De Vere Tortworth Court Restaurant Review

On our first night at the grand and beautiful De Vere Tortworth Court, we dined in its elegant, vintage-style restaurant; A space that instantly feels like stepping back in time. The soft glow of the chandeliers, the rich wooden panelling, and the gentle hum of quiet conversation created a wonderfully comforting atmosphere.

Everything about the room oozed character and charm, from the Victorian-style artwork that filled the walls to the beautifully presented table setup, which added a touch of timeless sophistication. The service was friendly and unhurried, allowing us to savour every moment, and the food perfectly matched the setting, classic dishes prepared with real attention to detail. It was the perfect way to start our stay, setting the tone for what felt like a little escape into countryside luxury.

Starters

For starters, I had the baked goat’s cheese; Honey-glazed goat’s cheese on brioche croute, with roasted figs, beetroot purée, and topped with a delicate beetroot wafer. And OMG! The taste was insane! My mouth is literally watering just talking about this dish. It was a brilliant combination of sweet and savoury flavours.

I’ve always loved goat’s cheese and beetroot, but I’d never tried beetroot purée or a beetroot wafer before. Both were so tasty, and everything was perfectly cooked, I was also a huge fan of the brioche croute that the goat’s cheese sat on; It added a lovely buttery crunch that tied everything together beautifully. This dish went down an absolute treat! And an easy 10/10 from me!

Elliott’s starter was a smoked chicken risotto with white wine cream, sage, and a parmesan crisp. He said it was rich, creamy, and full of flavour, and a great starter dish. He also thought the portion size for a starter was very generous and filling. 9/10

Mains

For the main course, we both went for the halloumi paella, A dish of roasted Mediterranean vegetables, tomato coulis, arborio rice, and pea shoots. I’ve had vegetable paella before, and I’ve had halloumi before, but never the two combined until now. And let me tell you WOW! What a combo!

The dish was a really generous portion and super filling (maybe even a bit too big, as I couldn’t finish it (which says a lot because I love food!). That said, every mouthful was delicious, The halloumi was perfectly cooked, the vegetables were packed with flavour, and the seasoning was spot on.

The only “negative”, if you can even call it that, was the portion size! So, I’m giving this one a very strong 9.5/10.

Dessert

As a self-confessed sweet tooth, I was excited by all the options on the dessert menu, but as soon as I saw warm sticky toffee pudding with vanilla ice cream and butterscotch sauce, it was a no-brainer. And I’m so glad I chose it because it was the perfect dish to end a fantastic three-course dinner experience.

The pudding was soft, sweet, and warm, with that classic rich toffee flavour. The cold vanilla ice cream and creamy butterscotch sauce were the perfect finishing touch. 10/10

To go with it, I treated myself to a virgin piña colada. Normally, I’d go for a cocktail when on holiday, but I wasn’t really feeling alcohol that evening. I do, however, love a creamy coconut drink so virgin it was! It was sweet, refreshing, and perfectly balanced. The pineapple flavour really came through, and the texture was beautifully smooth and creamy. 9.5/10

If you enjoyed this food review, Click here to read my review of the De Vere Tortworth Court Afternoon Tea experience, another delicious highlight from our stay or Click here for the full hotel review