Monday 18 May 2015

Coworth Park Hotel

Coworth Park Hotel
This is my second post focussing on my recent stay at Coworth Park Hotel in Ascot. If you haven't read my first post on the spa and wonderful afternoon tea you can have a read here

Entering the driveway to Coworth Park you really do feel like you are leaving the city behind. The 240 acre parkland is beautifully tranquil and the grounds are stunning. 
Coworth Park Hotel
We spent many happy hours over the long weekend walking in the grounds. 

Coworth Park Hotel is part of the Dorchester collection but has more of a country house feel inside compared to their other hotels in the UK collection.
Coworth Park Hotel
On checking in we were shown to our hotel room which was stunning and had beautiful views over the grounds. 
Coworth Park Hotel
Coworth Park Hotel
The copper bath above made for a wonderful relaxing soak.
Coworth Park Hotel
It is not often we get to actually relax, we spend our lives running around so having some quite contemplation time was very welcome. I would never tire of this as a view.  

For the Saturday evening the other half had booked us for a birthday dinner at Coworth Park restaurant in the Mansion House. As a foodie I was expecting great things as the restaurant prides itself on modern British dishes, using the best seasonal ingredients and locally sourced produce. Something you know following my blog is very important to me. 

We are warmly greeted and shown to a table near the windows. The first thing I notice is the setting of the restaurant which is beautiful, with copper leaves decorating the high ceilings, autumn coloured leather seats and floor to ceiling windows looking out over the landscaped gardens. 
Coworth Park Hotel
The menu offers guest two choices the option of a tasting menu (£85 per person) and À la carte menu (£70 per person). 

Knowing from experience how filling taster menus are we opt for the À la carte menu. This receives a rather strange response from the waiting staff as though our option is the less favourable choice. 

For starters I chose the heritage carrots, Watts farm nasturtium salad, sweet wine and caraway dressing. What arrives at the table is a visual feast for the eyes. 
Coworth Park Hotel
The orange and purple carrots with the nasturtium salad were the perfect sweet and peppery combination.  

The other half loves fish so his choice is easy, home cured west coast halibut, Watts farm beetroot, blood orange and fennel. 
Coworth Park Hotel
This dish also is a feast for the eyes. The halibut, beetroot and orange is a wonderful taste explosion. 

This however is where the praise well and truly stops and I more than anyone am so disappointed. The food and service seriously went downhill from here. 

For mains I opt for loin and belly of Hunstman farm middle white pork, butternut squash, burnt baby onions and sage.
Coworth Park Hotel
Now I should start by saying I love belly of pork, secondly as you know I would happily eat any food. So when I tell you that the pork and sauce was absolutely tasteless and that I did not finish the dish you might have some idea of how bad the dish was. The breaded stick in the middle of the dish was dry and inedible and the pork was flavourless had a soft and rubbery crackling. 

Things don't improve with the main meal, roasted Windsor Estate venison, Kohlrabi fondant, spinach, pearl barley and toasted pine nuts.  
Coworth Park Hotel
The meat was perfectly cooked and beautiful in taste but considering the ingredients that had been used in the dish which are numerous the rest of the dish is flavourless.  

I am not sure what went wrong with the dishes, did the chef leave the kitchen? Was it an off day? Who knows but when you are charging such a 
premium for food you have to deliver on quality and taste. 

I am pleased to say that with dessert they managed to redeem themselves. 

The lemon curd mousse, gin and tonic sorbet and botanical dessert was wonderfully refreshing. The bitter lemon and biscuit crust was just what I needed to pick the meal up. 
Coworth Park Hotel
The forced Yorkshire rhubarb de-constructed cheese cake was also a hit.   
Coworth Park Hotel
During the meal we were made to feel rushed, that our personal choice of À la carte was not an acceptable one and there was an air from staff serving that they were more important than guests. Thus with the issue of the flavourless mains, overall a rather disappointing meal and one that I certainly would not repeat.

Luckily the hotel, spa, afternoon tea and The Barn restaurant all make for a wonderful and unforgettable stay. Coworth Park Hotel really is a wonderful place to stay but they do need to quickly resolve whatever issues they are experiencing with the restaurant as this seriously lets what is a truly luxurious hotel down. 

My top tips for the perfect stay would be:

1.Book a massage in the wonderful spa in advance as weekends can be busy. 
2.Opt for a room that has views over the gardens which are breathtaking.
3.Make sure you have breakfast which is a treat to behold.
Coworth Park Hotel Coworth Park Hotel
4.Book yourself in for afternoon tea which is superb and certainly one of the best that I have experienced.
5.Don the wellies or walking boots and walk some of the food off in the beautiful 240 acres of land.
Coworth Park Hotel
6. Before heading off make sure you eat Sunday lunch in The Barn. It is the perfect place to enjoy fine food and watch as the horses and riders trot past. Did I mention that you can also bring your own horse to the stables?

Coworth Park Hotel

Coworth Park Hotel


Coworth Park
Blacknest Rd,
Ascot, 
Berkshire 
SL5 7SE

Restaurant Coworth Park on UrbanspoonSquare Meal

 photo foodieforce_32.jpg

22 comments:

  1. looks so luxurious there!! :D

    Have a great week!
    Animated Confessions

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    Replies
    1. It is a lovely hotel and definitely visiting again Lucy

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  2. I love the sculptures and I can certainly see myself relaxing in that copper bath! Did you get to use it?

    Suze | LuxuryColumnist

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    Replies
    1. Yes the copper bath was used lots it makes a wonderful deep bath. The gardens are beautiful so manicured and the sculptures are wonderful Lucy x

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  3. I need a soak in that copper bath asap! The presentation of the food really is amazing, it's a just a shame about some of the flavour. I'm pleased you still enjoyed your stay though :)

    Style Sunrise ☀

    :)
    x

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    Replies
    1. The copper bath was lovely. The hotel is gorgeous, really enjoyed the afternoon tea and the Barn does wonderful food Lucy x

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  4. OK...loved the sound (and photos!) of all of this, but lemon curd mousse, gin and tonic sorbet and botanical dessert?! HELLO!! How lovely that you can then walk it all off in 240 acres of grounds with beautiful bluebells :-) What a perfect afternoon.

    Polly xx
    Follow Your Sunshine

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    Replies
    1. The lemon dessert was yummy it needed a bit more of a biscuit base but was delicious. The grounds are superb Lucy x

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  5. Wowww Lucy! This place is so beautiful. I can't stop wondering how beautiful this world could be and I think that Great Britain is nr.1 by its green colour and all these different plants. Wishing you a wonderful Wednesday :) Liuba x

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    Replies
    1. We do have wonderful plants, flower, tress and greenery in the UK. Hope you had a wonderful week and looking forward to the lovely long weekend Lucy x

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  6. Oh my, well despite the poor service at dinner the hotel itself looks stunning! And that breakfast looks insanely good!

    C x | Lux Life

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    1. It really is a wonderful hotel really enjoyed the room, afternoon tea and Barn restaurant Lucy x

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  7. Oh wow, that room is stunning! Love the bed, the bathroom and that copper bath. Give me it.

    Corinne x
    www.skinnedcartree.com

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    Replies
    1. The room really was beautiful and the bed was one of those that you sing into and drift into a wonderful sleep Lucy x

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  8. The bath is awesome!! Last time I stayed we had dinner in the Barn which was excellent. We also had a big group celebration for my father in law at the restaurant and the service was excellent. Hopefully your experience was a one off.
    Lots of love,
    Angie

    SilverSpoon London

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    Replies
    1. The bath and room was lovely. It is such a beautiful hotel. Definitely rate the food in the barn which is so superior to the main restaurant. The afternoon tea and roast was delicious Lucy x

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  9. Oh no, what a shame the mains and service was so rubbish. No excuse for that at all, and always leaves a bad impression when the staff care more about one set of guests than another. When you're paying top price for it as well it's not acceptable. The grounds do look lovely though :)

    Rosie xx

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    Replies
    1. It was a shame as the restaurant really lets what is an amazing hotel down. Highly recommend the afternoon tea and the Barn for dinner. The setting of the barn on a warm day, eating a wonderful roast and watching the horse you definitely need to visit is gorgeous Lucy x

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  10. I love the copper bath!! The hotel looks gorgeous, such a nice escape. Very disappointing about the dinner, its really not acceptable for the price you are paying! At least it finished on a better note with a nice dessert :)

    Ash | Liakada Travel

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    Replies
    1. The bath was lovely, the hotel is beautiful. The dinner really wasn't great but the rest of the hotel is superb. The afternoon tea, massage and Sunday lunch was superb Lucy x

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  11. That copper bath looks SO dreamy! So disappointing about the dinner, especially for that price. The rest of the hotel might be lovely but food is SUCH an important factor x

    Josie’s Journal

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  12. It's awesome! I like your blog and reviews, thank's for sharing, it's amazing!
    best-essays.co.uk

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