THE PIG-near Bath

We have been here a couple of times before and decided to take our friends out for lunch. We loved it (again!) And so did our friends. The kitchen garden is simply inspiringly wonderful, the cocktails were delicious and everything that we chose on the menu was cooked absolutely beautifully. The staff looked after us very well and we had a look at a couple of the bedrooms in anticipation of staying for a weekend soon. Thank you to the whole team. We had a brilliant day xx

We had a lovely few days here. The staff were all attentive and they made sure we felt like individuals and treated our entire stay. The food was of good quality though maybe not always consistent. Having said that, I would still highly recommend.

Lovely interiors, friendly service and picturesque countryside setting (albeit close to a busy road which you can hear from the front bedrooms throughout the night!) Enjoyed our stay but at this price point we have had better experiences elsewhere. The restaurant setting is lovely and we enjoyed all of the food - but the breakfast should absolutely be included given the price per night. We resented having to pay for absolutely everything throughout stay. Even on arrival we were told to help ourselves to sweet treats in the living area which felt like a nice touch - it then became clear these were charged for too. The main disappointment for us is that we didn’t feel any extra effort was made for those staying in the hotel as opposed to fleeting guests for an evening meal. Despite booking a table in the restaurant much in advance of our stay, we were sat at the worst table in the dining area next to the swinging staff door into the kitchen and to the side of the staff tills. We have recently stayed at a very comparable hotel in the Cotswolds at the same price point and received much much better service. The Pig has a lot of hype around it and it would be deserved if only the guest experience was elevated to the next level! We would recommend a dinner and drinks in the main house, but would stay elsewhere if we return. Also if you ask the front desk to book a taxi, request one on the meter or you’ll be charged extra for a set price for a premium service (and won’t be made aware of it until you pay the driver!)

Arrived early for a significant birthday and the reception staff could not have been nicer. We had room 4……spacious and bright. The bar was lively and the English”champagne “ a reasonable price. However the wine list,although comprehensive, was poor value,probably a 4fold mark up. The menu was inventive and slightly “veggie “ leaning but not the worse for that.| Breakfast was terrific…kippers superb as was smoked trout.|What a beautiful hotel…would retune.

1st came here in 1984 for my 16th birthday with my Dad. It holds very fond memories for me and I'm local. My friend took me for a boozy lunch as a thank you. The menu is locally sourced and innovative. There's a £29 set menu and other menus available. The walled kitchen garden is a must see, the location is stunning. It's very relaxed and the staff are a delight.

So sad to be really disappointed by my meal and the service. Felt like a bit of a burden to the restaurant staff as it was so busy, the two tables around us who were waiting the same time as us were offered complimentary drinks to make up for the wait and no one checked in on us or even asked if we needed another drink or water, we waited nearly an hour for the mains. We ordered water at the start which never arrived, but we overlooked this to start with as it was so busy and we didn’t want to be rude/a burden. The starters were delicious and took around 25 mins which is a good amount of time I’d expect this to take, staff were polite at this point too. I didn’t enjoy my main when it eventually arrived which is totally my taste and not on the pig but I had to ask for proper cutlery as the parsnips were cooked so they remained very hard and I only had a palette knife on the table so did pay £21 for some mushrooms and two slices of parsnip - but appreciate that’s my taste. No one checked in on how our food was for either meal but checked the tables around us. We were recommended the pig by several people so came for my partner’s birthday but we’ve both left feeling quite disappointed. As we left we were given a box of ‘petit fours’ as an apology for the lateness of the food as they mentioned they’d given these to a few other tables too which was a kind gesture but it felt a bit awkward and uncomfortable by that point. We’re not ones to complain at all so just feeling a bit low after this. Beautiful venue and lovely grounds. Parking was a bit tight but I think to be expected on Easter weekend!

What an incredible place! We had dinner and what a dinner it was! Excellent choice on the menu and made better that all of it comes from within a 25 mile radius!

Lovely rural location with deer running outside the windows. This place creates the country house party of our imaginations with a range of lounges with fireplaces, dining room and conservatory but celebrates local food producers with excellent cooking, immaculate service with a relaxed pace. Perfect for a celebratory new year's Day birthday lunch

We had the most wonderful two night stay here for our mini-moon straight after our wedding. We stayed in the Gardeners Shed, one of three comfy luxe rooms in the hotels garden. The room was beautiful with a large bathroom with roll top bath and monsoon shower, a four poster bed in the bedroom and a sitting room with a DVD player and log burning stove. It was the most perfect relaxing experience to recover from the excitement and stresses of planning a wedding. We were also treated to a complimentary English sparkling wine in our room congratulating us on our wedding. The pig grows and sources all of its food within a 25 mile radius and we could explore the beautiful gardens where all of the fruits, vegetables and herbs grow right outside our front door. If you wander a little further you can also visit the pigs, chickens, deer and more. The service is second to none, we rented DVDs from reception which come with complimentary popcorn, wandered around the grounds in complimentary wellies, played board games in the library and received the most luxurious massages in the potting shed treatment rooms in the gardens. We also had a gorgeous breakfast delivered to our room both mornings on a tray so big two people carried it to us. I have a dairy allergy and constantly find it difficult requesting or mentioning that I need dairy free items on menus but the Pig were brilliant, we had told them in advance and they had soya milk in the room for me and both nights at dinner mentioned that they were aware and could help me with anything on the menu before I even had to mention it. It's such a little detail but it makes all the difference to not have to feel anxious or inconvenient when eating out and I have to commend them for this brilliant service. The only fault was the wifi and Internet was pretty non existent. This was perfect for us and encouraged us even more to just switch off, relax and enjoy our time together but I can see how this could be a problem for some. I also 100% recommend trying their non alcoholic cocktails, they are so good you don't miss the alcohol at all, try the red bush!

Any of the eight "Pigs" have long been on my must do bucket list of hotel/restaurants. So, imagine by child-like delight when the blonde's birthday present was a night away and dinner at the Pig in Pensford near Bath. I'm fascinated and intrigued by the whole pig concept and am the proud owner of the tomb like Pig book which I would highly recommend as an out and out damn good read. Dizzy expectations sky high and if I ever wanted to rate anywhere 20/20 this was it. Hunstrete House is a delightful Grade II listed building dating from 1820; a beautiful country pad that oozes character and charm. It became the Pig in 2016 when it was acquired by the impressive Robin Huston and became the 3rdaddition to the growing pig litter. Pre-dinner cocktails in the sumptuous and cosy log fired bar area were a treat and set the tone for what we hoped was to be a monumental and memorable evening. The first surprise was that the restaurant is, in fact, a conservatory and reminded me of an eatery in an upmarket garden centre which in itself is not such a bad thing but a tad underwhelming in the context of the rest of the building. The second surprise was the paucity of pork on the menu. We were anticipating a pig fest of chops, pulled pork, slow cooked belly, cheeks and perhaps a pork tomahawk steak. Nope, aside from a canape of piggy bits (chipolatas and crackling) the only other pork presence was a chargrilled loin on the main section. The blonde started with a pumpkin tart with raisins and coronation dressing which she declared was overly sweet and lacked enough balance from the, albeit lovely and light, tart pastry. She followed with oyster mushroom risotto, which was decent enough but, in her words, on a par with risotto's from Hello Fresh, with whom we subscribe (and which are good). I fared better with starter of lambs' liver and mushrooms on sourdough toast, beautiful but I could have done with one more slice of sourdough. The chargrilled pork loin was outstanding, succulent and cooked to perfection. Not enough red wine sauce and the accompanying neeps and crushed garlic potatoes were so so. We fancied a dessert but, in all honesty, struggled to pick anything from the rather unadventurous final act so we abstained and bowed out. Huston just so happened to be there the night we visited. A man oozing gravitas and presence with an impressive mane of long flowing locks putting me in mind of the Lion King stalking his culinary savannah. In his book, he lends a chapter to the importance of music when dining out and even suggests a failsafe playlist. I have to say the background beats were on the money and got the pair of us playing our own game of name that tune/artist. Sly and the Family Stone, the Staple Sisters, Canned Heat and Bowie belted out and had my foot tapping. Summing up this is a tricky one. It felt like we had been picked up in a Mercedes and driven to watch the national German Football team. All very solid, professional and beyond any real criticism. That's all well and good but when you were expecting a Ferrari to whizz you off to the Maracanã to watch Brazil in full 1970's majestic flow it all felt a bit flat. It lacked Rio fireworks, mama mia and samba. The Pigs have a cult like following so I'm off into hiding as I'll be charged with heresy and appear on their sacrilegious lynch list. Anyways it's my review so oink off. With an average Argentinian Pinot Gris at £39 the total bill came in at £157 including 12.5% service. Rating · Ambience & service (out of 5): 4.0 · Value for money (out of 5): 3.0 · Food (out of 10): 7.0 · Total (out of 20): 14.0 Return ? · Probably not but maybe in a group

Lovely setting and attentive staff, coupled with great food and drinks make this a hotel very much worth visiting

The Pig (nr Bath) is one of four hotels in this group. There is also The Pig (The New Forest), The Pig on the beach (Dorset) and The Pig in the wall (Southampton). If you're looking for somewhere special to stay & eat for a birthday, anniversary or just because it's Tuesday, this hotel & restaurant will not disappoint. The Pig is the nicest hotel experience I have ever had. There are 29 rooms. Of these 29, there are two rooms in the gardens which are more like little two-floor cottages with chairs on a little veranda outside, overlooking the gardens & the Mendip Hills. The prices for these were not on the website when I looked. Our room was about £220 & worth every penny. On arrival we were briefly shown around the hotel - there are so many rooms to explore & the staff are happy for you to do so. Our room was beautiful; there was light streaming in through the windows & a waft of jazz was coming from the digital radio in the room. They have 'larders' containing sparkling drinks, wine, beer, sweets (the fun old school kind - sherbet wands, flying saucers, etc), posh biscuits, chocolates & more. This all came with a detailed price list which made it all very easy. There was also a kettle, teabags, sugar, a Nespresso machine & three types of Nespresso pod (Lungo, decaf, & espresso - Arpeggio if we are being specific!). The tea & coffee was free of charge. The monsoon shower is worth the special mention that they have on their website - if I wasn't worried about my water usage I could have spent an hour in there. All the little details in our room & around the hotel were perfect. Vintage knickknacks here and there that were beautifully clean & so well placed. One thing that would make the room even more perfect would be some fresh flowers or even a potted herb (in keeping with the theme of the hotel). There was nothing 'alive' in our room and fresh flowers or something in a pot would make the room beyond perfect. The bed was huge & very comfy. There was a stack of National Trust books to read - bee keeping, hen keeping, pig keeping, etc. This location is as much a restaurant as a hotel - people travel from far & wide to eat here. I read somewhere that they consider themselves a restaurant with rooms, rather than a hotel, and this is perfectly fitting. So let's move on to the food... The menu is sourced from within 25 miles of the hotel/restaurant - this is their 25 mile menu. When we arrived we sat in the garden (our table in the restaurant wasn't until late evening & we had decided to stay in the garden rather than go shopping, which had been the plan) we tried the pork crackling with apple sauce, a pork pie, some salami & olives, & a chorizo flatbread from their flatbread wood burning oven, which had just opened for the summer. The pork crackling & apple sauce was delightful; we could hear people crunching all around the garden patio & I'm sure they would have heard us too! The pork pie was a risk because I don't usually like them, but it had perfect pastry & the pork was delicious. It was served with some pickled carrots & other veg, which was just right. The salami & olives were also delicious. I found the flatbread to be quite bland - but the chorizo on top was one of the nicest things I have ever eaten. I was hoping to see it again on the evening menu (It didn't feature). I think it had a lot of fennel in it, maybe, but whatever it was it was magical. We also had some tea & later relaxed in the wonderful bar with some cocktails. The staff were chatty, friendly, helpful, & just all round nice. The staff all seemed relaxed, but alert (always knowing if you need something). They seemed like they were at home, which was lovely. The cocktails were great - we had one with earl grey in it, one with bacon infused rum, and others. If you like infused gins and vodkas, this is the place for you - they infuse their own and do a lovely job of it. We went back to our room for a nap, which didn't happen because sadly we could hear the restaurant music from our room, & it battled against the classical music that we tried to drown it out with, but our stay was so lovely that this is just a minor thing. Dinner was next & it was great. We had the smoked sausage & apple mash & the venison & pork belly faggot with colcannon. The colcannon, again, was one of the nicest things, if not the nicest thing, I've ever eaten. It was creamy, cabbagy & beautiful. Puddings - chocolate & caramel mouse with little coffee biscuits & a Bramley apple pie with thyme ice cream. Both were delicious. The restaurant itself is cosy & welcoming - in a conservatory, the chairs are surrounded by pot plants & herbs. The cutlery is mismatched, as are the chairs - one of my favourite bits. We then had whiskies in the library until gone midnight, which was lovely. Breakfast is something to rave about - the table is quite something & the full English is tasty (£15pp). The grounds are spectacular & I can't wait to return.