The Woodsman

The Woodsman reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Review summary

1. P

   Parveen

   Warwickshire1 review

   5.0

   Dined 2 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   From beginning to end this place was truly amazing Firstly the waiting staff - super friendly, knowledgeable, engaging, excellent members of the team who helped create a perfect night The chefs oooh lalaaaa divine they create magic on a plate that is truly sublime The food was cooked truly to perfection and seasoned so very well, couldn’t believe how big the portions are We will 100% return for the entire experience - thank you so much staff all of you The food is on the pricey side but if you add all components together - venue, staff, location, quality, ambience - it was worth it
   

   The WoodsmanResponded today

   Dear Parveen, thank you for taking the time to review your recent visit at The Woodsman. Thank you for your lovely words and such positive feedback about the team. I will be sure to pass this onto them all. We are glad you enjoyed your evening so much and look forward to welcoming you again soon. Kindest regards, Abbigail
   

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2. M

   Michael

   Warwickshire1 review

   5.0

   Dined 2 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Excellent meal,great service.All round lovely experience for our Golden Wedding Anniversary. Will be back for our 51st anniversary.
   

   The WoodsmanResponded today

   Dear Michael, thank you for taking the time to review your recent visit at The Woodsman. Thank you for choosing us to celebrate such a special occasion and thank you so much for the lovely feedback. We hope to welcome you again soon! Kindest regards, Abbigail
   

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3. W

   William

   Birmingham/West Midlands (county)1 review

   5.0

   Dined 6 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Nice food, good communication from the staff previous to the booking.
   

   The WoodsmanResponded 5 days ago

   Dear William, thanks for taking the time to review your recent visit at The Woodsman. I am glad to hear you enjoyed your evening and that our pre arrival calls are up to standard. We hope to welcome you again soon. Kindest regards, Abbigail
   

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4. j

   jo

   London23 reviews

   2.0

   Dined on May 25, 2025

   1. Overall 2
   2. Food 1
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 3

   A bit of context is necessary: don't come to Stratford upon Avon if you're looking for a good restaurant - the offering here is generally very poor, mass-produced, aiming at the lower end of the tourist market. The Woodsman is a perfectly pleasant place, more of a pub than a restaurant, but the food was very disappointing. We started with the heritage tomatoes and burrata. The tomatoes were nice - but such a mean portion, barely three paper thin slices. The burrata was OK, if a little on the watery side. For main we had the roast pork (it was Sunday roast day). The pork was tasty and cearly of good quality, but the accompaniments were very poor. The roast potatoes were undercooked- how is this even possible? Clearly never heard of par-boiling. The grilled cabbage was nasty with a chemical taste, and little to no flavour of cabbage. The carrots had been prepared with a gallon of unnecessary sugar. The little pot of leeks, cabbage and peas was innoffensive. But the Yorkshire puddings were an absolute disgrace - like taking a mouthful of grease; definitely one of the most unpleasant things I've ever been served in a restaurant. The winelist was pretty good and not too overpriced and the staff were friendly and helpful. It's not that difficult to make a really good roast lunch, but the Woodsman failed spectacularly.
   

   The WoodsmanResponded 5 days ago

   Dear Jo, thank you for taking the time to review your recent visit at The Woodsman. I'm sorry to hear that the food fell short of your expectations. We always aim to deliver both quality and consistency, and it's clear we missed the mark during your visit. Your comments have been shared with the kitchen team so we can address the issues raised. I appreciate your kind words about the staff and wine list and hope we can welcome you on another occasion. Kindest regards, Abbigail
   

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5. c

   chris

   Bath2 reviews

   3.0

   Dined on May 24, 2025

   1. Overall 3
   2. Food 4
   3. Service 3
   4. Ambience 5

   It felt like the staff were all overstretched. There were two of us and we had to remind the waitress twice about one of our drinks. Then, our main courses didn’t come together (and we had to be remind them about it twice again) rendering one of them cold by the time we could eat.
   

   The WoodsmanResponded 5 days ago

   Dear Chris, thank you for taking the time to review your recent visit at The Woodsman. I’m really sorry for the delays and the inconvenience during your visit. We were exceptionally busy over the bank holiday weekend, but that’s no excuse and I will be reviewing this with the team to ensure a smoother experience moving forward. I appreciate your patience and hope you'll give us another chance soon. Kind regards, Abbigail
   

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6. G

   Gordon

   Warwickshire1 review

   2.0

   Dined on May 24, 2025

   1. Overall 2
   2. Food 3
   3. Service 4
   4. Ambience 2

   The menu was limited and the explanation of how to choose a steak was a little confusing. We were told the cost of each 100g per cut, however, the steak was pre-cut into various weights. We had no option to choose a smaller piece and the steak alone cost over £130 for two. I know I should have left at this point but I felt embarrassed - very British I know. When the steak did turn up, because it was cooked as a single piece the outside was charred (burnt) so that the inside could be pink. some parts were quite tough. Not of the standard I would expect from a Michelin listed restaurant. - we ordered med/rare. both diners have to want their steak the same. The restaurant lacked a little atmosphere, perhaps because we were at the first sitting. I will mention that the staff were excellent with just the right level of attentiveness.
   

   The WoodsmanResponded 5 days ago

   Dear Gordon, thanks for taking the time to review your recent visit at the The Woodsman. I’m sorry to hear that your experience with our steak offering didn’t meet your expectations. I’d like to clarify that our steaks are served as part of a sharing board concept, which allows us to maintain consistency and quality across service. They are pre-portioned in advance to support both the efficiency of the kitchen and the overall dining experience. We understand that this style of service may not suit everyone, and I appreciate you bringing your perspective to our attention. I’m glad to hear our team provided good service during your visit, and I do hope we’ll have the chance to welcome you back in the future for an experience more aligned with your preferences. Kindest regards, Abbigail
   

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7. R

   Roger

   London13 reviews

   2.0

   Dined on May 21, 2025

   1. Overall 2
   2. Food 2
   3. Service 1
   4. Ambience 5

   Two of our party ordered ribeye steaks which you choose from the fridge and it is then cooked to your specifications. When served it was clear that the meat had not been cooked as requested ‘medium rare’ was chewy to eat. Hadn’t been properly rested. Pepper sauce was watery and chips ordinary. The food was returned but the whole meal was spoilt by this poor service. Initial reaction of poorly trained staff was not helpful. Our other meals were OK but this was not a good evening. Disappointing.
   

   The WoodsmanResponded on May 22, 2025

   Dear Roger, thank you for taking the time to review your recent visit at The Woodsman. I was the manager on duty that evening and I’m sorry your experience with the ribeye steaks and service did not meet expectations. The steaks were clearly not cooked to your liking, and the pepper sauce and chips fell short. I also regret the initial response from our team wasn’t more helpful—we’re addressing this through further training. I appreciate you bringing this to our attention and would welcome the chance to provide a better experience should you choose to visit us again. Kindest regards, Abbigail
   

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8. S

   Susie

   Warwickshire1 review

   5.0

   Dined on May 18, 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Wonderful birthday lunch! Great atmosphere, relaxed and friendly yet professional staff. Staff really knowledgeable about the food and wine. My husband and son had the Sunday roast special which was a perfectly done roast sirloin and amazing sides. I had the veggie starter - chilled watercress soup - which had an Amazing depth of flavour and texture. The veggie main was perfect - roasted celeriac. Finished with pudding. Lots of good wines by the glass. Just go - you can’t go wrong
   

   The WoodsmanResponded 5 days ago

   Dear Susie, thanks for taking the time to review your recent visit at The Woodsman. We are so glad you enjoyed celebrating your birthday with us and thank you for such a lovely review. We hope to welcome you again soon. Kind regards, Abbigail
   

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9. L

   Laurie

   Lincolnshire1 review

   3.0

   Dined on May 11, 2025

   1. Overall 3
   2. Food 3
   3. Service 3
   4. Ambience 4

   We were welcomed nicely and shown to our table. Complimentary bread and butter came, which was lovely. The roast dinner was average; the roast potatoes were tepid and didn’t taste fresh and crispy, the cabbage had a mustard dressing on which meant my mum didn’t enjoy this part, and the gravy was very watery. The meat was beautiful and the Yorkshire pudding with braised beef inside was very tasty. We were not asked how our meal was during our time eating nor when the plates were collected. The dessert (Mille feuille) was really nice. There was a 12.5% service charge added on which made our bill over £100 for two people (no drinks, just tap water) which I felt was expensive for the experience.
   

   The WoodsmanResponded on May 16, 2025

   Dear Laurie, thank you for taking the time to review your recent visit at The Woodsman. I'm pleased to hear you had a warm welcome and enjoyed the complementary bread, beef and dessert. I'm sorry to hear other parts of your visits fell short, I will be taking the service attentiveness up with the team. I hope we get to welcome you to the restaurant on another occasion. Kindest regards, Abbigail
   

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10. P

    Philip VIP

    London2 reviews

    2.0

    Dined on May 4, 2025

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 1

    The food was decent but the service was very poor, one couple walked out as no one went to take their order after over 15 minutes, the waiting staff were standing around looking uninterested with arms folded, the manager appeared once and was then nowhere to be seen. If I was the Chef, putting out decent food I’d be livid at how the front of house were spoiling things.
    

    The WoodsmanResponded on May 16, 2025

    Dear Philip, thank you for taking the time to review your recent visit at The Woodsman. We're sorry to hear about your experience with the service — this is certainly not the standard we aim to uphold. While we do note on the website that All Day Dining is bar service, your comments about staff attentiveness and visibility of management are concerning and will be addressed with the team. We appreciate you bringing this to our attention. Kindest regards, Abbigail
    

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