It was my aunts birthday and she invited her friends to have birthday lunch party and we really…read moreenjoyed it. The food was good and the people who assist us were nice and kept on checking if we're okay. My Aunty really enjoyed her birthday. Great job

Great restaurant Excellent food…read more Great packing near by (Free in the evening)

My wonderful housemate took me here for a birthday treat and I felt spoiled and ruined in one go!…read moreSo... we arrived and were told where our room was, bags were offered to be taken on etc, so all good to start off with. We entered our room to find it fairly dated, but clean and tidy and with all that it promised so were more than happy. There was a wedding going on, and we had to go through the crowd in order to get to the restaurant, but that wasn't a big problem. Dinner was boasted to be a wide selection from a set menu.... this wasn't the case! There were only a couple of options, and to be honest none of the starters or mains were that delicious.... especially for a 4* hotel. The restaurant itself was overly lit, and the service was surly to say the least. Still a bottle of wine and food done, and off we went to our room.... Following day was the breakfast and treatment day..... we went to breakfast with plenty of time, but the service of coffee etc was slow, and we had to wait a good 10 mins to be signed out from breakfast. Sadly this meant that we were running late for our treatments (5 mins). We rang the spa and were told that it was ok and to come asap. Sadly the signage for the spa was poor and we arrived at the spa 10 mins late - we were told that it was still fine for the treatments, and were showed into a stunning room with several massage tables - was a little strange to be in the same room but that was fine really. So the therapists went out to allow us to change, but there was no privacy from each other....thankfully neither of us embarrass easily! The therapists returned after 5 mins and began their treatment. The therapist asked me if I had any problems with my back, and I told her of the 2 trouble spots on my back.... she ignored these! After 15 mins the therapists stopped massaging and said we were done. A little dismayed we went pool side and decided to have a bit of time in the pool to further stretch out the muscles..... sadly it was closed for the rest of the day!!! We then were called for our second treatment and they did a pedicure for both of us. Mine was brilliant and I loved the finished look, sadly my housemate's coats had been put on too closely together so they chipped and smudged within 5 mins of leaving! I heard the manager apologising to some others, but was feeling a little left out that we had had no comment so went to see him. I have to say that he handled our complaint fantastically, and was brilliant in his response. He immediately sorted out a comp voucher for both of us to have a day pass and an hour long massage each - boom, that is complaint resolution right there!!!! On the overall impression, I would say that this is great value for money for a beautiful spa retreat. It seems that I had a bad day, but am happy that the return will bring a more positive review...... keep you all posted.

I pitched up in early January on one of the windiest nights of the year. I hail from Blighty so…read morelike to think I have modest expectations. The hotel setting is beautiful and I was expecting so much.....and how underwhelmed I became. I also must state i co-own an award winning inn in Woodstock Vermont so I do have high expectations. The staff were all personable and tried hard but plainly were not encouraged to make many decisions. I had booked a dinner bed & breakfast package in a top room (the Lowther) at 230 quid....I now reflect that this represents poor value. My room was tired, the furniture a mish mash, the breeze through the original windows was terrible. They had placed 2 additional fan heaters in the room so plainly the cold situation was not new to them. The bathroom had been refitted and could have been impressive....but the filler handle on the bath came apart in my hand, which illustrates poor maintenance. The bedroom was not luxurious, the sofa uncomfortable and the room had no clock. I asked for one and a very efficient member of staff managed to get me a massive wall clock for the room, plainly taken off the wall of the office or alike. However 10 out 10 for initiative! The bed was tired with the mattress being too used, but the duvet was warm and I like a cool room, which was good as the wind blew the curtain all night long and in the morning the room was fresh to put it mildly. I toddled off to the health club, which offered so much potential, but again the mens dressing room was tatty, with hand written notices about a scalding shower, and plaster peeling....not the sophistication I was hoping for. The steam room did the business and pool was clean...but I was disappointed. The very jolly health club manager was most impressed that I was in the 'honeymoon suite' by myself....my feeling was that had I taken my bride to the Lowther suite we would have had a quick divorce! I enquired about using the internet on the house computer in the lobby area, as I had left my laptop in the US. Certainly the duty receptionist replied but there is a 3.50 charge if you don't use the free wi-fi that is available for your own machine! This to me is just plain stupid and also takes the piss.....why charge at all???? If McDonalds can give you free wi-fi why in heavens name is a 4 star hotel going to charge you to use the helpfully provided in-house computer????? Onto a pint before dinner, again the staff were friendly........and I discover the restaurant is closed. The bar area had a few tables laid up with candles and the staff had tried to make it welcoming, but it was like a bar area with tables and the place was like a funeral parlour.....little positive movement! I sank a pint, read the papers and decided to seek some life in a village pub.....so asked to be removed from the dinner service as there were just 2 travelling salesmen ( a profession I used to do and I no longer need to have dinners in a morgue for one....) sitting down for supper. More onto this charging issue later..... I return to the hotel after a fish supper in the local village and toddle off to my 'cool' in the sense of cold room for the night. A new day dawns...the wind still blows and the curtains still move so I bathe and off to breakfast I go. A very personable breakfast manager 'meeted and greeted' me, and took my order. To say my kipper was underwhelming would be a compliment to the producer. It was a kipper fillet reminiscent of a 'boil in the bag' type. It was however warm and had some taste...but my hope a fresh grilled kipper was not achieved. Maybe I was expecting too much for a 4 star hotel? I could only see strawberry jam on the self service counter so I asked for a small portion of marmalade.......... off the ever helpful manager goes, I hear doors open, see him return and disappear to another cupboard....and then go off in a fresh direction for he was a man not to be beaten....BUT...he returns about 5 minutes later and very apologetically says 'they must have run out over Christmas and have not got any'. This is an honest answer...and I commend him for being frank....but in a four star hotel in Blighty to not have ANY marmalade reflects I feel on having poor supply management. On checkout I was credited with one dinner @17.50, after I raised the issue ...but I had booked a room for two even though I was a single traveller. I noted my dissatisfaction on the ubiquitous survey that followed my stay, and Stuart the new manager, who in all fairness has only just taken over the running of the hotel (in addition to his own hotel in Troon) replied quickly. I followed up his note with a request for a refund on the additional dinner that I had not taken. After 10 days I had heard nowt so I wrote to Stuart, who quickly apologised and stated that they had indeed refunded 17.50 for dinner as i requested, but no one had informed me. 200 quid a night....no way! Stuart...good luck in fixing the place!

Great place to meet up with friends for a lovely meal. The chefs specials are highly recommended…read moreThe venue offers a friendly service set in a very relaxed atmosphere and offers great value for money.

I've never been much of a 'pie person', however having watched the GBBO (newly converted) seeing…read morethose meaty fillings and thick walled pastries inspired me to give it a go. There are several award-winning pies on the menu, and some interesting flavours such as pork and black pudding, chicken tikka... however we went for the Macc pie and steak and ale pie, accompanied by horseradish mash and a plain mash. After comparing pies we agreed that I'd made the better choice (the steak and ale) as it was definitely more flavoursome! There was a good amount of filling and the pastry was nicely golden - I'm sure Mary Berry would approve! The horseradish mash was a nice twist, and something that I will be trying at home. The venue has indoor and outdoor seating; it was quiet when we visited, but I particularly liked the chilled out music and local beers scattered around the place. The best surprise came at the end of the meal when a pie, side and drink only came to £8!! It was a hefty pie too, and very filling . I'd recommend it as a place to try for lunch or dinner if you're in the area and want to try something different.

Great name, good mash, satisfactory pies, poor service. I went to Lord of the pies for a Monday…read morelunch with some work colleagues, there were 12 of us in total which I realise can be a strain to cater for quickly... I think the first pie arrived an hour after getting to the restaurant, the remaining orders came out throughout the next half hour, many of which were missing sides. Our table wasn't checked on after mains had been delivered and what should have been a quick lunch lasted for nearly 2 hours. The pies for were OK but the pastry to filling ratio was not great and the filling I had (slow cooked lamb) was a bit bland and not much meat. The black pudding mash was good though and the décor was nice and modern, the place needs more staff and better pies. I won't be rushing back

Fantastic food. Going the extra mile during COVID restrictions. Great bar staff. Outdoor dining and…read moredrinking in a large marquee in the car park/garden area. Bar staff wonderful.

A large, sprawling pub and restaurant in the Cheshire countryside that's been recently renovated by…read morethe looks of things. The interior is comfortably furnished with a mixture of chairs and sofas to give a relaxed atmosphere. If you were looking for a traditional country pub though it's probably more on the stylish gastro end of the spectrum. That said, the food we had from starters to desserts was superb. Our group, which included a baby and a toddler, were well taken care of and we had a large table tucked away from the main dining area where we could spread out a bit. You can't travel light with young 'uns! Sunday roasts and British dishes head the menu, though the selection for all courses was pretty extensive - I opted for their oak-smoked chicken liver pâté followed by the Sunday roast platter (roast beef, roast turkey and loin of pork) and then sticky toffee and apple pudding (because dessert). Their bar stock includes cask-conditioned beers, real ales and bottles which was good to see. As a designated driver though, I was on the blackcurrant and lemonade! Service was attentive throughout and we were never made to feel rushed at any point. A super venue for a lazy Sunday lunch - will definitely return.

great friendly service with great food and drink, staff are friendly and help fantastic outside…read morebeer garden

nice selection of beers in homely atmosphere. looks like a restauranty kinda off place so next time…read moreshould try the food