Harden's survey result
Summary
Dating back over 1,000 years (although rebuilt many times in the interim), this marvellously grand coaching inn is “a truly wonderful institution that helps define Stamford”. “One may eat in the glorious setting of the courtyard on fine summer days, or in one of several other sites inside”, not least its “historic panelled Oak Room” (to which this review relates). “None of the food is at the pointed end of modern cooking”, being “of the gleaming trolley of roast beef and whole Dover sole mode” (or else of the “fabulous afternoon tea” mode), but – while it’s most definitely “on the pricey side” – this is arguably the kind of old-school rarity that “should be treasured” (and if you’re at all price conscious, the “good value set lunch” is the way to go). Former owner Lawrence Hoskins – whose legacy lives on in the “very decent wine list” – passed away in 2023, having celebrated 50 years at the helm just a few months earlier.
Summary
“The George in Stamford is a lovely old hotel” – in fact it’s questionable if there is any grander coaching inn anywhere in the realm to rival it – and “dining is offered in a range of areas including the garden room, out in a large courtyard and a formal dining room”. The price shown is for the latter, ‘The Oak Room’ – an extremely fine if old-fashioned chamber that’s “ideal for business”. The cuisine here is not cutting edge, with pricing that would not seem out-of-place in a top hotel in Mayfair, but you are paying for the overall experience, including the biblical wine list assembled over many years. Top Tip – the £60 per head prix fixe menu here, with the option of both carved beef and puddings from their respective, gleaming vintage trolleys, is probably the best bet if you are budget-conscious.
Summary
This enormous, plush, ivy-clad coaching inn has played host to luminaries including Charles I and Sir Walter Scott and sits on the Great Northern Road as it enters this stunning Georgian town. “Afternoon tea is a speciality – truly an English tradition that should not just be for tourists, but for everyone!”, while the august oak-panelled dining room offers old-fashioned traditional delights such as rib of beef carved from the trolley, backed by a selection from their biblical wine list. It is noted that “prices have continued to creep up”, but this venue has long been a ‘hang the expense’ kind of treat.
Summary
“This great institution carries on, as historic and handsome as ever” – a supremely grand old coaching inn on the Great North Road as it passes through this delightful Georgian town that in days gone by has hosted the great and the good including Charles I and Sir Walter Scott. It’s “a place to be cherished”, and any meal in the “fantastic old-school restaurant”, with its wonderful oak panelling, heavyweight wine list and carving trolley, is a superb “treat”. It is a “very expensive” occasion, though, and “the food can be a bit ‘beige’” (“would be good value at half the price”).
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 George Hotel?
71 St Martins, Stamford, PE9 2LB
Restaurant details
Prices
 Drinks |
|
|---|---|
| Wine per bottle | £41.00 |
| Filter Coffee | £6.00 |
 Extras |
|
|---|---|
| Service | 10.00% |
71 St Martins, Stamford, PE9 2LB
| Number of Diners: | |
| Required Time: | |
Opening hours
| Monday | 12 am‑2:30 pm, 7:30 pm‑10:30 pm |
| Tuesday | 12 am‑2:30 pm, 7:30 pm‑10:30 pm |
| Wednesday | 12 am‑2:30 pm, 7:30 pm‑10:30 pm |
| Thursday | 12 am‑2:30 pm, 7:30 pm‑10:30 pm |
| Friday | 12 am‑2:30 pm, 7:30 pm‑10:30 pm |
| Saturday | 12 am‑2:30 pm, 7:30 pm‑10:30 pm |
| Sunday | 12 am‑2:30 pm, 7:30 pm‑10:30 pm |
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