The Porch House

Central booking were unhelpful when the car park the hotel recommended using was closed. The hotel was locked after check in time and when we found someone to ask how did we get in they were quite short with their response. Our room was booked as a twin, when we arrived it was laid out as a double. I even checked by email that it was definitely a twin. The person on reception did arrange a drink on the house as an apology. There were various cobwebs, leaking sink and the window wouldn’t close due to a plant growing through the opening from outside. Breakfast took over 40 minutes to arrive. People who ordered after us (the same meal) ate before us and even left prior to us getting our food. When we eventually chased our food, we did leave it for 40 minutes, we were quite abruptly told the chef said they only received the order at 9.10. As it was 9.50 when we asked, it was not the response we were expecting. A different member of staff did apologise as we left the table. Overall it was not a positive experience and it was far from the 5* hotel it’s advertised as.

Lovely experience! The room is spacious, clean and very comfortable. Location is great, right in the heart of town. Staff has been helpful and kind. Shout out to Janine, our server at dinner! Food was delicious- chestnut and wild mushroom pie and the sea bass…delish! What a treat to stay here!

We had a lovely Sunday lunch at the Porch House. The food was absolutely delicious – I had the roast beef and my husband chose the trio of meats, and both were excellent. Instead of having a starter, we shared the rosemary and potato bread, which was fantastic. The accompanying butter was perfect and made a great start to the meal. By the time we’d finished our mains, unfortunately we were far too full to even consider dessert. The service was friendly and attentive throughout, making for a really enjoyable dining experience. We would definitely recommend and look forward to returning.

We had a wonderful dinner at The Porch House whilst staying in Stow-on-the-Wold with another couple on Friday 5th June. Having heard that it is reputedly the oldest inn in England, it was high on our list of places to visit, and it certainly didn't disappoint. The building itself is full of character and history, with a warm and inviting atmosphere that made for a lovely evening. The staff were welcoming, attentive and professional throughout, striking just the right balance between being helpful and allowing us to relax and enjoy our meal. The food was excellent. Two of us chose the duck, which was beautifully cooked and full of flavour. My husband thoroughly enjoyed the pork belly, whilst the mushroom pie was equally delicious. We somehow found room for dessert and were very glad we did – both the brownie and the sticky toffee pudding were superb. All in all, it was a fantastic dining experience in a truly unique setting. I would happily recommend The Porch House to anyone visiting the Cotswolds and would certainly return on our next trip to Stow-on-the-Wold.