Ross Clark

Review of The Wykeham Arms

When we arrived, the pub was busy and had a great ...

When we arrived, the pub was busy and had a great atmosphere. Lovely decorative memorabilia adorned the walls and the barman was attentive. Our room wasn t available when we tried to check-in and the manager apologises and gave us a glass of wine and pint of ale on the house, no problem. When we got to the room, it exceeded our expectations, beautifully decorated, spotlessly clean and excellent facilities. The only negative was the shower was blocked, so the tray leaked.

The next morning at breakfast we were asked what room are you in? while this is not poor service I thought it would be nice if the staff at least tried to learn our names. I was called mate a few times by the waiter, a name I do not mind in a casual hospitality setting, but not as a resident. The ingredients at breakfast were high quality but poorly cooked.

We booked a table for dinner one night and it was a huge disappointment. Several of the courses were not available and my bread and olives were just sliced white bread and butter, it was described as something completely different. My fish & chips had a piece of plastic in the batter, but the waiter was apologetic and deducted the course from my bill. We also waited a long time for the meal and the staff were not particularly attentive, we always felt like we were bothering them if we needed something.

The suite we booked for the next two nights was delightful, but the private garden it was advertised to have was simply the patio of the adjacent coffee shop, it didn t feel very private or special.

The last morning at breakfast they had run out of tea, something I didn t think was possible in England, black pudding and brown bread. In all, The Wykham Arms was a beautiful pub, had a lovely bar and the ingredients they served were of a high standard, but the service was inadequate, and the execution of the cooking below average. A bit of a disappointment for our special Christmas weekend.