Elements Restaurant at the Aldwark Manor Estate

We recently stayed at Aldwark Manor and, unfortunately, the main restaurant was the only disappointing part of what was otherwise an excellent stay. The hotel itself is beautiful. The rooms are stunning, the spa facilities are fantastic, and the surrounding grounds are lovely. Everywhere was spotlessly clean, and the overall standard of the hotel is exceptional. However, our meal in the main restaurant fell well below expectations. The previous evening we had eaten in the Bunkers Bar, and the food there was far superior in both quality and flavour. In the restaurant, one of us ordered the chicken breast and the other the pork tomahawk. Both dishes were served with exactly the same accompaniments – chips, coleslaw and gravy – which felt unimaginative and poorly thought out. The chicken breast was very underwhelming, and while the pork was acceptable, neither dish justified the standard or price you would expect from a hotel of this calibre. The gravy was completely inedible due to the excessive amount of salt, and the coleslaw was equally disappointing. It wasn't chopped properly, the mayonnaise was so watery that it lacked any real texture, and serving coleslaw alongside gravy simply didn't work as a combination. It was such a shame because everything else about Aldwark Manor exceeded our expectations. We would happily return for the hotel, spa and Bunkers Bar, but we would avoid the main restaurant unless the food quality improves significantly.