At Summer Lodge - West Dorset

Came here the other afternoon to celebrate my birthday with three friends and it was a wonderful occasion. From the moment we arrived we were attended to by polite, professional and efficient staff. Our lovely French waiter was especially lovely and very amusing! One of my group is gluten intolerant and she was prepared her own food all served, like ours, on a very pretty 3 tier cake stand everything was delicious. We were given copious pots of tea having started with a bottle of fizzy

Lovely gardens, but the food was very disappointing. When pointed out to the restaurant manager we were advised chefs do not use salt which is why the food may have been tasteless !!! Very surprising for a Red Carnation Hotel, not to be repeated.

Absolutely dreadful lunch. Starters were OK (but very pricey I had 'Blue Vinny, caramelised walnuts and chicory ' about 10g of cheese, three walnuts and a few leaves of chicory with a drizzle of balsamic glaze). Had the roast beef medium rare as a main course very tough and difficult to cut even with a steak knife, disgusting re heated roast potatoes, dry Yorkshire pudding and 'cauliflower cheese ' undercooked cauliflower with a smidgeon of cheese sauce wafted over the top. Cheese course was OK but the Francis had seen much better days. Very noisy table behind us and we couldn 't hear ourselves speak. Screaming child in the next door room. What should have been a treat for Father 's Day was extremely disappointing and overpriced.

Simply fantastic. I have nothing else to add because that statement says it all. Outstanding service, delicious food, and an overall wonderful experience. I will definitely be returning and highly recommend this restaurant.

We stayed at the hotel and loved both our dinner and breakfast experiences. Dinner was a high quality experience, with excellent service and fabulous food in a beautiful dining room. The Duck and the Venison mains were a highlight, as were the Souffle and cheese selection desserts. Breakfast was everything we want from a top quality hotel, wide ranging buffet selection, (juices, fruit, cured meats hams, cheese, smoked salmon, pastries), with delicious cooked and staff who were happy to provide anything extra requested. Smoked Salmon was excellent and the local sausages were fantastic. Loved the Eggs Benedict.