Lainston House

A hidden gem set within sprawling grounds within the majestic Winchester. We attended a local wedding and came to the hotel to enjoy afternoon tea. Service was excellent and the menu catered for all dietary needs. Ample car parking, lovely facilities and easy to navigate around.

Myself and my son came to Lainston House as Tom Hamblet is residential head chef. The food was absolutely amazing and some of the best we’ve ever eaten, the presentation was perfect and the front of house staff were lovely and so attentive. We also got to meet Tom after we’d eaten which was so special, he gave my son, who is a chef some sound advice

Wow, what an experience. Absolutely stunning surroundings, welcomed by friendly staff, invited to have a drink whilst our table was prepared. Followed Tom's masterchef menu and was not disappointed. Food was sublime better than Hestons. It was a treat for us as was above our budget, but we'll worth every penny. Got to meet Tom, and he's only 25 and already a resident chef! A very bright future ahead. As for Lainston House, we will definitely return x Thanks to Tom and the team x

Went to Avenue restaurant for the Tom Hamblet experience. Unfortunately it wasn’t for us. Lainstone House itself is tired looking. No one to greet us upon arrival. Eventually taken to our seats. Decor lacked character. No atmosphere in the room. And please turn off the cheap 80’s department store music!!! No explanation on menu. Only a wine menu given for drinks - nothing for other alcoholic drinks or soft drinks. Starters were pleasant although portions very small. With fine dining this is acceptable as you’re often having multiple courses. For me, this was not fine dining, Similar story with mains. I had the agnolotti dish, for me this lacked seasoning and flavour. Very small portion. My partner had the beef which was delicious. We ordered sides (there are only two to choose from) We had the truffle potatoes. These were hard boiled potatoes with a watery truffle emulsion. Insipid tasting - I’m sorry! My partner finished his glass of wine and was not asked whether he wanted another. So he didn’t. We were still hungry by the end so ordered three deserts between us. Saving Grace!!!! Desserts were delicious and very well presented. We were charged an extra £25 for one dessert on top of: £10 extra for beef dessert £12 for potatoes £85 per person anyway + drinks. Service charge. Overall bill came out a lot more expensive then I would deem acceptable for the experience holistically. Other guests were openly making negative comments. With a tweak of portion size, a little more seasoning and a good interior designer the place could be so much more. Toms dessert dish designing overall is very special and a lot of our negatives are outside of his control. Service ok. Overall we would not return.

We were originally given the Oak room and for £400 a night we had high expectations, but the bath tub in the bathroom had some rusty patches and I didn’t fancy giving my toddler a bath in there, also there were some cobwebs around the radiators too and some paint peelings on the wall in the bathroom. Understandably, we were disappointed and wanted to change rooms and the reception staff acted very quickly and gave us the Pine room next door, which was fantastic. Our stay from there was excellent, although I did notice some cobwebs between the wood beams in that room too, so housekeeping should look up more, this establishment claims to be 5* and cleanliness is basic really. Otherwise, it was all good, I would stay again if given the same room.

Having seen Tom Hamblett on Masterchef and been very impressed with his dishes, the opportunity to experience a 3-course meal at Lainston was too good an opportunity not to take up. £85 for 3 courses, extra for additional sides, drinks and service at this level is pretty decent value, as long as the meal lives up to expectation, and it went way beyond that! We’ve been lucky to experience many 3-star Michelin and fabulous meals and restaurants all over the world, and whilst the theatre and starched service is not on the menu here, the food was amongst the best we have had in a very long time. The service is really friendly, the right side of familiar and the crew we experienced certainly knew the dishes and their wines. From the moment the home made breads and butters as a complimentary palette wetter were brought, it felt this was going to be good. Lobster (£10 supplement) was simply sublime. The scallop starter was possibly one of the best things I have ever eaten, to combine scallop, cauliflower, ponzu and raisins in a dish is audacious and it paid off! We both went for the signature beef fillet with beef tartare and roscoff onion stuffed with brisket - incredible. The additional side of truffled new potatoes were absolute perfection too. Desserts were simply outstanding - olive oil cake and the now legendary peanut and chocolate slice with banana ice cream. I can still taste it. We were celebrating a birthday and our anniversary, and we also got a little chocolate cake with a Happy Birthday, a very nice gesture in a high-end place. To top it all off we met Tom in person afterwards; you could tell he had been burning the oil for the last few months but was so humble, interested in what we had ordered and what we liked. We have vowed to try and celebrate our anniversary wherever he is cooking next time as he really is an exceptional talent.

Had a warm welcome and good front desk assistance throughout. Bedroom was not easy for getting the right temperature. And, lighting was not well located. The shower looked great but why no shelf for shampoo, body wash and conditioner? Breakfast was quite good Overall, a generous Excellent rating

There are not enough superlatives to describe the experience of the Chef’s table with Tom Hamblet’s menu. From the start with the ‘amuse bouche’ and then the starters, each and every course was sublime! The devil is in the detail and not only did the food look wonderful but the balance of tastes and textures was exquisite! Each course was presented to us by the chef with a detailed explanation of what it contained and how it had been prepared. I would be hard pushed to say what was my favourite but if i had to it would be the turbot. It was the first time either of us had tried turbot - my goodness! What have we been missing! Being able to watch the goings on in a professional kitchen was an experience that will stay with me forever! We are avid Masterchef fans and to experience Tom’s food was a dream come true. How he manages to run a professional kitchen when all appears calm and harmonious really does need to be seen to be believed! We had been to Lainstone house once before and were pleased that it was as remembered (although no longer with birds of prey experience) and the staff could not have been more helpful, polite and efficient. Would we return…..? In a heartbeat!