Harden's survey result
Summary
Too limited feedback this year for a rating of this flagship dining room, whose many accolades have established it as a bastion of the Midlands hospitality scene. The property is currently emerging from major investment under long-term owners, the Hills, who have recently added ‘Smoke’ and ‘Grace & Savour’ – see also. BREAKING NEWS: In November 2022, it was announced that Peels will close in favour of a ‘comfort food’ formula.
Summary
This Victorian manor house (with 15 bedrooms) is one of the grand dames of the Midlands hospitality scene, although – under proprietors the Hills, who have owned it since 1986 – it is in the middle of repositioning itself not just as a hotel, but as a provider of ‘immersive staycation experiences’ as ‘a spiritual home for the food lover’. There’s a new sibling to Peel’s (see Smoke), a new trendy bakery in the grounds, and new suites opening in 2022. Peel’s itself occupies a wood panelled chamber and is still the main culinary event, where chef Darren Meacham produces a six-course tasting menu, matched with (sometimes funky natural) wine pairings. On all reports, “celebrating a special occasion at Peel’s is itself a truly special experience”.
Summary
The Hill family’s classy restaurant-with-rooms, nestled in the Birmingham ’burbs, continues to win solid marks – if on limited feedback – for its refined and original food (spanning afternoon tea and tasting menus, best sampled in their intimate tasting room). Bonus points for their regular drinks tasting evenings (“first and last time I’ll try orange wine but it was a great opportunity to experience something very different!”)
Summary
The Hill family’s classy restaurant-with-rooms, nestled in the Birmingham ’burbs, continues to win solid marks – if on limited feedback – for its refined and original food (spanning afternoon tea and tasting menus, best sampled in their intimate tasting room). Bonus points for their regular drinks tasting evenings (“first and last time I’ll try orange wine but it was a great opportunity to experience something very different!”)
For 32 years we've been curating reviews of the UK's most notable restaurant. In a typical year, diners submit over 50,000 reviews to create the most authoritative restaurant guide in the UK. Each year, the guide is re-written from scratch based on this survey (although for the 2021 edition, reviews are little changed from 2020 as no survey could run for that year).
Have you eaten at Peel's?
Owner's description
Food and drink is at the centre of what we do, with Michelin starred, four AA rosette Peel’s restaurant running as the living heart of the building. We take you off the beaten track with our seasonal, hand crafted, and local products and produce.
Head Chef Rob Palmer creates simple dishes using seasonal produce, often picked from the Manor’s own kitchen gardens, cooked using modern techniques. His aim is not to alienate his guests by presenting them with something unrecognisable on a plate. Instead he looks to the seasons and to our Victorian roots to present utterly English menus.
Peel’s restaurant is open Tuesday to Saturday for dinner reservations from 7pm-9pm.
Prices
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Wine per bottle | £50.00 |
Filter Coffee | £4.50 |
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Bread | £5.50 |
Service | 12.50% |
Restaurant details
Peel's Restaurant Diner Reviews

"After a drink in the small cosy bar, dinner was served in the large, atmospheric, beautiful, partially wood panelled dining room. Service was polite but pleasingly friendly and helpful. After two highly enjoyable little appetisers, one a delicious chicken parfait and the other a tiny cheesy bite and the serving of some tasty, crusty sourdough with Ampersand butter and beef fat, two excellent vegetable-based (one carrot and the other beetroot) dishes were served and then a wonderful dish of Longhorn beef brisket from Herefordshire - richly flavoured and highly delicious - was accompanied by mushroom and truffle. There followed an amusingly presented dish of crab and lime - part of it balanced on a crab’s shell - and then grand theatre as a whole roast Merrifield Farm duck was presented to the table, accompanied by a piece of robustly flavoured duck sausage, before being returned to the kitchen for carving. Served with celeriac and cranberry ketchup this dish was immaculate, the duck cooked to perfection, the ketchup nicely balancing the wonderful richness of it all. Two tasty desserts were served - the first a little tartlet of enjoyable crispy pastry containing well cooked rhubarb, a little covering sheet of rhubarb jelly and Ampersand buttermilk ice cream. The flavour of both the rhubarb and buttermilk did not come through quite as much as might have been hoped for. The final dessert which combined the flavours of coffee and chocolate was pleasing. The whole experience of dining on such very fine food in the splendid atmosphere of this beautiful old manor house makes this one of the most memorable meals to be had in the West Midlands region. An exceptional dining experience."