We stayed at the Old Swan & Minster Mill last November. When we arrived, we were delighted. The place is really beautiful and the weather was a lovely winters day... cold with bright sunshine.
The staff were really nice and when we were shown to our room, we were chuffed. The room was fantastic. A perfect blend of old world with modern comforts. The bed was huge and wonderfully comfortable.
The problems started when we went for dinner. We were shown to our table in the restaurant. It was freezing. My girlfriend is pregnant, so I asked our (very young) waitress if the heating was on. I was told that it had only just come on... I let her know that my partner was expecting, so we would like our table area a little warmer.
Our starters were nice, but fairly unremarkable. Our main course was not. My partner ordered the fish special (I don't recall the exact type) and when it came, it was covered in sauce. The plate was also overflowing, to the point where food was falling off the plate. Once she had waded through, and ate a few forkfuls of fish, she was trying to work out what was wrong with the dish. She then realised that most of the fish was very undercooked. This really put her off her food.
I ordered a medium rare steak and a bottle of red. My plate also had...We stayed at the Old Swan & Minster Mill last November. When we arrived, we were delighted. The place is really beautiful and the weather was a lovely winters day... cold with bright sunshine.
The staff were really nice and when we were shown to our room, we were chuffed. The room was fantastic. A perfect blend of old world with modern comforts. The bed was huge and wonderfully comfortable.
The problems started when we went for dinner. We were shown to our table in the restaurant. It was freezing. My girlfriend is pregnant, so I asked our (very young) waitress if the heating was on. I was told that it had only just come on... I let her know that my partner was expecting, so we would like our table area a little warmer.
Our starters were nice, but fairly unremarkable. Our main course was not. My partner ordered the fish special (I don't recall the exact type) and when it came, it was covered in sauce. The plate was also overflowing, to the point where food was falling off the plate. Once she had waded through, and ate a few forkfuls of fish, she was trying to work out what was wrong with the dish. She then realised that most of the fish was very undercooked. This really put her off her food.
I ordered a medium rare steak and a bottle of red. My plate also had far too much food on it. I dont know how they managed it, but the steak was indeed, medium rare, however it was completely dry. No mean feat. Also, the wine, while not corked, was barely drinkable. How it was on the wine list I do not know.
When our waitress (she couldn't have beed more than 18) came to take our plates, it was obvious we were not happy. We informed her that the fish was not cooked and that my girlfriend was pregnant (which she knew). This we thought was dangerous. She apologised and did offer a replacement dish, however by now my partner was not interested in eating.
The manager was not called, no discount offered on the bill.
When we checked out the next day, we informed reception of our experience. Again they were apologetic, but for GBP 375 for room and board, I would expect a lot more.
Shame really. Maybe they had a bad night, as most of the other reviews are glowing, but when they charge this kind of money, consistency is key.More
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