“Pit stop”

Having just had a great weekend involving staying in York, having a luxury train ride to Edinburgh courtesy of Northern Belle, we decided we needed a pit stop on the way back to Anglesey. We had been past the Lion and Swan a number of times and thought it looked interesting. We were so right. Our r… more

Having just had a great weekend involving staying in York, having a luxury train ride to Edinburgh courtesy of Northern Belle, we decided we needed a pit stop on the way back to Anglesey. We had been past the Lion and Swan a number of times and thought it looked interesting. We were so right. Our room was comfortable and well appointed. Despite there being a Blues festival going on in the town we were not disturbed at all. Dinner in the restaurant was excellent. We sat outside. The entertainment (Blues festival) was good. The staff were brilliant, polite and helpful. Breakfast the next morning was very good too. All in all a great night's sleep, good food and great staff. Thank you. This may become a regular stopping off point when visiting family and friends in Derbyshire.

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“Nice stay.”

Had a one night stay as we were having some disruptive work done to our house and needed somewhere else to stay. Had a nice room in the annex but the bed was small by modern standards. Only a standard double i think. Had a very nice meal in the restaurant which was made all the more memorable by th… more

Had a one night stay as we were having some disruptive work done to our house and needed somewhere else to stay. Had a nice room in the annex but the bed was small by modern standards. Only a standard double i think. Had a very nice meal in the restaurant which was made all the more memorable by the excellent service we received from our waitress, Izzy, I believe. She was excellent and very friendly. Excellent breakfast in the morning.

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“Lovely venue and great staff. However….”

We had a wonderful meeting with family. It was extra special because we have all been through a difficult time recently, and it was a pleasure to spend quality time with them with the pressure having subsided. The staff were wonderful. I only have 2 complaints: 1) The conservatory wasn’t open f… more

We had a wonderful meeting with family. It was extra special because we have all been through a difficult time recently, and it was a pleasure to spend quality time with them with the pressure having subsided. The staff were wonderful. I only have 2 complaints: 1) The conservatory wasn’t open for no apparent reason. We had booked for an Italian but there was little of that on the menu. 2) And this is a big one for me: I always check if the meat on the menu is halal. To me, this is a repugnant excuse for immense cruelty and I will not have anything to do with it. They were able to say for sure that the chicken they serve is definitely halal (this begs its own question: why??) however they could not guarantee that the rest of the meat was or wasn’t! What about tracing? Other establishments in Congleton have been able to assure me. It really isn’t good enough. I’m sure I’m not the only person who feels this way. I ended up with fish and chips, which was still excellent. The veggie options were not really very enticing. Having said that, we still enjoyed our visit. The surroundings are wonderful and our wait person (wish I could remember her name) was absolutely top notch and a credit to the establishment. (Owners: we were there Saturday 31 August at 1.30. Give the lady a pay rise!) Overall, a lovely visit. However I won’t be returning for a meal until either the meat traceability is sorted and/or your vegetarian options improve.

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“Very loud”

My goodness the music is so loud in the restaurant at the back that we had to ask to move. I don’t think I’ve ever heard music that loud in an Italian restaurant before. I love a night out by all means and music too but couldn’t hear ourselves think at dinner, it should be a nice atmosphere and it … more

My goodness the music is so loud in the restaurant at the back that we had to ask to move. I don’t think I’ve ever heard music that loud in an Italian restaurant before. I love a night out by all means and music too but couldn’t hear ourselves think at dinner, it should be a nice atmosphere and it was like a club at kicking out time. I was so looking forward to visiting and I came from leeds and I don’t think I’ll go back but the staff were really lovely and very polite.

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