The Priory Hotel & Restaurant

Had a meal last night with my wife and daughter for Mother’s Day treat change of menu didn’t think the selection was as good as before food was good but pay for steak then chips or potatoes extra charge I thought that was a bit much I normally go to la minds in Cardiff or down the bay which do similar food overall my wife enjoyed it but not myself.

Upon arrival, we were shown to our seats. The young waitress asked if we wanted the wine list and we said no, she offered us water and was about to leave. I quickly asked if they had a drinks menu, she was holding this the entire time but failed to give it to us and she instead tried reciting the drinks to us. When I said I'd like a cocktail she then gave me the menu to read, how peculiar? We then made our way to the counter and placed our food order and the man serving there was very kind and helpful, although for a 4* restaurant they didn't have many things on the menu. Once back at the table the waitress came to tell me they had no raspberry syrup to make the cocktail I wanted, again 4* restaurant not fully stocked? So I opted for something else. Our starter came which we enjoyed, the chorizo and beef pincho. Our steaks arrived with a side of carrots but they forgot our side of potatoes, they quickly brought these out. We then noticed the steak was supposed to be served with shallots and neither of us had this. I didn't enjoy my steak and have cooked better at home. Our desserts came, I had the chocolate ganache with ice cream, these were very small scoops. We also ordered coffees along with the desserts, after the waitress had left I realised she didn't give us any sugar, and then there was no waitress to be seen to ask for some and finally when we recieved the sugar the coffee wasn't hot enough to melt the sugar. We came to pay and they automatically add on a 10% service charge so it puts customers in awkward situation to have to ask them to remove this due to poor service, not something me or my husband felt like doing with other customers around us. So foolishly, we paid them a tip. That evening I started feeling unwell and had sickness, the next morning I had more sickness. After looking at other reviews, this seems common with customers leaving with bad stomachs. My advice is to not bother. We wanted to go to receive 4* service and food, but this is definitely not what we left with.

Lucky find, looking for a country house hotel and cafe across this place. Wow Massive gardens and a range of rooms from cozy to cottages. We stayed in the new cottages they had roll top baths and huge TVs, nice garden area all a short distance from hotel. Drinks were reasonable and the evening meal in the restaurant was superb. Breakfast is ace

Sunday lunch is getting smaller and more expensive. Served up now on plates with a small dish of cauliflower cheese and a thimble fullof gravy. 1 carrot 2 small hard roast potatoes parsnip,small amount of broccoli and a spoon ful of swede,1 large Yorkshire pudding which took half the plate and soft so couldn’t get any more on there, crafty. Starters so small they wouldn’t spoil the appetite for the main meal. Disappointed just gone down hill

I was travelling for work in September 2023 when there was a heatwave and my stay at the hotel was lovely. I would definitely go back but there was no aircon in the rooms and so used a fan. Wasn’t the most powerful and very noisy. The breakfast was divine. Would go back just for that. We didn’t eat at the restaurant for dinner though, it seemed very over priced and abit too fancy. You can pick fish and veg etc but not a lot of choice if you want something basic like a burger. Went for dinner at the Indian round the corner and the pub across the road, both great places and this hotel is in a great location for them both. When you first enter the room they are playing classical music, even when I came back from the day the housekeepers had put classical music back on! The windows in the room wouldn’t open. There is the cutest gift shop but is pricey. Would be good for souvenirs. A nice stay

Hadn’t been able to go for a few months. Change in management and staff was noticeable. Unfortunately the table next to us were vaping and swearing loudly and the staff did not stop them. When we complained, the manager was slow to respond (even the young waitress was pleading with him to do something). The manager was totally ineffective, only interested in bums on seats. We’ve been regular customers of The Priory for many years, but this was the last time we will go there.

We were allocated room 17 amazing, could not be any better, but then we tried to turn the heating down it was broke, stuck on hot and I mean boiling.. how much would that cost the hotel? unfortunately there was no maintenance team, so we had to move into another room, which was sadly needing a good clean, and love. As we chose this place for special occasions (39th anniversary), we thought we would also eat in the restaurant, but sadly all the menu has changed since a few weeks ago, leaving no coice for me, luckily the manager did ask for a chicken dish which was nice. What has happened to all the usual staff, I didn't recognise one person? Sadly the meals without alcohol cost us almost the same price as our hotel room/breakfast, so I'm not sure if I would return, the price for sea bass was £25 with nothing else on the plate, although it was good, like many others have stated, the changes are not to everyone's liking. I hate writing negative comments but I wanted to air my views. This is a beautiful ancient building with so many layers of history, so it's such a shame we won't be returning 🙁

We were crammed into a space which served as two traffic routes for waiting staff. We were unable to relax as staff pushed past us all night. The meal was very rushed. Upon arrival we received a 5 minute lecture. Part of this was to inform us that although we had booked for a New Year’s Eve meal with entertainment, that we were required to vacate in 90 minutes. Upon leaving the table we soon discovered that the entertainment was non existent. A lone DJ played with his mobile phone and made no effort to engage with guests or play music appropriate to the occasion. We have spent many New Year’s Eves at the Priory but we won’t be returning again. Throughly disappointing.

Accommodation wise it’s a great place to stay a unique blend of ancient and modern. Room very clean, had everything we needed, very warm and comfortable bed. Only down side was restaurant, massively disappointed as not a single vegan option at all. No attempt to accommodate us, despite having been informed in advance via the online check in process. We choose side plates of chips, carrots, onions, leeks and cabbage but with hindsight we should have just eaten elsewhere.

Awful! I had cod which was served with an inedible Yorkshire pudding and roast potatoes parsnip and carrots. The only thing missing was gravy. Don’t know what the chef was thinking of. Even the birds wouldn’t eat the leftovers I took home. complete waste of money.