Steam, Bake Grill - Daventry

The Christmas dinner at this restaurant was disappointing and to make matters worse, the bar closed at midnight. There were over 60 people in the bar wanting a drink, but they refused to serve anyone. Most hotels offer drinks to guests much later into the night. I would recommend going elsewhere, especially considering the prices. This experience ruined my evening.

My title alludes to the fact that the Sunday offering is different from and may well be inferior to that available during the rest of the week. Anyone intending eating here Monday to Saturday should therefore be selective in their reading of this largely critical review. My wife and I stayed at Staverton Park on a Sunday night as we had an early appointment in Daventry on the Monday and got a very good room price. We decided to eat in their restaurant as the 'typical ' menu on their website looked quite attractive. Mistake! The arrangement was a mix of carvery and hot/cold buffet, with all starters and sweets being chilled. We rarely eat more than 2 courses anyway so, encouraged by their eccentric pricing £12.95 for one course, £2 more for a second and a further £5 for a third , decided to skip starters, even though they looked very attractive. Our main courses, a roast beef dinner for me, spiced chicken with rice for my wife, were less than impressive. In all respects except the gravy, the beef dinner was inferior to that available for less than £4 in any Crown Carvery. Horseradish sauce and mustard were also conspicuous by their absence, though eventually produced on request. My wife 's chicken was very dry, even after getting the server to give her more sauce than he had originally intended. I noticed another diner getting beef gravy put on his. Portions would have been fine as one of three courses but were barely adequate as one of two. To add insult to injury, the restaurant was uncomfortably cold and so were our meals by the time we had eaten about half of them. I topped up from the reasonable cheeseboard while my wife ate bits of two different sweets, pronouncing both excellent. She couldn 't eat all of either because of dietary issues. Our wines were acceptable but, in my opinion, somewhat overpriced. In fairness, the head waitress reduced our bill by 30% when we mentioned our unhappiness but we will not be back in a hurry on a Sunday and will probably inspect the offerings before committing ourselves on any other day.

The Theatre Kitchen at the hotel is a self-service counter used for breakfasts and nightly buffets. The food is disappointing, with chicken being dry and beef bourguignon not resembling the classic French dish. The buffet costs £25 per person and is likened to school dinners. A la carte mains range from £18 to £28, with wine starting at £24 a bottle. The management may try to dismiss this review as false, but it is genuine. Complaints were plentiful during our visit, with unresponsive staff. It seems management may not be aware of the issues with the food and service. If you are staying at the hotel and need to eat at the restaurant, it may be best to check the menu before booking. Otherwise, consider dining at one of the nice country pubs in the area for a better meal experience. No ulterior motives here, just a recommendation for good food!

I checked out the restaurant's website and was excited to try the delicious dishes advertised. Unfortunately, none of those were available when I visited. The restaurant had turned into a self-service cafeteria offering hotdogs, burgers, and chicken wings for just under £25 per person. Starters included salads with processed meats or a questionable seafood pot. I settled for chicken drumsticks and over-sauced coleslaw. The highlight was the cheeseboard.