The Angel at Holmesfield

We visited this beautiful restaurant on Sunday the 26th January. We were booked in for dinner and very much looking forward to a roast dinner after a soggy and cold day at the zoo. Upon arrival we were welcomed into the restaurant by the manager. Upon checking our booking the table was checked and we were shown to our seats. The restaurant had a lovely friendly and warming atmosphere, the rooms were lovely and warm. Shortly after sitting down , our drinks order was taken and they arrived shortly after. I myself am coeliac, I also cannot have dairy or soya . I mentioned this to the waitress , who checked straight away with the chef what they could cook for me to meet my dietary requirements. To my amazement I could have the roast beef dinner! There was a great selection on the menu for normal and for gluten free needs. I was very happy with the choices available to me, even with additional allergies. Also the children’s menu had plenty of options, we took 3 children with us. The food arrived in good time and we were not disappointed. The food was amazing! The beef was cooked to perfection and the dinner was to a very high standard. The children’s meals were good size portions and the kids loved them. We enjoyed the food so much that we had puddings also. Yes they even had a pudding that was gluten, dairy and soya free! I had a sticky toffee sponge with dairy free ice cream. It was amazing, I don’t usual go out for a meal where I can be catered for especially for pudding as well. Overall we thoroughly enjoyed our meal out and will definitely be dining again. It was faultless and the staff were all very friendly and attentive. Thank you for being an inclusive restaurant and making our Sunday lunch an enjoyable one.

Every single gluten free blog said to come here so we came out of our way to come here and unfortunately left a little disappointed. The service was ok and the food we got was tasty, but so many things weren’t available... 1. I ordered a cocktail then was told by the waitress later they weren’t doing cocktails today. Even if the bar tender wasn’t in, I could see the manager behind the car who I’m sure could have made a quick drink. Seemed weird for a Sunday. 2. I haven’t had a scotch egg in over 10 years (since discovered my allergy) and was so excited to finally eat one (part of the reason we made the journey). When I ordered, I was told they were all out of scotch eggs today. As someone who is gf and made a special trip to have something, it was soooo disappointing it wasn’t even available. 3. Both of us ordered two different roasts. Both didn’t come with the pigs in blankets or the cauliflower cheese. My partner ordered the turkey specifically for the stuffing which also wasn’t there. When I inquired about the stuffing, the manager said they had run out and offered to cover the cost of our additional appetiser instead. Even so, it would have been helpful to know when ordering that a main element of the dish was unavailable as we would have ordered something else. If a place is unreliable, it’s difficult to return… I had such high hopes, but maybe I caught them on an off day?

Been coming here for years. Its always been our go to place for worry free food on a coeliac diet. The staff have always been on point and we had great pride in showing this place off to our friends and family which created many family meals down at the angel. However since the beginning of this year, the quality of food has really gone down hill. Not sure if it was due to a change in chef, but the food had always been extremely high quality in the past. It's what kept us coming back 10 times a year minimum. - birthday parties, general gatherings and pops ins from passing by. It appears we arnt the only ones who feel this way, after hearing that the angel are taking away their 100% gluten free promise, this was the final nail in the coffin for us. We had one last meal there today as a goodbye to our old regular and it was by far the worst food experience to date. The saving grace was the starters, We ordered 3 starters, tempura prawn - perfect, halloumi bites - good and scotch egg - amazing, but also the last one they had which left much dissapointment at the table. When it came to the mains we couldnt be more disappointed as a group. 1 roast potato, 1 carrot, 1 sprout, 1 yorkshire pudding that resembled a blown up square for each plate. minimal gravy and piles of anything else to fill. I'm almost 100% sure ingredients were being rationed and old stock being used to beef the plate up and to clear the remainder of the 100% gluten free menu stock. The beef was tough as old boots and dry, the turkey dry, the two pork dishes tasted completely different, no pigs in blankets even though it stated on the menu they contained them and even when we enquired, we were given 2 for all of us and told (they should have only come with the turkey). When we requested extra gravy for nearly everyone due to the lack every plate had, we got one gravy boat that didnt touch most of what we were after but didnt want to cause more of a fuss. When it came to the bill, we had 3 mains removed off the party which was very considerate, and why i still give the service a 3 star. But overall its such a shame to see this place go down the routes it has. excluding the diet that really put this place on the map and what became a gem of that community. We hope the choices made give the results needed for this place to continue operating, hope it all the best for the future, and hope one day it returns back to its peak.