The Kitchen At Westonbirt

Cat And Custard Pot Inn

➤ The Street, GL8 8PN, Cotswold, United Kingdom

Carte • Pubs • Steak • And Bb • British

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"Our third visit for a birthday dinner wasn’t as good as previous visits. The sweet potato soup was plain; the bread was actually toast which smacks of old bread being used. My main course of Sole was smothered with capers, which spoiled the flavour. The salad was amazing; I also ordered Savoy cabbage which may be unusual with the fish but I’d had it on two previous visits and it was delicious; but the savoy cabbage that I paid £3.50 for was absolutely dreadful, so dry, probably microwaved to death; it would not be a gross overstatement to suggest that wood shavings off the floor would have been better. The other disappointment was how tired the place is looking. When I went to the gents, the cistern cover was off showing a clear huge damp problem with mould, and the door cubicle wouldn’t close because it was swollen. I imagine they have been told to keep the cistern cover off to let the walls dry out; which they should do when the pub is closed, not during opening hours. It looked awful and the visible mould was worrying. Whilst in the cubicle the light suddenly went off within seconds of being in there which was disconcerting. For the price and the level where the Cat and Custard Pot is placed it should be immaculate with excellent food. I’m disappointed for them and for us, because this has been a goto dining place for birthdays at least once a year, but we won’t be repeating the experience. It’s worth saying that we have always experienced good service and this occasion was no exception, the waitress was excellent."

The Royal Oak Leighterton

➤ Royal Oak 1 The Street, Cotswold, United Kingdom

Carte • Pub • Steak • British • European

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"We had been loyal customers of the Royal Oak under the previous management and were shocked when it closed down in September 2023. We are delighted that it is up and running again under new management, and it was absolutely thriving when we went and had a fabulous Sunday lunch last week. Food, drink, service, and atmosphere were all top notch. If there was one thing that could be improved, it would be to get rid of the piped music. It's annoying, unnecessary and unavoidable. I really hope the Royal Oak succeeds this time round. The problem is that the village of Leighterton is tiny and cut off, so the Royal Oak has to be a destination pub that people know about and want to visit. Local custom alone won't keep it going. Let's hope that enough people come."

The Rattlebone Inn

➤ Church Street, Sherston I-SN16 0LR, United Kingdom, SN16 0LH

Carte • Pub • Cakes • British • Vegetarian

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"I visited this charming venue for work and was quite impressed. The food that emerged from the kitchen looked very appealing. Jason and the female server (I apologize for not catching her name) were both very accommodating and attentive to all the customers. The photos reveal a beautifully decorated village pub with plenty of indoor and outdoor seating. On certain nights of the week, they offer pizzas from a pizza oven, making it easy to dine in or take away. It seems this lovely little pub has a strong connection to the local community, as a lot of local patrons were dining there by the time I left, which is always a positive sign."

Whatley Manor

➤ Easton Grey, SN16 0RB, Wiltshire, United Kingdom

Carte • Full • Wine • Dining • Desserts

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"I wasn’t going to make this review as I genuinely enjoyed my stay at the hotel but I thought people need to be made aware of how poor the food in the restaurant is. Restaurant aside, the hotel and its grounds are beautiful and the staff are very friendly and helpful. The rooms are large and the rates per night are agreeable for the product you get. However, what is not acceptable is the food being served in the dining room, I’m not exactly sure what Michelin were thinking as this restaurant utterly discredits the guide. I’m increasingly losing faith in the UK guide as the inspectors evidently don’t know what they’re talking about anymore. First of all the cost of the tasting menu is comical. A one Michelin starred restaurant charging three star prices is a joke and considering how bad the food being served is, this is quite frankly out of order. £175 is similar to what you’d pay at Clare Smyth, Claude Bosi or Hélène Darroze, which are some of the best restaurants in the country and closest to what you’d encounter in France. Here there’s no real luxury ingredients and the execution of the dishes are just poor and flavours badly judged. Everything was forgettable, minuscule in portion, a series of amuse bouche than meal. Someone in my party was served some kind of vegetable, which was grilled and this was the restaurant’s excuse for a vegetarian menu, as if this is what vegetarians eat. This restaurant is not vegetarian friendly whatsoever, you will be totally disregarded. The “highlight” of the meal was some awful chocolate desert served with what tasted like vinegar and a chocolate dusted twig of some kind of herb. I had to pick the herb out of my mouth as this was akin to chewing on a branch from a tree. Disgusting to say the least. The canapés in the kitchen, for me, was just utterly pretentious and try hard. Standing there watching the kitchen team hard at work while we wait to be served was just awkward. The dining room was very small and the décor was like stepping back in time to an early 2000s living room… not stylish at all and not in keeping with the rest of the hotel. Interior designer is blind or retired long ago. The staff were attentive and friendly enough, though the pace of the meal was a joke, however, yet again, this was down to the kitchen. It seemed like forever to be served tiny underwhelming dishes and towards the end of the meal I was getting quite frustrated and wanted to leave and retire back to my room. When the meal did end and we had coffee, we weren’t even served petit fours for £175… thank the lord in heaven for the bread is all I can say. On another note, when we were served breakfast the next day, the joke continued. For some reason we were given half a mushroom and half a black pudding… the tiny portions are even applied to breakfast in the morning. The vegetarian breakfast also had half a mushroom despite having less items on the plate. This for me was just downright offensive and a real lack of attention to detail. Whatley Manor is a very beautiful hotel with lovely grounds and nice staff, however its restaurant or kitchen as a whole is a serious cause for concern and really ruins the whole experience and stops the hotel from being a truly top class establishment. The restaurant is holding the hotel back and personally I think Michelin need to come back and make a review with a clear head. This review would’ve been a 1/5 if it wasn’t for the staff who actually earned their service charge for being attentive and professional. Cannot recommend this restaurant at all until something is done about the kitchen. What a shame, what a waste…"

The Angel

➤ High Street, SN16 0LH, Wiltshire, United Kingdom

Carte • Cafe • Cakes • British • Breakfast

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"the angelcafé is a beautiful place to stop a coffee or lunch/death in this beautiful large village. well furnished with 2 tables front and a spacious interior with a small courtyard on the back. the device is a mix of old and new and tastefully mix the character of the old building with its current roll. coffee was one of the best I had, and the lemon tart had a wonderful homemade feeling about it. if I could give an evaluation of over 5 stars, I would give at least 6. the sanitiser in the entrance enthusiastic my wife and it was a great touch in this covid time. oh yes and it is dog friendly. What else could you ask?"