Lea Marston Hotel & Leisure Complex

Nice, pleasantly decorated bedrooms. Plush bathrooms and very fluffy towels.
Restaurant expensive and a little too poncy, so opted for bar meal instead. Excellent choice! Scampi very good, and superb «signature» chips.
You get a little motorway noise, but nothing to worry about.
Ceiling fans in bedrooms are a bonus in summer. Not needed early Movember, though!
:-)

Wasn’t too sure what to expect from a hotel restaurant, usually poor food with a massive markup… The food here was okay if a little confused/​fussy!
There are a few bonbydazzler’s on the menu; melon with griddled pineapple, coconut and basil anyone? What were they thinking there– like the worst ready, steady, cook! mystery bag ever, poor Ainsley would be spinning in his chef’s retirement home.
We were sent out an amuse bouché of fried risotto balls which had so little flavour they just offered an unpleasant texture. Not very amusing at all, served with a cliché of balsamic vinegar. Then we were delivered olives and bread with olive oil and balsamic, meh…
I started with the Ham Hock, piccalilli and sourdough. It tasted pretty good but was presented like a raw burger with a squashed slug across the plate. Far too much meat, the balance was well off, although it seemed to be the only starter to come without a coating of balsamic. The cheddar and onion tart was apparently nice but would improve with some onion chutney not drenched in the damn balsamic!
Main course was apparently coq au vin. Not as I have ever had it before though. Only one bit of the chicken was cooked in wine the other a cheffy bone in supreme of chicken that was pan fried. There were a few chunks of gammon, some enoki mushrooms some undercooked shallots, leathery leeks and passable mash. This dish was largely free of balsamic but had its trendy cousin pea shoots liberally sprinkled over. This bastardised coq au vin wasn’t really to my liking– had it all been cooked together in the traditional style it would have been great, unfortunately the chef wasted his time and effort cooking everything separately. Other meals largely met with similar criticisms, the salmon came with turned vegetables which looked totally naff!
I opted for the local cheese board which was okay. I can’t say how local the cheeses were as there was no information so I’ll just take their word for it. After all Birmingham is well known for its dairy produce… It was served with celery, chutney and walnut bread, call me old fashioned but I’ll take a Carr’s water biscuit every time thank you! It was balsamic free however– I can only assume they had used it all in the previous courses. Other desserts were similarly hit or miss, the fruit selection even had star fruit on it which I assumed had become extinct as I haven’t seen any since the 90’s.
The other main gripe was it took two and a half hours from sitting down to finishing dessert which was ridiculous. I understand that we were a table of eight but it was hardly busy, if the kitchen stopped buggering around with everything it would have taken half the time! The waitresses were very pleasant, if a little disorganised.
The meal would have been much improved if they simplified the meals and stopped trying to impress with outdated fads and additions. I would happily pay a premium for a quality meal but this really wasn’t!
On a random point the light fittings were the worst I have ever seen; a chandelier surrounded by a semi transparent tube of plastic with the colouring of the bottom of a CD. If they employed an interior designer I hope their ideas book was sealed and buried, the designer sent to Broadmoor hospital for the criminally insane.

It’s The Atrium Bar that possibly wins it for those looking for a wedding venue without the added premiums of nearby New Hall or Moor Hall. With a bright, physical experience reflected in the name, it’s that which guests will remember and possibly have them returning for more. Swish, with an ability to make things seems twice as large as they really are. And the bill doesn’t sting either.
There’s no getting away from it, though, there’s a pervading, venue-​wide, ‘hotel’ feel, which Moor Hall and New Hall avoids. But then, it’s exactly what the place is. And what it loses in individual character, it makes up for in detail and standard and noticeably friendly staff. This is squarely and fairly a four-​star venue, with a recommended health club and restaurant making it a choice for a night’s stay beyond celebratory or corporate events. And it won’t break the bank either.

Went to the Adderley restaurant last night to celebrate our wedding anniversary. This is an annual event as we also got married there. We were given a small appetiser to start with smoked salmon with lemon aioli which was delicious and then we were given a bowl of bread and olives. My God, I thought. I haven’t even had my starter yet. I chose the rabbit and bacon terrine followed by the king prawn risotto. Both were absolutely beautiful and the staff were very attentive and knowledeable about the dishes on the menu. I would definitely return, hopefully before my anniversary next year.

Stayed here last week when playing at the Belfrey which is just down the road. Nice rooms and attentive staff.