Barnsdale Lodge Dining - Rutland

We had a wonderful night at The Barnsdale. The food was outstanding and Rosie, our server, was amazing. She was very friendly and provided excellent recommendations with a touch of humor. I can't wait to return for more oysters and sample the rest of the menu.

We arrived at Barnsdale Lodge by helicopter, as they have a landing pad. The restaurant is situated beside Rutland Water and boasts a lovely ambiance. The staff were incredibly welcoming, with a special shoutout to Victoria who went above and beyond to answer all of our questions and take care of us.

We were excited to try Barnsdale Lodge for a change, especially since it is under new management. The lounge area had a comfortable and relaxing atmosphere, but there was a mix-up with our pre-dinner drinks, resulting in me having my aperitif with my first course. This was probably my fault for not requesting it earlier. The wine list did not include prices for other beverages, but I was happy to have a table with tablecloths and linen napkins. The meal was well-cooked, but the menu was not very extensive or interesting. We were surprised to find out at the end that a 10% service charge was added to the bill, including all drinks. There was a note at the bottom of the bill about this, but no indication on the menu. It was stated in the small print that the service charge could be refunded upon request, but we did not realize this until after leaving a tip. We were disappointed with the whole experience and do not plan on returning.

My husband I decided to treat ourselves to a saturday night meal at this lovely local hotel restaurant.We did pre book rather than just leave it to chance,which was probably wise as when we arrived there was a wedding party next door.On arrival we were shown to the restaurant decided to have a drink first in the adjacent bar as we were early for our 6.30pm reservation.The barman was very friendly helpful. A gentleman who we presume was in charge of the restaurant then appeared said he was showing us to the table,before walking off (no offer to carry the drinks or check if we were following him).The wedding had obviously put them under pressure as less than half the tables were set for dinner (the remainder already laid out for breakfast).We were given menus then very quickly expected to place our order.The whole evening felt as if we were being rushed through there was a distinct froideur in the atmosphere,with our gentleman serving us being quite curt aloof.On a positive note the food was absolutely delicious there was an excellent choice of reasonably priced wine (for a hotel).Purely on a personal level,I also strongly disagree with restaurants who automatically put a 10% service charge on the bill not because I wouldn't normally tip,but I feel the customer should decide.As we left the restaurant,the gentleman who had served us was at the desk,but didn't even look up nor wish us Good evening,which was disappointing. We would go back again,but hope next time it will be a warmer welcome

After a long drive we decided to rest up here and have dinner. We weren’t very hungry and breakfast was included next morning. Drank local ale from Grainstore Brewery whilst waiting for dinner time. Selection of wine was vast and we had large glass of rose each. We then ordered 2 nibbles, home made hummus and roasted garlic pardon peppers. Both lovely. Chose 2 starters, bacon and black pudding salad and cheese soufflé. Both delicious. Ending our dinner with raspberry macaroon and local cheese. Fantastic staff making our experience all more enjoyable.