Harden's survey result
Summary
This “very comfortable” 15th-century farmhouse half an hour from London makes an ideal setting for a hotel restaurant with a “lively, vibrant atmosphere”‚ “keen and attentive staff” and “plenty of traditional dishes” on its menu. A meal here is usually “enjoyable”, if not gastronomically distinguished.
Summary
The “beautiful, charming setting” and “smart atmosphere” of this farmhouse hotel less than half an hour from London win general applause, and “in an area which is something of a desert in respect of ‘fine dining’, it provides cooking that’s a notch above the usual gastropub fare”. “On a warm summer’s day, a table in the garden is ideal for a long, relaxed lunch”.
Summary
“Great food” from “an imaginative menu” makes this “delightful traditional farmhouse hotel” a real “local favourite” – and a useful bolthole just 25 minutes from London. But service, particularly from junior staff, “can be hit and miss”, and some find the new conservatory (opened February 2022) to be “very noisy with sound bouncing off the hard surfaces”.
Summary
This “grand” fifteenth-century farmhouse-with-rooms is “just an hour from London” but profits from “extensive gardens leading to open countryside”. Add in an “imaginative” menu and “cosy corners to dine” (plus a newish dining conservatory), and it’s “most enjoyable, particularly if at a garden table when the sun is shining”.
For 34 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 The Farmhouse at Redcoats?
Redcoats Green, Hitchin, SG4 7JR
Restaurant details
The Farmhouse at Redcoats Restaurant Diner Reviews
"The atmosphere was wonderful, as always: so lively, vibrant and enjoyable. The food was delicious: fresh oysters, tempura oysters, scallops and an exquisite salmon tartare with caviar. However, for the first time I have three complaints. It took thirty minutes and a complaint before our oysters arrived. We had starters and one pudding and the bill for two of us was over £90. Finally, the bill was more than £20 inaccurate: we were initially charged £36 rather than £12 for three tempura oysters. Not good enough. However, we would still go back again and again."
"My second favourite restaurant, with only The Ivy ahead of this constant success. Lobster and oysters on the menu: I could ask for nothing more."
"My second favourite restaurant, with only The Ivy ahead of this constant success. Lobster and oysters on the menu: I could ask for nothing more."
"My second favourite restaurant, with only The Ivy ahead of this constant success. Lobster and oysters on the menu: I could ask for nothing more."
Prices
 Drinks |
|
|---|---|
| Wine per bottle | £20.00 |
| Filter Coffee | £3.00 |
 Extras |
|
|---|---|
| Service | 12.50% |
Redcoats Green, Hitchin, SG4 7JR
Opening hours
| Monday | 7:30 am‑2:30 pm, 6 pm‑9 pm |
| Tuesday | 7:30 am‑2:30 pm, 6 pm‑9 pm |
| Wednesday | 7:30 am‑2:30 pm, 6 pm‑9 pm |
| Thursday | 7:30 am‑2:30 pm, 6 pm‑9 pm |
| Friday | 7:30 am‑2:30 pm, 6 pm‑9 pm |
| Saturday | 8 am‑2:30 pm, 6 pm‑9 pm |
| Sunday | 8 am‑10 am, 12 pm‑04 pm |
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