Lewtrenchard Manor

We had a lovely Sunday lunch here. Due to a large group dining in another room we were the only people eating in the dining room. The staff still looked after us, keeping the fire lit and providing us with a history of the house when we enquired. We were looked after by our lovely waitress Lauren who made our meal all the more pleasant. The food was excellent from ham hock bon bon to sticky toffee pudding! Nice to be able to pop over to St Peter's church afterwards for a walk around too.

We booked a one night stay at Lewtrenchard Manor for a family celebration of a significant birthday. One couple stayed in a classic room and the other two in deluxe double rooms. We stayed in the latter which was very nice. Additional heating was already supplied in the room and as a result the temperature was fine. The hotel communal areas were all very nice and full of character-open fires (which we sat infront of as a group). We booked a table for dinner for 6 people of the taster menu. The food and service was excellent throughout, every course was thoroughly enjoyable and prepared to a very high standard. It was a very nice sociable experience. After the meal we were able to speak to the chef which was a nice personal touch. Breakfast the next day, was of the same high standard. Many Thanks to the staff at Lewtrenchard Manor , we will be visiting at some point again in the future.

Having been to Lewtrenchard several times in the past my wife and I were looking forward to our recent weekend there - but what a let down. Sadly, the weekend contained many disappointments - ownership seems to have lost interest. We arrived on a cold/wet December day - but there was no point in wiping our muddy feet. The porch doormat was completely worn out and hairless. There were three log fires but not a flame between them. Masses of ash underneath the fires presumably choking the air supply and we were later told that all the logs were wet - so hardly surprising no blazing log fires to greet the guests. Pleased to say our room was warm but several of our group complained that their bedrooms and bathrooms were very cold. To be fair it was a very cold weekend and the hotel had made efforts with portable electric heaters but they weren’t up to the job and every other hotel we have stayed in has been toasty warm. Eating was another disappointment - our ‘Festive’ lunch was served not table by table but to the whole room. So people with hot soup starters waited patiently and politely for their fellow diners to receive their cold starters by which time their soup was cold. Same thing with the main courses - whole room served before any cranberry sauce or gravy arrived. Consequently the people served their main course first had finished it before any gravy arrived ! It was a disappointing meal and plated so no vegetables in separate bowls. The chef deciding how many potatoes you wanted. So no flexibility for ladies to take a little less and hungry chaps to have a little more. I could of course be wrong but the dessert was poor, stodgy and appeared ‘off a van’ rather than made in house. Breakfast was another disappointment - my wife chose haddock. But was shocked at the miniscule (roughly an inch by and inch) piece of fish she was presented with. We joked that the chef must have thought she wasn’t hungry but it wasn’t really funny. Also, trying to find staff to bring some more coffee was difficult and meant trailing through several rooms to find someone. A general lack of care and attention to detail seemed prevalent - the curtains in our bedroom were all torn and saggy at the top and the curtains in the main function room were torn in several places - As well as being rather meagre our meal was expensive for what it was - our local hotel is providing much better for half the price. So all in all a big expensive disappointment and so different to a few years ago. Something has gone wrong - don’t know what, but won’t be visiting again

Lovely afternoon tea as always! Good selection of cakes, delicious scones and drinks are included - my only criticism is that the afternoon tea would have been lovely if it was festive themed the same as last years! Also I feel the sandwiches need a bit of a boost - they are okay but my personal preference is that they need to be more flavourful and that’s the only reason I rate it a 4 xx

We attended the ****** Mystery evening last night, great entertainment from the team of actors, they put on a marvellous show. It was the food this time, a little underwhelming, maybe the new chef is finding his feet? We started with a soup, this was very good, well presented, was silky smooth. Then things took a dive, a chicken terrine with Thai flavours, served with a green Thai broth, supposed to be hot, sadly it was stone cold, although flavour was good. The main course of venison was well cooked, but presentation was poor, very dull looking dish. Carrots over cooked, a courgette purée, with no flavour at all, very little sauce, no texture to the dish, to lift it. Fail to understand why courgette was used, it is not in season now, celeriac would have been a far better choice. Dessert of a chocolate mousse with raspberry, tasted good, but again lack of presentation, you eat with your eyes first, then taste, if food looks good, you want to eat it. A small round bowl with mousse, some chocolate soil, a tiny ball of sorbet and two chocolate sticks, to me looked very underwhelming. Normally food at Lewtrenchard is beautifully presented, tastes delicious, tonight’s meal did not deliver this. We will be back, as I want to see what the new chef can do, when running normal dinner service, not a function.

The hotel is atmospheric, full of period features and totally intriguing. The staff were all welcoming, well trained and eager to assist. Special mention has to be made about the food. Absolutely gorgeous, you should see what the chef does with the butter at dinner. This is a very special place, perhaps showing its age a little - well so would you if you were 400+ years old.. Overall, I would certainly recommend, and fully intend to return. Thanks all