The Baraset Barn — Restaurant in Stratford-on-Avon

Visited here with my wife on a Friday night, the decor is absolutely stunning and the restaurant was packed which is always a good sign! Was greeted by a woman who i believe may be the owner and she was lovely, very welcoming and you got the sense that a lot of the customers were regulars.

We were seated in the conservatory and served drinks while we waited for our table to be ready. Again the decor was very nice, comfy seats and a nice chilled vibe. Once seated at our table it was a very romantic setting, exactly what we had hoped for. Staff all seemed very friendly and service looked like it ran smoothly. We weren't designated a specific server, everyone seemed to chip in which we didn't mind. It just felt a bit difficult to know who to tip but in the end we discovered their was a service charge added to the bill anyway (absolutely no problem with this either, the service and food deserved it).

For starters we shared the rustic bread; wow. How you can transform bread like that I'll never know, it was delicious and a very generous portion. Both of us had the 10oz sirloin steak with new potatoes for main, whilst sharing a side of truffle & Parmesan fries. My steak was cooked to perfection, exactly the way i like it and the quality of the food was unquestionable. For desert we had the vanilla & raspberry cheesecake which was stunning, one of the best I've ever had. And also the warm chocolate brownie with ice-cream, again delicious. Nothing can be said against the quality of the food here.

The only negative i can say about our experience was that we didn't receive a table check to see if everything was ok with our meals. My wife had asked for her steak to be medium but unfortunately it was very much rare (bright red inside rather than pink). She ate as much as she could but it did dampen her enjoyment, once the waiter collected our plates he could of course notice she had left a fair chunk of the steak and asked if everything was ok with it. We explained the situation and he continued to take the plates to the kitchen, we didn't receive any feedback or anything.

Upon receiving the bill i noticed that her steak had been removed from the total, of course this was appreciated but we just felt it could of been handled a little bit better. We felt a bit guilty if anything. If he would of returned from the kitchen and perhaps apologised or acknowledged that the steak was under cooked, possibly offering her a pudding on the house this would of been more than acceptable in our eyes.

Overall though our experience was very enjoyable and as mentioned the quality of the food is very high. The hotel also looks beautiful. We will certainly be returning...

The best restaurant in Stratford and environs, bar none! Baraset is fabulous. A joy. Without doubt the best special occasion dining in the Midlands. It's also the best any other occasion dining!

The location is pretty, in the countryside a short hop from Stratford upon Avon - handy if you're doing the whole theatre visit thing. The conversion is a triumph, offering a blend of sympathetic wooden modernity with al fresco space, and a lovely stylish dining room where you don't feel cramped at all.

But the primary reason for enjoying any restaurant, especially repeat visits, is the food and the service - both of which are superb here. And the ambience of course, which is that ineffable, indefinable quality that ties together our whole entertainment experience, and keeps us coming back. And that... leads us to the reason all this works at Baraset... Maggie.

Being an old customer of Maggie's in her own famous Margaux in Stratford, I declare a possible bias. But the truth is that with Maggie you're in the hands of one of the top restaurateurs, and biggest personalities, a decided presence. A star. Dispensing welcome, warmth and a strong sense of fun. Determined that you will enjoy your time with her, and with the knowledge and determination to keep a busy restaurant on track to deliver that, through her mainly young team of really well-trained staff. Gems, the lot of them.

Her staff represent Maggie well... engaging, friendly, attentive and hard-working. A real team - another indefinable concept, but you know it when you experience it. The atmosphere is highly professional, but unstuffy and... fun, above all fun. I defy you not to have some here.

And the food... great seasonal fare, supported by classic standards... and daily fish choices. Truly fresh vegetables and delicious sauces. Chefs that know their business, and also take pride in their fare.

The wines are well chosen, with occasional star appearances. Push the boat out for that special occasion and indulge your friends or family... one of the giant stars of La Rioja is here: Marques de Murrieta. The 2009 we drank was superlative. Really.

With a word for everyone, your evening will probably begin and end in conversation with Maggie... hands on and working as hard as her team, or harder, she'll pop up from time to time to see how you're doing, topping up her team, bringing with her wit and laughter. Charm and indomitability in equal measure.

Baraset and Maggie are amazing. Go. Be amazed. You'll also be superbly well wined and dined - and you'll want to go...

I cannot recommend this hotel enough. My husband and I spent one night here for our anniversary. From the minute we walked in the door the staff were amazing. Check is is 3pm but we arrived at 11 as we wanted to go into the town and have a look round. One member of staff tried to call us a taxi, unfortunately they were all busy so she advised an Uber and told us about the local bus as well. Neither myself or my husband had the Uber app and she helped us with that and then checked that we had managed to sort out a cab. We spent a lovely day in the town, we were lucky enough to have glorious weather. We had booked a table at a restaurant in the town but when we went back to the hotel and had a look around decided to see if we could get a table in the hotel restaurant, again nothing was too much trouble for the staff and they organized a table for us at 8:30. We went to our room which was absolutely gorgeous, huge bed, immaculately clean, fluffy white towels and dressing gowns and the most amazing view from the French doors which led out to a little patio area with a table and two chairs. There were coffee machine with pods provided a selection of teas and hot chocolate, some biscuits and fresh milk in the fridge. The bathroom was also lovely and big and very clean. The room had air conditioning which was a bonus. Our meal in the restaurant was absolutely delicious we both had fillet steak which was cooked to perfection, melt in the mouth tender. Both our plates were clean! desserts also were amazing. We had breakfast included with our booking. The selection (from a menu not a buffet) was huge. We both opted for a full English which was perfect. Crispy bacon, sausage, eggs, black pudding, hash brown, beans & Tomatoes a pot of tea, fresh orange juice and toast. The staff in this hotel absolutely make it. They are all so attentive, the hotel was busy when we were there and I can see why but they made everyone feel special, noticing when a glass was empty and just generally being polite, chatty and friendly. We will stay here again without a doubt and if you have it on a short list for a visit to Stratford Upon Avon then book it you won't be...