Shelburne Restaurant at Bowood Hotel

We took my Stepmother for her 75th birthday lunch and had hoped for a really nice occasion. from the pictures it looked as if the place would be slightly upmarket and the food exciting and good. All of that was sort of true. This restaurant seems to be mainly about fancy tea, rather than lunch. if you didn't want sandwiches and a bowl of (slightly under cooked) chips you had six options for starters and mains together, although they are not separated on the menu. Perhaps I just misunderstood the web site but it was not the celebration we had hoped for. That said the staff were all lovely and the food we did have (other than the disappointing chips) was good (oh and the avo mash was disconcertingly cold, rather than room temperature, which made the toast and egg completely cold as well). I wouldn't chose to go but but I wouldn't shriek if someone said that's where we were going.
Feb 13th, 2023

Great vegan options on the main menu now, delicious and unusual. Clearly a lot of thought gone into including vegan items on the main menu and it is appreciated! Friendly staff, light and bright restaurant. Dietary restrictions: Vegan friendly now!
Apr 28th, 2023

Starter of crab cake was very bland. My wife had the asparagus which was even worse. Main course of baked cod was tasty but spoiled by lukewarm veg & sauce. Dessert was a very ordinary choc brownie which was no better than our local chain restaurant. The young waiting staff were very polite but seemed completely overwhelmed and we waited about an hour between starter and main. Not great for the money.
Apr 23rd, 2023

Dietary restrictions: All dietary requirements catered for, only need to ask. Food : 5/5 | Service : 5/5 | Atmosphere : 5/5 Recommended dishes Afternoon Tea Parking space Plenty of parking Parking options Free parking lot More
Feb 16th, 2023

A beautiful dining room in a country estate. The service was a little slow and unresponsive at times - a request for a beer took long enough to be actioned that I was about to go and find out what the problem was. One of the duck dishes was cooked until the meat was dry and hard. When mentioned to a waiter the plate was removed, but no further feedback received. Other empty plates were attempted to be removed when some in our party were still eating. When it came time to pay still nothing was mentioned about the overcooked duck. When we raised it, the cost of the dish was deducted at their initiative, so that's something. I'm hoping this was a one off as I'd like to visit again and enjoy what has the potential to be a memorable location. Parking: Gravel car parks near the hotel entrance.
Feb 16th, 2023