Bought another TravelZoo offer for a nights stay, afternoon tea, seven course menu and breakfast in Llansantffraed Court near Abergavenny a few weeks back, and we headed over yesterday.
Quite an impressive place as you drive up the sort of farm track to it, its big, and has a plenty of space for parking. We checked in around early check in time and was given room 4. I think this was because we were going to have our daughter over – but we didn’t in the end. Interesting room, three rooms, one main bedroom, a small “lounge” which had been converted into a little bedroom, and then up the stairs to the en-suite.
En-suite was modern looking and pretty good, the rest of the place seemed clean enough, but it had old furniture – plenty of dark wood, and a 1970’s alarm clock. But all in all it was fine. But freezing. The windows may as well not been there, they were “period” which mean thin glass and iron, but once we shut the curtains and cranked up the electric heaters it started to warm up. We were also above the kitchen – so there as a fair bit of noise.
After a doss around for a half hour it was time for tea, in the “drawing room”, which was okay, if a little tired – and with the worlds smallest tables in it. We sat, we read, we had some tea and some scones and some cream and some jam and some welshcakes, and it was fine.
After tea, we went back to the room to get some coats and went for a little stroll up the lane to the church, and then around the grounds. We weren’t out for long, but it was already getting dark, so we retired to the bar for beer and vodka. Not too many staff around, and the room was okay, but again you could see how shabby it was – the beer (San Miguel) was £4.30, and the vodka an eye watering £5.60. We found out later that the “dash” of lime in the vodka was a quid!!!
After 30 quid we asked if we could start the food earlier than planned, and just after 7 we had the canapes – which were actually pretty good. There was a great cheesy profiterole, a snappy curly thing, and some salmon with cheese and chive Philadelphia on a tiny home made Ritz cracker. It was okay. About 15 minutes later we were escorted to the restaurant.
Restaurant is actually quite nice, this is a newer area of the hotel and it shows. Only pretty small, but pretty okay.Within a few minutes course No. 1 arrived:
Smoked Haddock – in a tiny jamjar, with a sort of yogurty thing around it, and nuts, lots of nuts – but very little haddock (made me feel a bit sick)
Pigeon – on a plate this time, with some different types of beetroot and some other stuff. Two tiny strips, of which one was a little tough – but quite nice (we also had some bread before this, which was nice – I had Sour Dough and Sian had Tiger (which oddly most others also picked one of each too) with unsalted butter, but with very salty salt crumbs on the butter plate – yummy)
Monkfish – with fancy mushrooms which weren’t great and some odd vegetable which I cannot remember the name, but was the consistency of a carrot, but tasted like a potato. Monkfish was small and okay – could make better at home.
Lamb – the main event, lamb sweetbreads (very nice but ate them when they were still very hot), and a couple of small pieces of lamb which were pretty good. Also an assortment of devil food (garden veg, sweedy/parsnipy).
Mango – first of the desserts and probably the biggest dish – a kind of mousy thing which was surprisingly nice with a slither of mango
Chocolate – A cup, which had been in the oven with a sort of chocolate souffle which a evaporating cream thing and a touch of sherry on the side, would have preferred cream to sherry – it was a little too much without a smoothering of creme.
so that was it – proper price, to you sir, one day only £55 – don’t think I would have been happy paying that – but then I am a tight miserable get.
Noisy in bed while the kitchen was open, but bed was quite comfy – and had a fitful sleep. Breakfast in the morning was okay – sausage was the best part, the rest was nice, but a little greasy – made a lot better when the ketchup came.
£150 quid all in +drinks, it was slightly different and not bad, unless they spend a bit on it I wouldn’t hurry back, but if they did a deal in the summer it might be worth it on a hot sunny day..
Llansantffraed Court – 6/10
Food – 7/10
Drinks – 4/10