Gidleigh Park

We stayed early 2009, pre recent ownership change.

We know the restaurant is very well regarded, but for our taste, although good, we thought the food was often very over complicated and over powering without good reason, sometimes completely masking the taste of the underlying meat or fish – also, a bit too much each evening after several nights in the hotel.

The restaurant atmospghere was very formal, which I guess is inevitable with a high end Michelin stars place in the provinces, with lots of older and “special occasion diners”. At least it made the restaurant quiet, with few children with families. However, I'm not so keen on the formality when away from work. I like to walk, relax, chill etc – but still get really good food and service – without the need for a jacket or tie, which I wear every other day.

Gidleigh has three dining rooms next to each other – two very nice, one very bland. Over several nights, we noticed that restaurant service and seating seemed to be “managed” according to whether you were some sort of regular or perhaps a local “celeb” – recognising the Z list has never been a strength. Other guests were allocated the 3rd dining room, an oddly shaped and very bland room compared to the other 2. If you ask, they’ll move you – so you must ask / insist. However, this is not an ideal impression when staying in such an expensive hotel. At circa £800 / night inclusive, everyone should feel like a celeb or returning regular !?

Overall, probably the best country hotel restaurants we’ve eaten in outside London, and certainly the best we've come across in the south west; but at a price. However, you may not be that keen on the formality, or the very well executed but (in my view) over complex Michael Caines food.

It comes as no surprise to find the food and service are as good now as they always have been. The change in ownership doesn't seem to have changed much apart from the loss of some of the warm and friendly local staff.
The hotel has had a face lift which, I am assured, was much needed. I didn't see the bedrooms but my wife did and with few exceptions thought they appeared well decorated and comfortable. I'm told the previous owner, a dedicated wine buff, still lives nearby.
Michael Caines commutes daily between Chagford and his other enterprise in Exeter and has managed to train a team of excellent chefs so his star rating is no doubt secure.
Unless you are there with a large party of your own the atmosphere can be rather funereal. I also found that service erratic. They have 2 or three dining areas and they seem to insist on serving room by room so if you unlucky you can be forced to wait quite some time between courses.