College Arms — Restaurant in Stratford-on-Avon

Review of Stay in Lower Quinton|The village of Lower Quinton is beautiful and has a charming connection to Magdalen College, Oxford.|Hotel Building and Management|The hotel building itself is lovely and has great potential to become a successful and desirable destination with a few key improvements. During our stay, we observed that the young man managing the property was extremely busy, juggling multiple responsibilities. It appeared that a kind lady, possibly his mother, was handling housekeeping duties, but aside from them, we did not see any regular staff.|Bar and Staff Observations|We also noticed a lady with a baby, presumably a family member, who was present in the bar area. On two occasions, she was curt with customers, which created an uncomfortable atmosphere. Caring for a small child while working in a pub environment is understandably difficult, and unfortunately, this impacted the overall experience.|For instance, unwashed baby bottles were left in a pushchair in the doorway for at least two days, which gave the impression that the establishment might not be the best place to dine.|Food Service and Customer Experience|Although there was a menu board displayed outside, we did not see any food being served. Customers who inquired about meals, including a child who asked for ice cream in the evening, were declined.|Atmosphere and Language Concerns|Another concern was the frequent use of foul language by some regular patrons, which discouraged us from spending time in or around the bar area.|Check-in Experience|Upon arrival, we were not greeted with any basic pleasantries, which are typically expected during check-in.|Room and Amenities|On a positive note, the room and bathroom were spacious and clean. The towels and bed linen were of good quality, and there was a generous supply of toiletries, tea, and coffee provided.|While some noise and music is expected in a pub setting, this was not an issue for us—only the offensive language was unpleasant.|Conclusion|With a few thoughtful changes, this place could truly be a hidden gem, and we sincerely hope it becomes a success for the...

Firstly, the building is absolutely beautiful, and Guinness is one of the best pints I've had in a long time.|| Now to the nitty gritty - On check-in, we were told that the room we had booked wasn't available, but they would place us in another, larger room. The room was spacious and clean, and we were pleased with everything. Okay, the bed creaked and groaned with every breath, but 8ve slept in worse. We thought little of it and went out to our event in fantastic spirits.|| Arriving back late at night, we were hit with a cacophony of music at a volume that shook the furniture in our room. Fair enough, we thought, that's what you get for book8ng a room at a pub - we'll wait it out and then get some well needed shut eye. Unfortunately, we didn't allow for the pub having a 'lock in' and playing the music at full volume well into the early hours of the morning, when my partner snapped and complained to staff. I don't think that I'll be able to ever be able to listen to Carly Simon or Billy Joel again without wanting to force feed somebody their own knees. Despite this debacle, there was no apology, and we were left seething and unable to sleep.|| Heading into breakfast later that morning, we were faced with condiments that were covered with dust and hair and food (which like the evening before), which was rubbery and inedible.||||I know that some of this was my fault for booking accommodation at a pub, and failing to take heed of reviews, but they stay was abysmal, and if there are not considerably better establishments out there, I'd be...

We did not stay at the College Arms but did book a table on their restaurant. We were told at the time of booking (about 5 days prior to our visit) that the menu was changing and the one on the website would not be available but would be replaced by a winter menu featuring more dishes like pies and casseroles. As the College Arms was the only local eating place, we opted for convenience over complicated taxi bookings to dine futlrthef afield. We were looking forward to a traditional, cosy pub dining experience. But from the time we stepped into the restaurant- virtually empty at 8.40pm on a Saturday evening- we felt that the expert would not live up to expectations. Suffice to say, the menu had not been updated/replaced and we were presented with a poorly written blackboard featuring 4 ‘starters’ and 5 main courses. We ordered a selection from the menu. When our meals arrived we were horrified. Every dish was inedible. Our attempt to speak to the maMaher/owner was met with scepticism and no sense of acknowledgement. I would definitely not return. Some of our group stayed for a few drinks and were subjected to comments by some of the locals at the bar which were evidently the result of the manager having made unfavourable ‘stereotype’...