Visited last week with a very ill friend who really too poorly to go out as having cancer treatment but really wanted to go to the Hardwick. We turned up late and my friend was unable to wear shoes, or appropriate clothes, so I wondered how well we would be received! The staff were utterly brilliant. Nothing was too much trouble, furniture was moved to make us comfortable, they were kind and helpful but unobtrusive too. Truly exceptional service. The food was excellent. Thank you so much.
Dreamer21276715542
Having eagerly anticipated our stay for some months, we had a really disappointing experience. Whilst the front of house staff were keen and well meaning, and working long hours, they appeared inexperienced, untrained and unsupervised. Service was erratic. The bar area was not kept clean, and the bar and restaurant were littered with uncleared tables. We needed to prompt staff for service. Seating in the annex was distant, cool and appeared to be forgotten also. Food was ok. Very sad to visit and see, what is meant to be an excellent venue, struggling.
MHEAD_UK
An overnight stay after a day at the Abergavenny Food Festival. From the minute we arrived the service was reluctant and quite odd to say the least and it continued that way through dinner and breakfast until check out. It literally felt like they were not bothered. At no point across 2 meals and an overnight stay did anyone ask if were happy with things or had we had a good visit. As to dinner and the food, the menu (photographed) was at points very odd as well - or perhaps eclectic is a better word - but food combinations which just didn't seem to belong together. An example, I had sea bass which was nicely cooked, but had on the side a crispy polenta cake, with a soft stew of green lentils spread on the top. Really? But again, the service was the main thing. At breakfast one waitress decided to clear a couple of tables rather than say Good Morning, or ask if I'd like coffee. The manager said would I like some toast while I waited for the breakfast which never materialised and the yogurt arrived at the same time as the full Welsh. Then I was left to my own devices, with no-one there to see me out, or refill the coffee, or anything at all! This is not a cheap place to stay nor too eat, and all we wanted was some efficient, friendly and caring service to justify the cost. Sadly, we will not be returning, but I'm thinking they won't actually notice. They didn't when we were there.
JuliaN3662
We enjoyed a 3 night break here in August, from the moment we arrived we knew we were in the right place. Our room was perfect with lots of thoughtful little touches. We dined here on two evenings, the food was absolutely devine and definitely the highlight of our trip.
Adrienne R
I last went to the Hardwick quite a few years back. Since then they have extended and become a boutique hotel. It shows. The food was nothing like the quality it used to be. It's clear that they've given up chasing the Michelin star. The food I had was ok, the quality a good pub might serve, service was fine, but it was a huge disappointment. I'll stick to the Angel or the Walnut Tree if I want a special meal in future.
SheepMagnet2011
Celebrating 3 years with my amazing partner. Yet again, an incredible culinary experience. Room again was also fantastic and the staff were brilliant. There were a couple of errors on this visit that you wouldn't normally expect but they are believed to be having staffing issues at present. Not going to disclose those issues as it didn't ruin the experience for me, and therefore unfair to lower the scoring. Most definitely will be returning again.
margaret H
Haven't been here for a while however we went here to celebrate my husband's birthday the meals were outstanding, Excellent choice, we went lunch time you could either have a fixed lunch menu or a la carte menu. The meals are more pricey than most places however you pay for quality. Look forward to visiting again soon.
Gareth D
Pretty sure the management have lost interest in providing a dining experience. The food was good, but nothing near the quality expected. Even if the food had met the price tag the experience would have been tempered by the standard of service you would experience in a weatherspoons. If you told me the staff were agency staff on their first night it would not surprise me. They had no knowledge of the menu, no rapport with guests, little personality and added nothing to the experience. Mr Terry was present but seemed preoccupied with one couple and devoted his whole evening to them. If he took time to observe the whole room then I’m sure he would be embarrassed by the quality of service.
Rich C
We have wanted to visit The Hardwick for a while now and finally got the opportunity to sample its menu. We were welcomed warmly and sat at the bar. The pre-dinner cocktails were a delight and the bar staff chatty and friendly. The food however, was on another level, The Merthyr Pie was delicious and The Crab Spaghetti superb. An excellent wine list too. - To top it off The Chef (The famous Stephen Terry off the telly) took the time to leave the kitchen and come have a chat. - We will be back and often. - Make sure you have the bread - it's out of this world.
Steve S
Excellent restaurant - we had the set lunch menu which was both beautifully and creatively cooked and also very reasonably priced at £35 for 3 courses for top quality food. The a la carte menu looked excellent too and we hope to go back to sample this. Staff were excellent and a special mention to Lynette who was superb. Highly recommended and well worth a visit
We live only 20 miles away, but I booked a room so we could have a nice relaxed time with some aperitifs, good wine with the meal, and a digestif.We chose the Hardwick as we've been there before and enjoyed it, good honest food, no unnecessary bits, well cooked.I read in the local paper that they had a large sum of money stolen by their accountant, and nearly folded, so we chose to go to the Hardwick. I am a wheelchair user, and was helped by the staff, they were all delightful, and the food was outstanding, I can't eat much meat, especially red meat, so I had a fish starter and vegetarian main, delicious and lots of it.I am really impressed with the resilience of the owners and staff, having been through a terrible time, due to a dishonest accountant. Goodluck to all of them.
shnewellypoo
Myself, my husband and our daughters had been looking forward to a meal out for our wedding anniversary. We booked early at 18.00 as we didn’t want to be out too late with the children. We were shown to our table and left with a ‘drinks menu’ which was actually a file containing customers details and gift vouchers. We were the only table in the restaurant but it took 10-15 minutes for a drinks order. They then looked for about 15 minutes for a children’s menu. I asked a question about how spicy the lamb main was at the time of and how spicy it was only to be told she ‘wasn’t sure’. When the starters were cleared there were empty glasses on the table, they weren’t cleared. The mains didn’t take long but then I had to actively pursue a drink as nobody asked if we wanted another despite empty glasses. After we finished our mains we all fancied a dessert. At this point there were two other tables in the restaurant and two tables in the bar. We waited 30 minutes for them to be cleared. Every single drinks and water glass on the table was empty. Nobody showed any signs of wanting to clear the table despite walking past numerous times. By this time we were so fed up we gave up on the idea of dessert/more drinks and went to the bar to pay. At no point, even when finishing the meal and leaving our plates at the table 30 mins later , did anyone say ‘did you enjoy that?’ Or ‘how was everything today?’ It was very strange. Even though there were only a few tables in they felt very panicked and lacked confident service skills. The waitresses were well meaning and weren’t being deliberately slow, I think further training and stronger management would help sort the problem. I wanted to love it so much. But it really fell short of expectations. The amazing food was far eclipsed by the very poor service. It isn’t cheap to eat here which makes it even more galling.
Andrea B
Poor service such a shame this used to be a favourite restaurant I will not be rushing back it was like a different restaurant
Mark Jones
Beautiful place, food was excellent staff were very friendly. The restaurant was very clean, tidy, and very well presented.If I had anything to say, the tables in the bar area could have done with a wipe down.If you enjoy well cooked and well presented food, please visit The Hardwick
Matthew Robinson
Booked a table for 2. Waited 40 minutes before anyone even approached us to take a drinks order and our starter and that was because I had to ask. Placed our order for starter, main, dessert. Starter arrived after 20 mins of ordering which took us up to an hour. It then took 1 hour and 5 mins for our main to arrive. Had to prompt the staff when we wanted another drink and to ask for the jug of ice water eveyone else had on there table. Finished our main. Waiter came over and ask do we want dessert. We explained we had ordered it when we ordered the starter. 20 more mins go by this time we generally felt exhausted. Finished the dessert and was ready to leave. Nearly 3 hours total for a table of 2. Literally was a joke. It wasn't even particularly busy. 12% service charge added. I read in a review the owner saying it is optional. Well it's not advertised as optional was handed the receipt with it on. I still paid it as not to cause a scene. Food was nice but not amazing in any way shape or form. Defintely overpriced. Very disappointed.
Visited last week with a very ill friend who really too poorly to go out as having cancer treatment but really wanted to go to the Hardwick. We turned up late and my friend was unable to wear shoes, or appropriate clothes, so I wondered how well we would be received! The staff were utterly brilliant. Nothing was too much trouble, furniture was moved to make us comfortable, they were kind and helpful but unobtrusive too. Truly exceptional service. The food was excellent. Thank you so much.
Having eagerly anticipated our stay for some months, we had a really disappointing experience. Whilst the front of house staff were keen and well meaning, and working long hours, they appeared inexperienced, untrained and unsupervised. Service was erratic. The bar area was not kept clean, and the bar and restaurant were littered with uncleared tables. We needed to prompt staff for service. Seating in the annex was distant, cool and appeared to be forgotten also. Food was ok. Very sad to visit and see, what is meant to be an excellent venue, struggling.
An overnight stay after a day at the Abergavenny Food Festival. From the minute we arrived the service was reluctant and quite odd to say the least and it continued that way through dinner and breakfast until check out. It literally felt like they were not bothered. At no point across 2 meals and an overnight stay did anyone ask if were happy with things or had we had a good visit. As to dinner and the food, the menu (photographed) was at points very odd as well - or perhaps eclectic is a better word - but food combinations which just didn't seem to belong together. An example, I had sea bass which was nicely cooked, but had on the side a crispy polenta cake, with a soft stew of green lentils spread on the top. Really? But again, the service was the main thing. At breakfast one waitress decided to clear a couple of tables rather than say Good Morning, or ask if I'd like coffee. The manager said would I like some toast while I waited for the breakfast which never materialised and the yogurt arrived at the same time as the full Welsh. Then I was left to my own devices, with no-one there to see me out, or refill the coffee, or anything at all! This is not a cheap place to stay nor too eat, and all we wanted was some efficient, friendly and caring service to justify the cost. Sadly, we will not be returning, but I'm thinking they won't actually notice. They didn't when we were there.
We enjoyed a 3 night break here in August, from the moment we arrived we knew we were in the right place. Our room was perfect with lots of thoughtful little touches. We dined here on two evenings, the food was absolutely devine and definitely the highlight of our trip.
I last went to the Hardwick quite a few years back. Since then they have extended and become a boutique hotel. It shows. The food was nothing like the quality it used to be. It's clear that they've given up chasing the Michelin star. The food I had was ok, the quality a good pub might serve, service was fine, but it was a huge disappointment. I'll stick to the Angel or the Walnut Tree if I want a special meal in future.
Celebrating 3 years with my amazing partner. Yet again, an incredible culinary experience. Room again was also fantastic and the staff were brilliant. There were a couple of errors on this visit that you wouldn't normally expect but they are believed to be having staffing issues at present. Not going to disclose those issues as it didn't ruin the experience for me, and therefore unfair to lower the scoring. Most definitely will be returning again.
Haven't been here for a while however we went here to celebrate my husband's birthday the meals were outstanding, Excellent choice, we went lunch time you could either have a fixed lunch menu or a la carte menu. The meals are more pricey than most places however you pay for quality. Look forward to visiting again soon.
Pretty sure the management have lost interest in providing a dining experience. The food was good, but nothing near the quality expected. Even if the food had met the price tag the experience would have been tempered by the standard of service you would experience in a weatherspoons. If you told me the staff were agency staff on their first night it would not surprise me. They had no knowledge of the menu, no rapport with guests, little personality and added nothing to the experience. Mr Terry was present but seemed preoccupied with one couple and devoted his whole evening to them. If he took time to observe the whole room then I’m sure he would be embarrassed by the quality of service.
We have wanted to visit The Hardwick for a while now and finally got the opportunity to sample its menu. We were welcomed warmly and sat at the bar. The pre-dinner cocktails were a delight and the bar staff chatty and friendly. The food however, was on another level, The Merthyr Pie was delicious and The Crab Spaghetti superb. An excellent wine list too. - To top it off The Chef (The famous Stephen Terry off the telly) took the time to leave the kitchen and come have a chat. - We will be back and often. - Make sure you have the bread - it's out of this world.
Excellent restaurant - we had the set lunch menu which was both beautifully and creatively cooked and also very reasonably priced at £35 for 3 courses for top quality food. The a la carte menu looked excellent too and we hope to go back to sample this. Staff were excellent and a special mention to Lynette who was superb. Highly recommended and well worth a visit
Restaurantji Recommends
We live only 20 miles away, but I booked a room so we could have a nice relaxed time with some aperitifs, good wine with the meal, and a digestif.We chose the Hardwick as we've been there before and enjoyed it, good honest food, no unnecessary bits, well cooked.I read in the local paper that they had a large sum of money stolen by their accountant, and nearly folded, so we chose to go to the Hardwick. I am a wheelchair user, and was helped by the staff, they were all delightful, and the food was outstanding, I can't eat much meat, especially red meat, so I had a fish starter and vegetarian main, delicious and lots of it.I am really impressed with the resilience of the owners and staff, having been through a terrible time, due to a dishonest accountant. Goodluck to all of them.
Myself, my husband and our daughters had been looking forward to a meal out for our wedding anniversary. We booked early at 18.00 as we didn’t want to be out too late with the children. We were shown to our table and left with a ‘drinks menu’ which was actually a file containing customers details and gift vouchers. We were the only table in the restaurant but it took 10-15 minutes for a drinks order. They then looked for about 15 minutes for a children’s menu. I asked a question about how spicy the lamb main was at the time of and how spicy it was only to be told she ‘wasn’t sure’. When the starters were cleared there were empty glasses on the table, they weren’t cleared. The mains didn’t take long but then I had to actively pursue a drink as nobody asked if we wanted another despite empty glasses. After we finished our mains we all fancied a dessert. At this point there were two other tables in the restaurant and two tables in the bar. We waited 30 minutes for them to be cleared. Every single drinks and water glass on the table was empty. Nobody showed any signs of wanting to clear the table despite walking past numerous times. By this time we were so fed up we gave up on the idea of dessert/more drinks and went to the bar to pay. At no point, even when finishing the meal and leaving our plates at the table 30 mins later , did anyone say ‘did you enjoy that?’ Or ‘how was everything today?’ It was very strange. Even though there were only a few tables in they felt very panicked and lacked confident service skills. The waitresses were well meaning and weren’t being deliberately slow, I think further training and stronger management would help sort the problem. I wanted to love it so much. But it really fell short of expectations. The amazing food was far eclipsed by the very poor service. It isn’t cheap to eat here which makes it even more galling.
Poor service such a shame this used to be a favourite restaurant I will not be rushing back it was like a different restaurant
Beautiful place, food was excellent staff were very friendly. The restaurant was very clean, tidy, and very well presented.If I had anything to say, the tables in the bar area could have done with a wipe down.If you enjoy well cooked and well presented food, please visit The Hardwick
Booked a table for 2. Waited 40 minutes before anyone even approached us to take a drinks order and our starter and that was because I had to ask. Placed our order for starter, main, dessert. Starter arrived after 20 mins of ordering which took us up to an hour. It then took 1 hour and 5 mins for our main to arrive. Had to prompt the staff when we wanted another drink and to ask for the jug of ice water eveyone else had on there table. Finished our main. Waiter came over and ask do we want dessert. We explained we had ordered it when we ordered the starter. 20 more mins go by this time we generally felt exhausted. Finished the dessert and was ready to leave. Nearly 3 hours total for a table of 2. Literally was a joke. It wasn't even particularly busy. 12% service charge added. I read in a review the owner saying it is optional. Well it's not advertised as optional was handed the receipt with it on. I still paid it as not to cause a scene. Food was nice but not amazing in any way shape or form. Defintely overpriced. Very disappointed.