The best restaurants serving British food in South West

This used to be a regular eating place for many Christchurch diners, but quality and service had gone way down hill during last summer and we just stopped going.... ...But thanks to the enthusiastic efforts of Lucy (Maitre' d) and her staff (some in training),...

Awful experience - website says it's disabled access but despite pre calling to say I'm a wheelchair user ,entry blocked by table of 10 plus. Sunday roast was awful , wet white potatoes and ditto parsnip. Raw cabbage, gristly beef, rubbery burnt Yorkshire all served up on a cold plate. One of us lucked out by choosing a burger and one of us did not, had the veg wellington and went home to be ill afterwards. Same fiasco to get out of the building - move huge table of people. By way of apology a free dish of cauliflower cheese and service charge not added. We are all local folk and will not recommend or put this on disability friendly sites.

Delicious carvery choice of 4 meats could choose 2 all cooked perfect. Lots of choice of veg fresh and tasty. Best carvery we've had there thank you.

The dining staff completely ignored my presence, so much so that I had to get up and ask at the bar for the pudding to be served. Their either need to train their staff to look the part and act the part or give up. Breakfast the following morning was similar, I had three staff not 4 feet from my table discussing their shift patterns at the top of their voices. I should have got up and asked them politely to move their discussions away from the paying guests but I did not.

Lovely setting but that was about it for the positives. The service was patchy and with so few things on the menu, you would have thought that the serving staff would be able to answer simple questions instead of saying. 'I don't know I haven't tried that'! The food was very poor, three of us ate there and not one of us had a satisfying meal. Soggy batter on the fish and chips, overcooked shrimps served only with a small portion of ridiculously spicy rice and no vegetables in sight and the vegan fish and chips was totally tasteless (we didn't end up paying for this meal). The chips were good though but not a meal. Much more thought needed to be given about presenting balanced meals, taking pride in ensuring that each item on a very limited menu was cooked properly and taste tested. It seems as if this restaurant is relying on location rather than serving good food and that really is a shame.

We visit the area very year and stay nearby so we often pop in for food. We had read poor reviews before going but had not experienced that ourselves - up to now. The re were plenty of staff and they were helpful but not overly happy and welcoming. As you would expect in a farm shop, the meat in the meals was very good but the chips let down the whole meal. They are cooked on site in their own "fish and chips shop" area and I can only imagine that they are cooking all day. We felt that we got chips from the bottom of the tray that had sat there for quite a while. When we commented upon this it was suggested that they might have had a "bad batch of potatoes" - from a farm shop?! We had planned to go back another time, as we have previously had wonderful fish from here, but we went elsewhere instead. I will visit again next year, in the hope that this was a one off, but I am not convinced!

Found a rat in my soup and the staff and management are rude. Avoid like the plague nothing about this place is inviting so expensive too

Absolutely wonderful stop for drinks and dinner. The location is out of this world, with views over to Wales and all along the coastline. Beautiful on a sunny day! Our weather was mixed… The staff were very friendly and happy to chat, if not too busy. We purchased a parking ticket of £5 for 5 hours and had a £3 refund, we were advised to purchase a £3 ticket, then return when the 3 hours were due up for another £3 ticket, which could be refunded on your next order, but didn’t realise this until we went into the pub. My husband and I had a window seat and ordered food, which arrived promptly and hot! It was delicious and exceptional value for money. I would highly recommend a visit, we shall definitely return.

We had a lovely lunch here after a walk in the woods. A great pub in a quiet setting. Staff were friendly and helpful, and the food was delicious.

Lovely friendly pub great staff the beers and wines were good quality. We all had a fantastic meal here. I had a lovely chicken and leek pie and I would certainly go back and have that again and I know the rest of the group felt the same with their food, the service was spot on looking forward to visiting again very soon highly recommended

This hotel is in a great setting with extensive gardens, ideal for wedding receptions. Our room was spacious, quiet and comfortable. The choice of food was good, not too big a menu that you can’t decide. Food was well cooked and presentable, the restaurant is a large conservatory where you can look out onto the gardens. Finally, the staff were always very attentive, helpful and friendly, ensuring all customers had a great experience. We would definitely return without hesitation.

Loving the new menu, thanks liam for being such a good host! Beef rib mac and cheese was to die for and the atmosphere is always lively

Six of us went to lunch at the Swan’s Nest and all chose from the a la carte menu. Service for both drinks and the meal was very good and the food was enjoyed by all.

We chose to ignore the bad reviews and try it anyway. In a positive note, my son enjoyed his Full English breakfast. However, my veggie sausages were 'cremated' rendering them inedible and my eggs were burnt on the bottom. My husband's fried egg bap had cheese in it. Glad he's not dairy intolerant. I only enjoyed the bottled orange juice. Definitely a tourist trap because of where it is and people probably won't read reviews before going in. Young staff were pleasant enough but looked like they'd rather be somewhere else. £38 for 3 of us for breakfast, pretty awful really.

Popped in for breakfast as we were in the area visiting family. The morning staff and Manager were lovely and welcoming. The food was good, fresh and hot. Good value for money. Will definitely be visiting again.