Harden's survey result
Summary
A division of opinion reasserted itself this year regarding the main dining room of this famous and supremely plush Relais & Châteaux property, set on the edge of the New Forest and about half an hour’s drive from Bournemouth. To its fans it is a “high-class establishment that never fails to please”, and that goes too for its gorgeous, light-filled traditional dining room, where roasts from the trolley headline a selection that’s more luxe brasserie than it is ‘haute cuisine’. Ratings were dragged down this year, though, but a couple of all-round disappointing experiences.
Summary
“Five-star service and food on the South Coast”, say fans of this “special” venue – a famous Relais & Châteaux property, set in gorgeous grounds on the edge of the New Forest and 30 minutes’ drive from Bournemouth: the “perfect hotel to be spoilt in with its lovely summery restaurant and first-class staff”. Perennial gripes about high prices here were absent this year, and Luke Matthews’s cuisine won nothing but praise. Top Tip – “The lunch menu is very good value”; and “the quality and quantity of afternoon tea here is so very impressive – we didn’t need dinner!!”
Summary
This famous Relais & Châteaux hotel and spa set in gorgeous grounds on the edge of the New Forest is a byword for luxury and provides a splurgy, “romantic” getaway for its regular guests. Even some who find its style too “glitzy” for their personal taste, acknowledge that “it’s hugely popular with a large audience who obviously enjoy the style”. Chef Luke Matthews is entering his twentieth year at the stoves here, and while a meal here is an arm-and-a-leg job, even cynical reporters feel that “it is heartening that the kitchen standards are (nearly) as high as the prices”.
Summary
“One of the most luxurious in Britain” – this grand and famous hotel on the edge of the New Forest elicits contrary reactions… frequently in the same report. Even those who complain that “the hotel is just a little overdone” can be bowled over by “food that deserves top marks” in the “very impressive restaurant”, run for almost 20 years by executive chef Luke Matthews. By contrast, another regular visitor notes “food which can be very good when it works, but is too often ordinary… great wine list, though”. The essence of such contradictions? – “lovely, but expensive”.
For 34 years we've been curating reviews of the UK's most notable restaurant. In a typical year, diners submit over 50,000 reviews to create the most authoritative restaurant guide in the UK. Each year, the guide is re-written from scratch based on this survey (although for the 2021 edition, reviews are little changed from 2020 as no survey could run for that year).
Have you eaten at Chewton Glen?
Chewton Glen Rd, New Milton, BH23 5QL
Restaurant details
Prices
 Drinks |
|
|---|---|
| Wine per bottle | £32.00 |
| Filter Coffee | £6.00 |
 Extras |
|
|---|---|
| Bread | £6.00 |
| Service | 12.50% |
Chewton Glen Rd, New Milton, BH23 5QL
Opening hours
| Monday | 12 pm‑2 pm, 6 pm‑8:30 pm |
| Tuesday | 12 pm‑2 pm, 6 pm‑8:30 pm |
| Wednesday | 12 pm‑2 pm, 6 pm‑8:30 pm |
| Thursday | 12 pm‑2 pm, 6 pm‑8:30 pm |
| Friday | 12 pm‑2 pm, 6 pm‑8:30 pm |
| Saturday | 12 pm‑2 pm, 6 pm‑8:30 pm |
| Sunday | 12 pm‑2 pm, 6 pm‑8:30 pm |
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