Royal - South Lakeland

This was the most disappointing evening I have ever experienced in Kirkby Lonsdale. I have been living here for 12 years, and this was truly shocking. There was no atmosphere, the staff lacked charisma and did not smile once throughout the evening. All four steaks we ordered were cooked incorrectly, but thankfully mine was rare.

We have just visited the Royal where we have previously eaten several times and food has been ok. Tonight's food was disgusting to say the least. So much so that we have both felt unwell since. I ordered a tuna nicoise salad which consisted of baby gem lettuce, soft boiled eggs, green beans and tuna. No dressing whatsoever resulting in the most bland meal I have ever had. My partner had a pizza which was greasy, stodgy and also tasteless. We expressed our disappointment to one manager who said he would pass on comments to the chef. No offer to amend the bill for inferior food was made. He then returned and insulted us by offering a reduction of £4! A second manager did advise he would Waiver the cost of the tuna nicoise. This manager didn't appear bothered and was quite deadpad, without any customer service skills ar all. Clearly the comments that previous patrons have left appear to have fallen on death ears!, such a shame as we will never ever eat there again, even if they offered us to eat for free.

We came here on Friday afternoon , very busy , we managed to get a table in the window , waiter came to the table straight away to see what we wanted to drink , which is a good sign . We ordered food a starter of whitebait which was lovely but really could have been a bigger portion , mains were salt and pepper burger served with frozen wedges !!! Why ? The burger was amazing let down by the sparse amount of frozen wedges , my husband had the fish pie which he said was amazing, pkease make your own wedges !!!!

A group of 16 of us stayed and dined at the hotel over a weekend Friday Sunday. Everyone agreed the hotel provided a great experience with its history, décor, fine bar, restaurant, comfortable rooms and super organised and charming staff. Breakfasts and dinner were excellent the imaginative chef and his team together with all the staff ensured we had a thoroughly enjoyable stay and super 'get together ' evening. With its history and prime location looking over the market square of this historic town, I (my third stay) would recommend staying at The Royal without hesitation a real gem for a getaway for couples or a group ion a town steeped in history and folklore and surrounded by wonderful countryside.

I was truly impressed by the staff at the Royal during my recent Breakfast visit. They were obviously well-trained and well-managed, displaying a high level of attention to detail in both their communication and service. I was particularly touched by how one staff member took care of and accommodated an elderly couple with patience and kindness. It was a delight to witness.