Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons

We experienced an excellent but not perfect stay. We didn’t heed a friend’s advice and stay elsewhere and hire a limousine and we should have done. The hotel is very good but not the best value for money, spoilt by lack of attention to detail. The dining experience itself was superb. We were shown to a lounge where black and white pictures of Raymond in his typically relaxed mood appeared out of place. The atmosphere was quite formal and my wife’s food choices, declared at the booking, had not been seen too but the mistake was corrected very quickly and efficiently by the assistant restaurant manager who was epitome of what you would expect in a Raymond restaurant. We were taken through to the dining room and seated by a service station. If you make a reservation ask to be seated anywhere but… that is unless you are a restaurant critic. We hoped for an exceptional experience and seeing the dishes waiting beside you, with a few warts, and overhearing the staff’s comments took a little of the magic away. I am not up to date in waiter fashion but all of them wore shirts with too larger collar making their pre-tied bowties stand at a disconcerting almost comic angle in several dimensions. That said their knowledge was faultless and their manner extremely attentive without being intrusive. Of our nine courses three were only exceptional, the others perfect. The dinner was expensive but well worth the experience. The hotel, well it is not in the same league but it did provide the opportunity to walk around the gardens and when we spoke to the gardeners; of all the staff they were the most informative and enthusiastic and that was against stiff competition.
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9 Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 9
Sunday, March 11, 2012

For an experience that cannot be beaten it has to be "Le Manoir".

The service was impeckable, as was the food and the wines, all complemented by a superb environment and an attention to detail that has to be the finest in the world.

An outstanding experience that everyone should have the chance to enjoy at least once in their life.
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Malcolm Rice
10 Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Saturday, September 03, 2011

We have just enjoyed a wonderful day's experience at the Manoir. The reception and service were utterly professional but without being aloof or unfriendly.

We had the full ten course menu which lasted almost three hours. Apart from the quality of the food, each course seemed to work in unison, rising to what is the finest piece of lamb either of us are ever likely to eat.

Yes, each individual course is quite small but the overall experience was like a more traditional four course meal but without the heavy feeling that can follow.

The delightful gardens are a must if the weather permits and add greatly to the sense of a day out. Expensive I agree, but you can see where the cost and effort goes. Staff from otehr restaurants should go there to see how great dining should be managed. Only regret - M Blanc did not appear!!
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Mike Kearney
9 Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 8
Monday, August 22, 2011

We had a nine course taster menu for 135.00. Table for 8 in the conservatory. We were shown to a lounge area where we had time to have a drink and study the menu. The wine list was vast. Not many in out price range. Hard to find many wines below 50.00.

We were then led to the dining area. Table setting was beautiful. We had plenty of room. Each dish then came out. One after the other, with plenty of space between each dish. All of the ingredients were in season. Loved the rhubarb and mackerel.

Our whole experience lasted 4 hours. The food was amazing. Exquisite.

We had a lovely time. Thank you
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Karen
9 Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 8
Monday, February 28, 2011

I can honestly say this was the best dining experience I have ever had. The service, the food and the atmosphere were above and beyond excellent. I have been fortunate in dining in some very high quality establishments, however they just fade into insignificance when you compare them with the experience at Le Manoir.

Thank you for the experience.
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Steve Morris
10 Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Tuesday, October 05, 2010

We had dinner as group of four and we went for the ten course tasting menu. The reception area was busy but very clean. They served champagne and some minuscule starters. We had enough time to look at the menus and the wine list. The wine list is very complete and has about everything I could think of.

We then moved on to the restaurant and we were offered a brilliant selection of bread rolls. For me the best they had on this day. Every dish was served on a different looking dish and the food was very well designed. The taste wasn’t always what I would have expected from a restaurant of this class. The portions are generally tiny meaning that a duck breast gets is in reality only ¼ of a duck breast. Desserts we nice, but orange taste and chocolate isn’t for me. Service was on a very high level and everyone was very professional.

Overall interesting experience, but the food did not convince me.
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6 Overall rating
Food 4 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 3
Thursday, July 08, 2010