Birlington's Restaurant — Restaurant in England

I paid in advance for 3 course dinner on top of my room rate. When I arrived at 3pm to check-in I was told that the room was not ready and that check-in had been put back an hour. I didn't complain, just said that I would go for a drive ... no problem. Long story short I was 45 mins late for my dinner booking, having been delayed an hour by the hotel for my check-in. When I arrived at the restaurant the waitress took my room number and said she would check my table, came back having spoken with the restaurant manager and told me that because I was nearly an hour late they wouldn't be able to serve me in the restaurant. I explained the reason I was late but was told there was nothing they could do. Reception tried to remedy the situation by talking to the manager but came back unsuccessful. Looking in the restaurant it was almost empty. Reception and bar manager were very helpful in trying to remedy the situation, but the best they could do was feed me and give me a glass of wine in the bar. The restaurant manager clearly does not understand customer service and being adaptable when the delay was caused by late check-in by the hotel. Whatever happened to the customer is...

So where to start… I booked in a rush as it had five stars I failed to read the reviews.

Sorry to say the restaurant is not five stars the food is fine, the salmon cooked well but to much of the pea and the flavours get a little lost, the lamb looked and tasted great. The venison starter was ok but lacked a little flavour The pitchfork White House wine had been open too long and was warm.

The real problem is the venue; to say tired would be a compliment, over hot and poorly ventilated. The carpets were dirty and in the heat the odour was too much.

On it’s own 3.5 (starter) 4 (mains) stars for the food but 2 stars for the venue… we didn’t stay for dessert I’m afraid…

If I were the chef I’d be looking for a venue that didn’t let my talent down.

The staff were cheery though and tried hard to keep all happy. All in all not...

The dinner food at this restaurant is nothing less than fantastic. An exceptional chef who will not disappoint even the most refined palate. We dine in major cities around the world and we were amazed. Despite the beautiful lake view, the ambiance is lacking for dinner mostly because the restaurant is sized for a large breakfast crowd—so it feels a bit empty even though it’s not. Just look out the window and ignore the plethora of empty tables in the other direction. We were served by a gentleman from Peterborough who was as pleasant and personable as it gets. Gluten free was well accommodated too. Highly...