Historic Wroxall Abbey Hotel is celebrating the successful first anniversary of its reopening in Warwick, helped in no small part by its re-emerging reputation for fine food dining.
There is definitely a growing appetite for the hotel’s seasonal British and Mediterranean cuisine as well as Sunday Lunch and Afternoon Tea menus.
Entering the front gates and making your way along the driveway towards this imposing behemoth Manion House, is a very promising start to our Wroxall Abbey experience, leaving us with high hopes for what’s to come. But will the food and service live up to the aesthetics?
One can’t help but be nervous as we arrive at the grand entrance. But it doesn’t disappoint. After a very warm welcome we are invited to choose our own table in the antique oak-clad Henry’s Restaurant. Here is the perfect vantage point from which to appreciate the 127 acres of grounds. Drinking in those breathtaking views – as well as your choice from the extensive wine menu – prove to both be the perfect accompaniment to our meals.
The Braised Lamb Bon Bon starter is as tasty as it is visually appealing while the Chicken Terrine perhaps more tasty than visually appealing. Soup of the Day, Smoked Salmon and Prawn Salad and Goat’s Cheese and Caramelised Onion Tart were also available on this particular day but I’m told the menu does vary.
Showstopper was the Main Course. Both the Roast Beef and Lamb Shoulder dishes were cooked to perfection and complemented with plentiful steamed and roasted vegetables as well as probably the tastiest Yorkshire Puddings I think I’ve had.
And just as we thought that couldn’t be topped, along come Sticky Toffee Pudding and Chocolate Brownie to exceed our expectations. While not the most imaginative of desserts, there’s no denying they are firm favourites – and actually elevated our pud experience to a sweet new level of delectability! Highly recommend finding space for either of these following your roast dinner. You won’t regret it.
Lemon Crème Brulee, Almond Sponge or Ice Cream may be more to your taste. (Again, based on a typical, but changing, menu)
After your meal, I would strongly recommend making the time to stroll the grounds, which include their very own working chapel – the only hotel in the UK believed to be able to make this claim.
The estate is steeped in history. Its early origins date back as far as 1146 A.D, when a group of Benedictine nuns were founded by Hugh Fitz Richard of Hatton (Lord of Hatton). Hatton had provided over 3,000 acres of land to the church, to form a monastery known as the Priory of St. Leonard. Built in around 1315, the chapel is the only part of the original Benedictine priory that remains standing.
The former girls’ school and one-time country estate of architect Sir Christopher Wren, is now back on the map as a hotel and, despite recent closure, has grand plans for expansion next year.
In the meantime, the Wroxall team continues to work hard towards its aspirations as a leading food and hospitality provider in the area.
If my visit was anything to go by, they are well on their way.
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