. We will certainly be rethinking where to go in future both for dining and to stay.

This was supposed to be a birthday treat for my husband who is a very busy executive chef. He has worked in London in fine dining for many years so I wanted to give him a night to relax and enjoy being pampered. However, it was an embarrassing evening that I wish we had never experienced. The service was appalling unless you ordered wine. Then you were given attention and service. However as I do not drink alcohol my custom was obviously not valued. I never received my orange juice after asking 2 different waiters and the manager it never arrived so I gave up. We ordered oysters and tuna to start. The oysters were plump but lacked flavour. The tuna was pretty but again quite bland. My husband had the venison which was ok but nothing special. My main course of fillet steak tasted so strongly of salt if might as well have been cooked in the Dead Sea!! I could not eat it and I returned it and therefore only ate the green leaves. The toilet had no paper in it and when I raised this with the manager he said it was not his job to deal with that. I raised the issues of the meal and orange juice etc only to be told he would take it off of the bill. He did not however, remove the 12.5% service charge. I paid and we left but even then there was no-one to retrieve my coat so I went into the office and took it myself. We went back to our car in the dark almost tripping over in the car park as there are no lights and just drive home in sad silence. I was embarrassed and disgusted by the treatment at this supposed 5 star establishment. We will never go there again. Perhaps James Martin should spend more time in the kitchen and less time on telly if he is going to keep putting his name to the Dining Room at the Chewton Glen.

We arrived for a birthday meal in December. Perused the menu, chose oysters and tuna tataki for starters, oysters were great, tuna was ok. Declined the offer of help with choosing wine, as the wife doesn't drink, seems a shame to drink a bottle (especially@those prices). Settled on g &t and an orange juice.Mains were fillet steak and venison loin. My wifes fillet steak was a great piece of meat cooked on the bone but was covered in salt and inedible. The venison was small and average.We called the waiter (who later turned out to be the manager) sent back the steak. My wife didn't want another so just ate the side salad we had ordered. She ordered another drink as she needed it after the salt. After a 20minute wait for the drink to arrive, we spoke to the wine waitress, who said she would sort it straight away. She didn't. Another table next to us ordered wine and received it straight away. It feels like if you order from there expensive extensive wine list you get better service. As we didn't we were forgotten. It's not like they were short on staff, there was loads. My wife decided to visit the ladies whilst waiting for the drink only to find no toilet paper in the cubicle, not what you'd expect from a 5 star establishment with prices to match.This was the final straw so asked the young waiter (very nice) for a manager. The man who came was indeed the man we had ordered the orange juice with in the first place. He was apologetic and removed the drinks and steak from the bill. We did mention we felt like we got forgotten because we hadn't ordered wine which he denied, but was clearly the case with other tables receiving better service. When we received the bill (including service charge I might add ) in big capital letters on the bill was printed NO WINE. On leaving, we waited by the cloakroom for a receptionist to retrieve our coat, no one came , so we helped ourselves to our coats.All in all not the experience expected for a 5 star establishment. Overpriced and underachieved .

all six courses were delicious especially the lamb as a 4th course and chocolate dessert .We had a drink in the bar first but were not hurried to table so could enjoy the surroundings and luxury.Staff so kind especially our main waiter Alex who was attentive and thoughtful. We don't visit very often although we live in the area but will now treat ourselves more often.

Cold buffet food supposed to be hot . Please do 5 star hotel service and do table service at £ 1000 per night . Get better service at Hestons Little chef . Harsh no , shocking , been in the industry 40 years this was embarrassing

We eat in the Dining room as it was easy the first night we were staying at Chewton Glen, We were not very impressed at all.. Food was average and very overpriced for what it was! Shame, wish we have been able to eat in the Kitchen there other restaurant but it was full!

We were warmly welcomed into the dining room for dinner the night we stayed. I chose dressed Devon crab done in three different ways. I especially liked the white meat creation but less enjoyed the brown meat. I felt rather envious of my husband’s twice-baked Emmental souffle as he tucked into this with relish.I followed with a grilled Dover sole accompanied by new potatoes, mange-tout peas and green beans. This was well cooked and much enjoyed. My husband had English rose veal which he found good but not perfect. My choice of dessert was iced Chewton Glen honeycomb parfait which was heavenly! We both felt the service was rather slow.

Extremely disappointing. Having waited to get a reservation all summer I wish we hadn't bothered. Nothing interesting on the very poor menu. Overcooked dover sole served with no sauce. One of the worst meals we've had, and at exorbitant prices.

After our registry office wedding, our small party of close friends joined us for afternoon tea. The food was delicious, and with vegan and gluten-free guests, they did us proud. The service was excellent, and the young man who escorted us out to the gardens for our photos was just charming. It is expensive but well worth it for a treat..

Chewton Glen has a reputation for offering excellent service and fine dining. I had dinner in the restaurant yesterday, frankly, the food was mediocre and the service average. The bill was exhorbitant, and in no way reflected the quality of experience. Very disappointed.

A return visit and it won't be the last. A lovely location and fabulous environment. A top venue for that special occasion lunch or dinner, slightly more formal than other options locally but this adds to the "next level" experience.We had the celebration menu (I think) and the food, service and drinks were all as expected i.e. top notch.The staff were friendly, professional and attentive without being intrusive. We had a lovely long lunch and look forward to our next visit later in the year. This is a special place in which to enjoy the food, drink and most importantly your friends company. Don't worry about anything else the staff will take care of that. It's not cheap but you get what you pay for and based on this experience I would say it was good value for money

We had dinner in the Dining Room and firstly we would like to thank you for the complimentary glasses of champagne to celebrate our wedding anniversary, it was a very kind gesture. The service was impeccable, efficient, professional and the staff friendly and cheerful. We had the lamb which was served cooked exactly how we wanted it and the quantity was perfect. The accompanying vegetables were also delicious. We only had the one course so our visit was brief but extremely enjoyable. The breakfasts each morning were amazing with an excellent selection without being overwhelming and again the staff so cheerful and efficient.Thank you all again for making our stay so special, you really cannot improve on what you already deliver, it's perfect !

We enjoyed the tasting menu during our recent meal at The Dining Room at Chewton Glen. Every course really was fantastic… We had courses with accents from all over the world, which in my experience of tasting menus at various 1-3 star Michelin restaurants, does not happen often, so this was a lovely experience that kept us throughly engaged throughout our meal.Memorable courses included the tuna tataki, pressed chicken, saddle of lamb, and chocolate orange dessert.My only complaint, is that the staff serving our courses were poorly trained/managed. There wasn’t a single course explained to us when served, which I really would expect when experiencing this kind of fine dining. I honestly think a Michelin star is achievable if the staff were trained better. The sommelier was very well informed and helped us pick a fantastic wine to compliment the tasting menu, so they clearly do hire good people. I think we must have had a waitress who was having a bad day, or just isn’t that into food, which I think is quite important in this kind of establishment.

Had a fabulous champagne afternoon tea. quality of food superb, great atmosphere. So much to eat that had to box the cakes to take home. Wonderful!

Pretty room. Nice staff. Not good food. Not good service. Not a good atmosphere. I have no idea if this place used to be good. But now it is overpriced with ok to awful dishes. Unfeasibly overpriced for the quality of what is delivered. Breakfast equally uninspired. Just a big let down on all fronts.

 I pre-booked an afternoon tea for 2, as a special anniversary occasion, with the most expensive champagne.We arrived at 3.15pm and were shown to our table.During the next 45 minutes, we had possibly the worst service that I’ve known in a ‘reputation’ hotel.We confirmed that we had the most expensive champagne included in our tea, but the staff seemed unaware of this.Then having waited some 20 minutes for the champagne to arrive, I asked for it again, only to be responded with ‘sorry sir, what was it you ordered?”After about half an hour, the champagne arrived, but no sight of our afternoon tea, whilst others around us being served.Eventually after 45 minutes, the afternoon tea arrived, after I had to get up from the table and ask a waiter where it was.For the price and service you are claiming, this was extremely poor service.The waiting staff seemed to be very young and inexperienced, so that’s not their fault.However, there did not seem to be any management in charge of the restaurant, and no manager came round to say ‘did you enjoy, is everything alright’.So all in all, not a great experience.Interesting to see a posse of your 3 managers wandering around the hotel together, but obviously too busy to check that your customers were happy.Furthermore, because afternoon tea is predictable in what customers are being served, there is absolutely no excuse in it being delayed.I compare this poor Chewton Glen service experience with a wonderful experience of food, great service and ambience at The Dower House, Bath.Not an enjoyable afternoon.

Having taken afternoon tea at some of the UK's top hotels, we were a little uncertain what to expect at Chewton Glen given the somewhat mixed reviews. We needn't have worried - it's well up there with the best. We each had four very tasty finger sandwiches including just about the best smoked salmon we've tasted. Further sandwiches were offered by circulating waiters. Scones (two each) were good rather than exceptional and served with ample clotted cream and jam. This was followed by a selection of beautiful pastries, four each. Tea was top quality loose leaf with an ample selection of blends. Our only complaint is that we had to ask for a top-up for our tea. We would expect to be asked once or even twice during our meal. Service was generally very good . The waiters were very young but smart and professional. However, there didn't appear to be a head waiter scanning the tables and anticipating diners' requirements (e.g. more tea).

I spent three hours trying to contact the hotel to book for my daughters 18th birthday. We ended up going to the hotel. On arrival no offer of refreshments just told to wait in the lounge. The manager did come to see us and took details. We gave email contact but never got a reply. We have phoned a number of times but still no answer. Shocking service. It was my daughters dream to have her birthday at Chewton Glen. Dreams destroyed.

We visited on a Sunday for afternoon tea, food was delicious but the service was less than we had received on previous visits to the spa. No major issues just things like no water offered, had to ask a couple of times for replenishments of tea, milk, cutlery, and remind that we had asked, bill took a while to revive. Overall a nice experience but not a 5* visit so not justifying the cost.

Unless you are a Celib, sports star or have the budget to hire a tree house they are not interested; as other reviewers have highlighted their Afternoon Tea offer is quite "below par" for the standard of hotel and (sadly) we wouldn't go again and feel it is over-priced for what it was.We were gifted an Afternoon Tea; living locally were really looking forward to the experience having heard (and seen) so much about the hotel. We were shown in and escorted to a table (no choice, sit here), the dining room decor looked tired at the edges (1990's style, a bit like what you would expect in a Care Home expect with large selection of wines on display in fridges!) Despite the hotel being set in parkland, the dining room used for the teas is in the middle of the hotel and so you don't get any views of the grounds. The dining area adjacent was empty and available throughout our visit, but obviously is only for special people?! It was a shame there wasn't the option of having it out on the lawn (which would have made for a lovely experience)."Tea or coffee" was barked at us, Tea Please... being amazed that there wouldn't be any selection of teas to choose from?! (you get more selection from a cafe in nearby New Milton or Highcliffe clifftop!).The lunch/bites were OK, the scones could have been more moist/fresher... they provided a top-up of tea only after we had made a sustained effort to try and attract someone's attention and then ask for it... as we longingly looked across the room wishing for a better setting and view!While visiting we had a quick look around the gardens, the walled garden had been spruced up for an event but the rest of the area, including the Nursery/ growing area was looking tired and unloved, which summed up our experience - unless you bring a TV camera or are a big name (which they are desperate to attract) then they aren't interested... so don't expect anything special...There are better dining rooms, better cream teas and better service available locally elsewhere so when friends ask us, sadly we don't feel able to recommend Chewton Glen.

Before I begin I am not one for complaining, but after spending £250 and MANY ignored emails which could of been answered very promptly I would NEVER return here again, we experienced the most unorganised, messy afternoon tea ever. There is absolutely far too much to write down but all I can say is I wish I complained on the day, maybe if I refused to leave someone would of sorted the issues we was faced with. But unfortunately I didn’t want to create more of an issue in front of my grandparents and mother in law, I feel let down that management after lots of emails can’t even respond to me and considering they are a TOP hotel and spa My local afternoon tea where I live was a million times better than what chewton glen provided Really sad and let down

We had two wonderful dinners in the Dining Room and thoroughly enjoyed both of them. The menu offered a lovely selection of dishes, each of which was absolutely delicious and beautifully presented. In addition, with the tables arranged over several interconnected spaces, it felt nicely intimate, with a lovely view out over the groundsThoroughly recommended

Nothing terrible but all a bit bland. Menu hasn't changed in a long time. Perhaps adding a special each evening would be enough to add a bit of variety and keeping some interest. Staff excellent as ever.

The reception and bar staff unhelpful and extremely patronizing, restaurant staff very good as was the food. The restaurant lacks someone in charge so the old standards of this wonderful hotel and restaurant have slipped far beyond what is expected.

Afternoon tea for 3. Agree with comments that to be tucked away in a stuffy room on a beautiful day seems incongruous. Service was extremely poor. We had to ask for everything including top ups. Seemed to be a lot of inexperienced staff with no one leading them. I think some of the staff seemed embarrassed by their inexperience including one I asked where the ladies was and he didn’t know! Quality of food not great. Would not return for tea. Very disappointing for what should have been a 50 th birthday celebration

I booked a very special afternoon tea at £45 for my family, unfortunately it was so incredibly disappointing. The room was a corridor to the swimming pool so people were constantly pushing past, it was shabby with peeling wallpaper & chipped woodwork, our table was bare except of chipped cups, the food was not fresh except for the tiny sandwiches, all the scones & patisserie were at least a day old maybe more, either dry or ice cold suggesting they had been frozen. All such a shame as such a picturesque hotel, take my advice do not go there for tea you will exceptionally disappointed.

The food was absolutely excellent, the wines superb but the service was somewhat patchy at the start - although it improved as the meal went on. We were standing and waiting at the entrance to the restaurant for a bit longer than I thought acceptable. We were a family party of five and we were ushered to a lovely table on the patio, with a sunshade for the very hot day. Ordering, both food and wine took somewhat longer than I would have wished but all the staff were friendly and competent. We sampled widely from the lunch menu. Everything was excellent. The mother of one of our party owned restaurants in New York and had worked both the restaurant and the wine industry. He spent quite a long time exploring the wine list - to paraphrase him everything was the best thing in the cookie jar. The Tokai pudding wine was especially memorable. However the restaurant is very expensive and at this prices everything has to be just perfect - and the service wasn't.

Went to lunch at the Chewton Glen for our anniversary on 16 July. Had a superb lunch and could not fault anything. I had the lobster curry and my wife had filet on the bone, both were faultless. Our waitress was really helpful in assisting with our final choices and could not have been more attentive. Altogether it made for a truly memorable anniversary. Thanks.

This month my family are having three birthdays and decided to celebrate them in styles by going to this renowned place. On arrival we were received with a smile by an immaculate dressed Maria. Who accompanied us to the bar where we were offered a glass of Veuve Clicquot champagne and canapés. After we had looked trough the menus Maria came to take our orders. We then were showed to our table overlooking the well manicured garden by Elisa who took our order of the wines and as being a triple celebration we stayed with champagne that was served by another impeccable and knowledgeable lady Natasha. A basket of three different kind of bread and butter was placed on the table. Our starters course were served: mine Pressing of Chicken and Duck liver looked appetising and tasted as good, my son choice was dressed Devon Crab, my grand son a double bake Cheese Soufflé, the granddaughter the Soup of the day and my daughter in law a Salad. They reassured me that all was enjoyable. After a short while, enough for us to have a small conversation, Maddy came with the main courses: I had chosen a Dover Sole Meunière, my favourite that I always choose the very few times I frequent this place, Which needless to say was cooked to perfection and was served with a small selection of greens and Jersey potatoes, my grandson a Ribeye steak, the two ladies Halibut cutlet and my son a Lobster Curry with Coconut rice (his comment delicious) As were the comments of my other guest. As the portions were quite generous we opted out of dessert. But with coffee we were served some petit fours and the birthday boy and girls a small happy birthday wishes of chocolate wrapped mousse ball. All in all another day of celebration spent in a most luxurious restaurant, run by professional but friendly staff who, by the look of it, enjoy looking after their guest. GiuseppePS on arrival Maurizio the Italian food and beverage manager also welcomed us.

This was our first time to Chewton Glen for my Wife’s Birthday with Afternoon Tea on arrival every thing was very clear with car parking etc ‘The service and the food was absolutely first class nothing was to much trouble thank you very much Chewton Glen

I don’t normally write reviews but having read a number of poor reviews before my friend and I ate in the Dining Room I feel compelled to write a positive one! We had an evening meal as part of an overnight stay and cannot fault the service. The waiters were very attentive, the food came quickly and was absolutely beautiful! I had the cheese soufflé and the salmon, both perfectly cooked and I definitely recommend.

This is our second afternoon tea since to reopening in May and things have certainly improved since the first weekend of opening but the standard is still not back to how it was before lockdown.We had cocktails in the bar to begin which were lovely but we had to ask for nibbles to be brought to the table.The staff working in the restaurant are not attentive, we had to ask for more sandwiches when in the past they were always offered. Our champagne bottles were kept away from the table and we had to ask several times for our glasses to be refilled. Two members of staff were excellent and that was Christopher and Natasha (I think that is her name) the very knowledgeable sommelier.It all seems to be a little bit chaotic with the other staff not really knowing what they are doing rather than looking after the diners. It is also such a shame that afternoon tea seems to have been tucked away in a back room and no longer benefits from the beautiful view of the hotel grounds.Reading recent reviews this seems to be a problem that many diners are experiencing. This is such a lovely hotel and I really hope that it gets back to its previous high standards of warm, welcoming service soon.

We came for an afternoon tea with friends, it was a birthday gift from us to them. The tea itself was very good, what we had was delicious and beautifully presented, the sandwiches were so fresh and lovely cakes, nicely balanced without sugar overload. We were offered extra sandwiches and tea which was good but there was a very long wait to receive them. To be honest the service overall just wasn’t that great. The person who delivered the tea had no idea what was on there and had to read the card on the table to tell us what we had - we could have managed that! It really wouldn’t have taken long to memorise what there was before service started.Although the Hotel is beautiful we felt a little like we were in the cheap seats being in a very underwhelming function room sat by the serving station. The other dining rooms looked so lovely but they are obviously for proper guests. I think they are missing an ideal opportunity to showcase what a stay could be like. Overall we had a lovely time but I’m not sure it was the 5 star experience we expected. The devil is in the detail as they say!

Pre booked the 55 a head verve clicquot experience afternoon tea. Arrived on a sunny day expecting to be sat outside, only to be placed in a stuffy room with no view of the garden. Waited 15 minutes to be asked by the very under staffed staff if we would like a tea. Waited a further 15 for the drinks to arrive and sandwiches, that we sent back as they were dry, hard and beginning to curl. Service then disappeared, with the exception of the evening team receiving a team brief in full view of the customers. At no time was the champagne cocktail experience I pre booked even mentioned. Why didn’t I mention it? The whole event was a surprise 20th wedding anniversary outing and the last thing I wanted was to lower the event even further. Did I complain later, yes and having not received a reply 8 days later I am writing this review.

We had a meal for two in The Dining Room in June 2021 and given the hotels 5 star reputation, and prices to match, but we were very disappointed. The main issue is that staff were not attentive, our bread was forgotten, we were constantly trying to catch the waiters eye to order drinks, our drinks arrived at different times and we had to flag someone down to ask for the bill. What is especially disappointing is that Tripadvisor is awash with recent feedback about poor levels of service throughout the hotel and this has not been addressed.With regard to the food we especially enjoyed the soufflé starter however overall the food was nothing special and definately not worth the £200 price tag. We won't be returning.

Food wasn't five star have had better in my local pub sent in my review of experience expected them to reply but obviously too embarrassed to reply.this was by far the worst lunch we have had at a hotel we had expected to have a great day but totally ruined by bad service poor quality food would not recommend too anybody . would not return even if it was free.

First posh nosh post lockdown and it missed on many levels. Atmosphere lacking, but few guests so maybe not their fault. Request to open window as it was like a greenhouse in the conservatory was done with minimal grace. My food was good, but the fillet on the bone was a big disappointment in taste - well-cooked, just not the meat you’d hope for a nearly £50. The food is good in general (apart from the stated miss), but at the prices charged it needs to be exceptional - it wasn’t. Maybe we were expecting too much, maybe post lockdown teething issues, but I don’t think that’s really an excuse. The waitress and waiter were delightful. It’s a shame; we were really looking forward to it and it didn’t meet our expectations. We will be back to try again, but not in a rush.

We have regularly enjoyed dining at this restaurant and went on Monday for a treat to celebrate re-opening at a trusted venue. Unfortunately although the atmosphere remains good the food and service was barely adequate.Service was friendly but poorly trained and informed; breaking every type of service etiquette and then even spilling food, wine, dropping cutlery to failing to have read menu and unaware of what was unavailable.Food was barely adequate with the fondly remembered Dover Sole £49 now being served rubbery, through being over cooked or even not fresh, and cool.Atmosphere was still good though small spiders repeatedly dropping from ceiling was unwelcome as was the dirty cutlery. Overall a very disappointing reopening and, for the first time in forty years, find myself drawn to warn others not to place their trust in this hotel maintaining standards. Have some sympathy that staffing a reopening must be challenging but this does not mean quality should drop to below that of a casual café. Feedback has also been offered directly to the hotel and I am very willing to help support them in any attempt to restore their standards.

We had dinner at Chewton Glen's dining room Sunday evening. The service was very good - not too speedy but the right pace for a relaxing dinner. The sommelier was very knowledgable. I had a vegetarian thai curry with coconut rice, which was excellent. My husband had the Sunday beef roast dinner, which was likewise really good. Considering this is their first week back for months, I thought they did a nice job.

This hotel and restaurant has had an excellent reputation over many years. We stayed 2 nights at the hotel and had 2 dinner and 2 breakfast visits.. Whilst the food was reasonably good it was nothing special, the oysters were very good as was the saddle of lamb which was well sauced. I had the halibut on the second night which was nicely cooked but the sauce was lacking in taste somewhat. The desserts we had both nights the chocolate cremeux and honeycomb parfait were nice enough but nothing exceptional. The main problem we had was the service. Hopefully this was just a post lockdown r hiccough, but it was almost Fawlty Towers in its ineptitude. Waiting 40 minutes between starter and main course, side dishes being forgotten, breakfast orders being mixed up, coffee orders taking forever, it was total shambles. We were clearly not the only people unhappy we noticed food being sent back at both dinner and breakfast and five other guests complaining about something. I overhead another guest complaining to a manager in the lounge that he had been coming to the hotel for 25 years and had never had such appalling service. Whilst the hotel , reception staff and rooms were still very good the restaurant is seriously deficient, the prices charged , especially the 12.5% for service c do not reflect the service which is far below comparable restaurants. We'd love to return because the hotel is so lovely but will not be doing so until we are convinced the service has greatly improved.

Having been to the Chewton Glen many times over the years it is now very disappointing.You now have to sit in a the middle part of the dining area where there are no views to look at, the sandwiches have cheaper fillings, beef now replaced with cheese and cucumber! A tiny slice of brioche with coronation chicken on top, this used to be like a mini bun 3 times the size. Salmon sandwich was so thin and not even cut straight.Also they are a lot thinner than they used to be and we had to ask for tea refills and extra sandwiches,almost as if they don’t want you to have refills any more. You never used to have to ask for extras they used to ask if you wanted more and would bring it out quickly.Not worth the money or the service charge. Avoid if you want a window seat as that’s not going to happen, had we’d known we wouldn’t have gone, needless to say we won’t be again.For £18 you can order finger sandwiches from Waitrose that are stuffed full of filling, they would have been better off getting the food from there and serving it.Chewton Glen..up you game if your reading this.

We booked for a champagne afternoon tea as our first treat coming out of lockdown.I had eggshell in my egg and cress sandwich and my wife had a hard lump in her salmon and horseradish sandwich. We were offered more sandwiches but had to wait for ages for them to arrive. Ordered more hot water for our tea which once again took an inordinate amount of time to come. We then asked for fresh tea as our original pots had become stewed. They never arrived! This all came in at just under £120 for two of us, only slightly less than we have dined for at The Jetty including aperitifs and an excellent two course meal with wine. The decor in the dining room was frankly tired. The waiters were pleasant but the service poor. We will not visit again despite it being local to us as this is our second disappointing visit - the last to The Kitchen restaurant which was mediocre standard at an inflated price.

Yes , well I’ve been for afternoon tea here many times before . We’ve sat in the lounge and the conservatory and the garden .But no longer I’m afraid , if you are a local .you gat put in a room with obscure windows , so you can no longer see the gardens or the ambiance of the place . The conservatory is empty and only used for very rich guest . We had 6 small finger sandwiches between us .4 scones and a small pot of cream . The coffee and tea was fine but if we wanted a second cup we had to ask for another pot . Lovely staff .So if you want to see the hotel and gardens I suggest you win the lottery .

What an absolute pleasure to return once again to this magnificent restaurant, where we feasted like kings in perfect surroundings, where we were served by first class staff and managed to forget about the trials of lockdown this last year! The food was delicious and was well worth the long drive to get there!

We visited on the first day of lockdown easing so some teething issues were expected however for a place like Chewton Glenn I’d expect better. Firstly we had a drink in the bar very pleasant and we were told the hostess would take us to our table at 6pm no one ever came so we gave up and walked in ourselves.We were sat down in a very quiet almost somber atmosphere with the one waiter still setting the tables for service. Slowly some salt and pepper turned up but no flowers like the other tables. A table next to us had been waiting for water for ages! They served us first which was not fair. We asked to move into the other part of the dining room hoping we might hear some other voices as it was so quiet, almost awkward to have a conversation, they had speakers but no music like in the bar.Eventually they took out orders, we had to ask for a wine menu and the opening of the champagne was just awkward I felt I needed to help the poor fellow. Service continued to be a shambles as you continually had to ask and remind them of things. It was such a shame because the food was lovely everything well presented and cooked very well. I feel bad for chef as they must have worked hard with the chef team for front of house to completely overshadow this. I had repeated our order and had ordered chimmichurri with my lamb, they brought mint sauce and when I asked for my chimmichurri he said it’s there! I said no this is mint sauce, eventually it did come but my dinner was almost over by the time it arrived which was a shame because again was lovingly made. The table was being cleared as I was still eating I had to train your staff to say once the party have all finished then only then you clear plates. Now it’s not the waiters fault at all, it’s management. They need to train there staff and if they were not ready for service they should have only opened to residents for the first few weeks for training. The “manager” was wearing a sport puffer gilet for service while guests were all in dinner jackets, he didn’t ask anyone anything and just seemed to faff about and not guide his team whatsoever.In the end we weren’t even offered a dessert menu as the restaurant was full and also a lot more other red faces of anger from fellow diners. So we gave up and actually had to get up to go to the till to pay since no one came for over 20 minutes. We told the manager what we thought but in the end I think he’d all but given up.In the end it could have been lovely I just think it’s sad that front of house let the kitchen down so badly, FYI chef this is probably the reason you aren’t selling many of your lovely desserts, I hope the problems are ironed out soon.

We had a wonderful afternoon at the chewton Glen it is decorated to a fantastic Christmas atmosphere all the trees of the decorations are classy and well thought out.. The staff are exemplary, incredibly Polite and very knowledgeable out about their menu, in particular Chris was outstanding as well as the other young lad who was serving us.. There's very few places around in the UK now that exemplify an outstandibng reputation and the chewton Glen delivers on all accounts- for this I can highly recommend this for any location be its big or small.. Thanks very much for a memorable afternoon one of the few that we have been able to have given everything this year.

Very tasty - of course we are too much on our first evening as impossible to stop 😀 Staff attentive, food scrumptious and excellent recommendations on wine.

We were bought 'Afternoon tea' which unfortunately was held in the dining room. It would hav been much nicer, in the conservatory! We arrived early, so had a drink in the bar, but £14 for small glass of wine, and £8 bottle of beer. Cheek. Not VFM . Very disappointing.

The quality of food was very good but the same could not be said for the service. I booked a celebration lunch for 2 to celebrate my best friend’s 60th birthday costing £150. On the gift voucher it stated that it included 3 courses from the à la carte menu. What actually transpired was we were given a much more limited choice from a set menu costing £26.50 which we didn’t realise until we came home and checked the website. For this reason we felt it was really poor value for money.There was a complete absence of meet & greet once we got inside the building, such that we had to wait around 5-10 minutes to catch someone’s eye so we could be seated at a table. We had to ask twice if there was someone who could take our coats.At no time was there any reference to our 'celebration' which was clearly included in the form when I made the booking which meant the atmosphere & experience were completely underwhelming.Similarly at the end, we had to ask several times in order to pay our bill.I also felt that charging extra for ‘sides’ which in reality were just the normal vegetables that you would expect to be served as part of a main course, indicated a ‘penny pinching’ approach which I would not expect from a hotel positioning itself as upmarket. Even the waiter appeared embarrassed when having to explain the additional costs.

Table cloth not ironed and extremely creased. Asked if we would like to make a change to sandwiches for non red meat option said yes but order forgotten. Waiter didn’t pour a full glass of champagne and had to be asked to fill it. Tea pot was stainless steel and not china. Cakes tasteless. Service appalling. Would recommend you don’t waste your money.

Utterly shambolic. Such a huge disappointment today. Went for 'champagne experience' afternoon tea as a birthday present to me. Waiter didn't even know what that was. After water started pouring through ceiling of dining hall, we asked to move to conservatory and were then left for 25 mins with an empty table, then brought someone else's food (!), left a further 15 mins before being brought food but no plates or cutlery, and the farce continued. Just appalling. No management, just left to a junior waiter so out of his depth. We could have walked straight out as nobody even noticed. Had to find duty manager who said she'd either cover our bill or offer us another experience but not both... unbelievable. She couldn't wait to get rid of us. 5 star hotel??? I'll go to the Rhinefield next time. Don't bother.

After making a reservation several weeks ago and reconfirming it online (as requested by the hotel's booking system) 2 days before the date, we were looking forward to our anniversary dinner here last night, but they phoned the afternoon before and cancelled our reservation. The reason they gave was that "they had to give priority to hotel residents". Their excuse - of course - was Covid, but the changes announced earlier in the week should have made no difference to any well managed establishment. We are tempted to conclude either that they were not complying with the existing Covid requirements or that they had overbooked, both of which imply incompetence. Whatever the reason, it is absolutely clear that unless you are staying at the hotel you will be treated as a second class citizen - is it worth the risk?

Went for a family lunch, greeted by a waiter who took our temperature which was quick and simple. Seated and given a menu, but we weren’t told about the specials board or asked if my daughter would like the child’s menu. I used the QR code to find it. (Great use of digital technology)Ordered plaice, cod and my daughter opted for a pizza. Drinks arrived a few minutes later. The fish was well cooked, delicious and large. Pizza in the shape of a rabbit (thanks chef)I have to say the food was tasty and we ate the lot. I was however disappointed with the service. COVID has reduced the amount of tables but not the staff as you’d expect. I felt there was a delay to everything arriving whether that was drinks, dessert, coffee and the bill.Can’t believe a 10% discretionary service charge was added to my bill!

We visited the dining room as part of an overnight stay to celebrate a wedding anniversary. We were kept waiting to be seated, apparently we needed to wait for the manager? We were not offered drinks until after we had ordered food and I asked to see the wine menu. The food menus were single use paper copies, however the wine menu was an old leather bound well thumbed book that was passed from one table to another!!. Why not digitise the wine list, put it onto a tablet and then sanitise it between orders? Most of the staff were grumpy apart from one guy who was very helpful in explaining why we had to wait half an hour for our desert to arrive. Not sure if the restaurant is part of the hotel, either way our expectation were high and the experience was a long way short.

Despite the current CV19 troubles Chewton Glen served up a fantastic Sunday afternoon of fine food, excellent service and a haven of calm and elegance in the current crazy world we are living in. A perfect tonic.

Well what a let down, mums treat for lunch in the main restaurant so didn’t want to spoil the day by complaining in front of her. Waited 20 mins for a menu as they didn’t have enough printed, as you have to pre book lunch think using covid as an excuse is wearing thin, had to ask 2 people for a glass of wine .second person said we’ll I’ve passed it on and I don’t know why it’s not come. Please is this what where paying 5* prices for,. Food arrived not checked during the meal once again had to ask for more water.Bill for 3 with 12 half per cent service charge on, mum didn’t want to make a fuss as at 84 yrs old that’s not what you do.We are locals and wouldn’t spend that sort of money again for that service.

I visited CG for an afternoon tea on the weekend. I must admit that I am rather a afternoon tea enthusiast, so I have had a wide variety to compare against. In respect of service, I can say that the staff were impeccable.In terms of the AT itself, I enjoyed the sweet selection greatly. It was a cut above many other AT's I've had at other 4* and 5* establishments. I particularly enjoyed the coronation chicken in brioche. The other sandwiches were a standard selection that you'd expect to receive with most AT's.My biggest concern really features around my dietary request. I require my sandwiches amended to omit a particular substance (which is purely down to taste preference). Unfortunately, even though my reservation had been made over a month before, and this amendment requested quite clearly, I still received the standard sandwiches. I then had to request a new set to be made up which took some time, understandably. By the time they arrived, I had started other options and my requirement for sandwiches had somewhat dwindled. I can understand this error at certain restaurants and hotels, but I really felt that a 5* hotel may have improved communication to avoid this outcome.In regards to value for money, I believe the AT was overpriced. However, the cost reflects the establishment as a whole also. Therefore, had the experience been smoother, my rating would be much higher.It is a shame as this has rather lowered the CGs reputation in my eyes, and I may think twice before returning.

If the review were just about the food it would be a 5 stars - the panazella starter was sensational and the roast beef special sublime. The rest of our party also had super meals and the venue and environment are so lovely to be in. Service is not where it needs to be - asked 3 times for water, had starters on the table before we were asked for a wine order , and it took 30 minutes to pay after asking 4 people and eventually going to reception. This would be the best Sunday lunch in England based on the food, just needs attentive service ...

We’ve celebrated our birthdays here for the last few years with a lunch. Sadly the days of £26.50 3 course table d’hôte have gone and it’s only a la carte now. We started with a glass of Champaign on the terrace followed by mushroom soup and the halibut as main course. We felt this was a bit ‘overdressed” as halibut has a delicate flavour. We finished with ice cream and custard tart and fruits plus a little chocolate “bombe” with a happy birthday sign. We had a wander around the vegetable garden and came back for coffees in the lounge. As always service was impeccable and we were pleased to see the majority of the staff wore masks. We were temperature checked on leaving the car park before entering the hotel. The bill came to £188.89 for two. Was it worth it - no - but it was my birthday!

We have been here a couple of times pre lockdown and have always really liked it. Firstly the food was lovely as always but I was not really impressed with their interpretation of social distancing or with how the staff managed the restaurant. Paper napkins but cloth table cloths. No consistency amongst the staff, some wore visas, some wore masks and some had no face coverings. A consistent approach would help. We decided to take coffee in the lounge which was for us a mistake as we had to walk through two busy lounges before a free table could be found. Busy is fine but you still expect attention to detail and on this visit that was missing.PS I had to repost this as apparently Chewton Glen Hotel and Spa is different to The Dining room Chewton Glen. This seems a bit pedantic to me.

Poor afternoon tea The brioche bread was extremely stale The service was incredibly slow I feel bad for the staff as they were incredibly understaffed. Scones were good and the cakes on top were wonderful

We have enjoyed afternoon tea in over a dozen high end hotels around the world and this - overall - was a long way from the best. Firstly we were around 10 minutes late to be seated from our booked time, there was no menu presented to advise on the various options available and we waited a good further 5-10 minutes for the waiter to give us the low down on the (limited) tea selection.Both my wife's Earl Grey and my Lapsang Souchong were extremely weak and tasteless when served and not terribly refreshing.The sandwich selection was extremely good and tasty but - unlike in virtually all other places we've been to - we had to ask for more.which were then rather grudgingly provided. The scones were good with plentiful supplies of jam and cream but the cakes in that selection were also rather tasteless.Perhaps, in fairness, they are still getting to grips post lockdown but service was not good and I would expect better of a place marketing its exclusivity and quality

Excellent meal. Excellent service. Expensive but you pay for the experience and the lovely food. Recommended for a special occasion when you want something a little better than elsewhere.

Enjoyed a delicious lunch celebrating an anniversary and birthday. Food was exceptional, pricey but so worth it as a treat. Staff were brilliant, one lad particularly, was being treated as if new but really friendly and professional. Great gluten free choices. Covid taken seriously. Would really recommend a visit.

We came here for afternoon tea for a family celebration. Three of our party were vegan, one vegetarian and one meat eater. We started with a cocktail in the beautiful garden and then we moved into the restaurant for the tea. The tea was excellent as usual and the staff were also very good (especially Ari). We eventually went back into the garden for a final drink. An absolutely perfect afternoon.

We were very impressed on coming here for lunch - first time eating out for many months ... it was a surprise treat for us by our son and was a great success.From being greeted in the car park and given all the info we needed ( temperatures taken) , to being greeted inside and led to our table immediately.We were seated in the corner which gave us a lovely view of the restaurant and was very comfortableThe staff were friendly, attentive, helpful and they all could not have been nicer nor more professional given the circumstancesThe food was exquisite - nicely presented, the right quantity and quality excellent.In particular we must mention -George our waiter , who was especially helpful and friendly and recommended excellent choices.We must also mention the sommelier - a lovely lady whose name I did not get ( apologies) , and she was knowledgeable and friendly and helpful too.

The afternoon tea was underwhelming. Chewy beef sandwiches, cold scones and an unpalatable slice of Battenberg cake. Small pots of tea (no accompanying pot of hot water) and one small glass jar of jam per person. I've rated it as 'average' for food, service and value but was hoping for better than that.

First time we visited this restaurant we stayed in a tree house so booked it for our evening , the table was superb the waiter was average uninterested and needed a bit of spark I would say sleepy the server was superb better then the waiter he had passion was friendly and went over the top .Coming to the food it was all top class the meats were the best the cooking of everything top class so compliments to the kitchen team .We finished our dinner waiter was hanging around end of room never said goodbye so we just walked out .Would have given it 5 stars otherwise just goes to show one person affects a good place

We visit Chewton Glen three or four times a year although this was our first visit since the Covid 19 lockdown. Yesterdays occasion was a family lunch for four. The welcome was fine but, in an otherwise empty room at 1215 we were offered a table in the main dining room right next to the door. . We asked for a table near a window and away from people (I am in the covid 19 "shielded category due to cancer, chemotherapy and recent radiotherapy) and we were given a very comfortable corner table next to a window in the far side of the restaurant. Much nicer. The QR code menu was easy to download after logging in painlessly to the Chewton Glen wifi. Service stuttered a little bit at the start - we were told the daily specials etc twice. However once the allocated table waiter sprung into action it was fine. The Italian sommelier was excellent and when she found out that Chewton Glen had run out of our chosen wine (Nero D'Avola) she suggested another Italian wine which was not only very good but was also the cheapest Italian red on the wine list.. We all had different choices of starters and main courses, Some of the choices were outstanding - the Emmental Pasta and the conchiglie pasta. But others, whilst adequate were nothing special. Two of us for example had steaks - one ribeye and one fillet but neither were noteworthy and the fondant potato served with the duck breast was undercooked. The presentation of the food though was excellent throughoutWe didn't have desserts or coffee only really because with my current medical condition I don't have a big appetite. Perhaps I'm being hypercritical but I have had much more consistently excellent food at Chewton Glen. Its lovely to lunch out at Chewton Glen but yesterday I just felt it wasn't consistently excellent or good value for money.

The food was excellent but service was a let down. Having frequently eaten here things have slipped. Most staff are friendly but we were unfortunate with our waiter this time. He forgot orders, could not be heard through his mask and disappeared for long periods unfortunately when required. My feeling is the management needs to get a grip on service fast. I gave up trying to get a port as everyone had finished their desserts by the time he appeared. After the main course the table was covered with crumbs but he did not clear them, He put the starter on top of the wine menu as he had forgotten to get someone to take the wine order and collect the menu, he said he could not pour the water but the wine waiter seemed keen to pour the wine (I assume the virus only lives on water bottles). One person on the table did not have coffee so when he came with chocolates there was one less set of sweets than guests. (very mean when you are spending close to £150 a head). I had to ask the waiter on another table to get the bill as after 10 mins he had failed to bring it. It arrived with the new waiter immediately.

Fantastic place ,food to remember , spent time there with the family for lunch . Good selection , service couldn’t have been better thanks to George Smart , and the wine staff would highly recommend .Will return on my next trip to the south .

We had an excellent family lunch with brilliant staff. George smart was exceptionally good. Will be coming again

This was our third trip to Chewton Glen and every time it gets worse. The service today was appalling . It took 15 minutes to get seated and then another 15 minutes to get menus and it was only because we asked for them. Our drinks which took forever to arrive were apparently delivered to the wrong table and then they had the audacity to tell us it was because we moved tables- we had not! The food when it finally arrived (almost 90 minutes after we arrived) was okay but they served all of the adults first and left the two year old and 4 year old waiting. I have better ways to spend £300.

We stayed at the hotel and ate here for our anniversary and it was such a let down. The service was awful and even after months of notice that I was vegan the food was dismal with no choice.

Lovely hotel where we had been before. Met friends for lunch yesterday. Food excellent. Covid 19 precautions not what we had been told would happen. Not all staff wore masks or gloves when serving food or when in public places. No guests that we saw were wearing masks in public places inside. We had our temperature taken but were not asked to use hand gel. Inside the hotel the location of hand sanitiser was not indicated when we arrived and in fact was in a rather gloomy part of reception, not immediately visible on a dark day. If I had known what precautions were not being taken I probably would not have gone. Improvement needed and I shall now worry for two weeks. Not what I expect from you.

You won’t be disappointed but you do need fairly deep pockets. I actually went in May/June 2018 but I wasn’t able to select that as it was not in the last 12 months.

I would not normally post a bad review, however since our visit was followed by a 'how did we do' email from them, and since they haven't responded to my less-than-complimentary response, here it is.This was a disappointing visit to The Dining Room at Chewton Glen. On arrival we went to the bar for an aperitif where we encountered a couple at an adjacent table who had been drinking to excess. The foul and abusive language being directed at the lady by her male companion was audible throughout the room and we felt obliged to move to another area. We subsequently learnt that the couple were regular, high-spending customers of Chewton Glen and that their behaviour was tolerated for this reason. This is the sort of ethic I would expect from a down-market pub, but not from Chewton Glen.The food was satisfactory, but unexceptional. It did not represent good value for money and did not provide the 'wow factor' we expect at Chewton Glen. We were unable to find a member of staff to fetch our coats on leaving but did manage to seek someone out eventually. In conclusion, this visit to The Dining Room was unsatisfactory for the above reasons and I can find no reason to return to Chewton Glen.

Our return visit to Chewton Glen started badly; the table we were shown to was in a corner, beneath a loudspeaker playing music, and conversation was impossible. It took two attempts to find a reasonable table, but that turned out to be the least of our problems: when we looked at the Sunday lunch menu (which had pleased us on a previous visit) we could find nothing to choose. Cottage pie for two? A tomahawk pork chop? The beef which looked oh so unappetising as it was wheeled around? Disappointed and a little depressed, we had half decided to leave, until a waiter suggested we look at the carte. Okay, so it costs more, but this was a different offering - and how. Excited by the variety of choice, we eventually selected emmental souffle/crab for one of us and quail with dall and thai lobster curry for the other. The soufflé could have been better, my wife suggested, comparing it to the excellent version at the nearby Jetty, but she could not fault the crab - and my quail and lobster were exceptional dishes. The kitchen had not held back on the heat in the curry (I was pleased to discover...) but the lobster flavours were still distinctive and the sauce rich with coconut; even at the relatively high price this was a good bit of cooking. The quail was a very, very fine dish. Sorbets to finish were superb, if one the mean side (three small scoops for ten pounds).We enjoyed a great pinot noir from a part of a good wine list that isn't visited enough, according to the friendly and helpful sommelier (Argentina); there are some real treasures there if you look.Service was very good throughout with the young Spanish waitresses a star. We left almost feeling we'd made a friend.Clearly Chewton Glen doesn't get everything right. Last time we had problems with our bill, this time with the very low key welcome and that curiously Weatherspoon-like menu on offer. But when they get it right, as they did when the initial problems were resolved - well, they get ity very right and the result is sheer excitement.

Having visited the Chewton Glen on many occasions and enjoyed the service and food, it was our first choice to celebrate two family birthdays. We arrived early and had coffee in the lounge, the service was very slow, and eventually gave up trying to get a refill. There was not enough staff on or they were busy with a large private function. We had to queue to get into the restaurant, and waited quite a while for menus. Without going into every minor problem, suffice to say that the service was poor, and the main course roast was not hot. There didn't seem to be a maitre d on duty keeping an eye on things, and at their prices they need to shape up. So sad, we always enjoyed our visits to the Chewton Glen, but will seriously think twice about revisiting.

For the first time ever I was slightly disappointed with my lunch here. Normally at the Chewton Glen, the service is exemplary, with every member of staff making you feel like an honoured guest. It just didn’t happen this lunchtime.The staff performed their duties adequately, but without the attention to detail which we have come to expect from The Chewton Glen. The presentation of the food was poor, on bowls and plates you don’t normally expect at a fine dining restaurant. The black work stations in the restaurant were more suited to a fast food place, looking totally out of place. The food was ok - nothing to write home about, but nothing to write to the papers about, lacking the sparkle there has been in the past. It was slightly disconcerting to have families wandering through both the bar and the restaurant, dressed in white dressing gowns, on their way to the outside pool. It made me wonder why I had made an effort in my choice of attire. I did not notice anyone as a maitre d there, which possibly explained the shortcomings in the restaurant. It was a shame, as I have been coming here for over fifty years, in various incarnations and we had gathered there for a special reason. The last time I was there was a few years ago and our dinner was magnificent, with everything absolutely perfect.

I Went with my wife and daughter for an "Estate" lunch which at £ 25 for two courses or £32 for three is good value. Starters included smoked eel and risotto, main courses steak (£8 supplement) and bream. The starters and mains were absolutely excellent. We simply couldn't fault them. The rum baba dessert was OK but not brilliant - I thought the mango accompaniment was a little unripe. Advice from the sommelier was excellent. I wanted a light red wine, the suggestion was am Italian wine from Northern Italy - it was fine. Wines are vey expensive though at Chewton Glen - our bottle was at the lower end of the scale at £50. Service was a bit patchy from one of the waiters and getting the bill was a challenge. But the overall experience was fine. We'll be back again.

Not normally impressed when my expectations are already high, but when every part of the dish and service is impeccable, it is definitely woth posting. The food was stunning with marvellous combinations in my Emmenthal souffle' followed by a turbot main, couldn't fault a thing, delicious and divine. The service was amazing with friendly, happy people always willing to help without making you feel any bad for asking, as sometimes busy FOH teams do. Their sommelier was the star of the team and apart from introducing us to a great red, her charm and personality won us over to truly want to return and try some more. A great treat!