The Hotham Arms, Hotham

I recently visited the Hotham Arms with a group of people celebrating a special occasion. The pub had been recommended and we had heard good things about the food. We were advised to sit at our table as the bar was rather busy and our drinks order would be taken. The drinks were a long time coming and the order was incomplete after 3 attempts at getting it correct.
What can I say about the starters? We were railroaded into all having the same starter which was fishcakes and then a selection of other starters would be placed in the centre of the table for us all to try. As an easy going group and not wanting to make a fuss we went along with this. On forethought I think somebody over produced fishcakes that evening and they were trying to push them, but we all seemed to enjoy them and the selection of starters.
The main meal menu, well a nice selection but there was one or two things off which is understandable due to the bad weather and possibly not being able to get the produce, but the Hothem Arms doesn�t seem to like cooking steaks to your liking. If you like a well done steak the Hotham Arms isn�t for you. A couple of members of our party asked for well done steaks and were told that a medium to well done steak would be far better. When the steaks arrived they were medium rare which put both diners off their meals. There was rice missing with the Stroganoff and when that did arrive it was cold. We had a meal missing, and by the time that turned up most of the rest of the party had nearly finished and most of the vegetables had been eaten and what was left was cold.
We didn�t get to desert, or coffee we had had enough by then and just wanted to leave. What a night especially for �75 per couple. We did complain which seemed to fall on deaf ears. There were no apologies just excuses. We were almost made to believe that it was our fault. The fault actually did not lie with us, the kitchen staff or indeed the waitresses, the blame for the catalogue of errors actually lays with the host who took all the orders.
Even though we had the Hotham Arms recommended, on relaying our experience to other local friends and family we found that we weren�t the only people to have had similar experiences.
The Hotham Arms is not an eating experience that I would recommend. There are far better places to spend your money that will treat you with the respect a paying customer deserves.

27 Dec 2010 05:40