In April 2013, LoisKS said about Oake Manor Golf Club
Had lunch at Oake Manor Golf Club today.
This is essentially a golf club, but one which has diversified and become much more than just a golf club - it is a venue that holds events (tribute nights, live bands), can stage weddings and provides a hugely popular Sunday carvery, so popular that booking is advised. The restaurant is in the golf clubhouse, nicely set in the middle of the golf course, with ample car parking.
You are shown to your table , given a menu and asked if you would like any drinks. If you want a starter, you choose this and it is brought to your table. If not, when you are ready, you go up to the carvery. Meat (choice today was beef, pork or turkey) is carved for you, and you are given a Yorkshire pudding and stuffing (if you want it), then you help yourself to all the vegetables.
Everything is nice and hot, and there's a good selection. Today, along with roast potatoes, we had carrots, spring greens, broccoli and ratatouille. Gravy, cranberry and horseradish sauces are also provided. You can take as much or as little as you like.
The only criticism I would make is that the plates are quite small, and they could do with providing some bigger ones - not to pile more food on, but so you could spread out what you are eating and actually see it all! The Yorkshire pudding that I was given was huge, covered half the plate; so the veg had to balance round it and it made eating a bit difficult.
The meat was lovely, very tender and tasty, and everything else was fine. Perhaps the veg were slightly overcooked, but no so much that they spoiled the meal. It is, after all, what it is - a popular carvery which serves something like 300 hungry diners every Sunday.
They also have a great sweet trolley, which is brought to your table so you can make your choice from a good selection of cold puddings - trifle, roulade, panna cotta, various pies and flans, all served with clotted or double cream. I had a trifle, served in a tall sundae glass, and it was great; my partner had the apple and treacle flan with clotted cream, which he reported on most favourably.
We were offered tea or coffee, but declined. A jug of water is provided on every table, and I had some freshly sqeezed orange juice as well.
The venue, while large, is pleasant, with tables well spread out in two big, bright rooms. Although you are reasonably close to other people, it's not at all intrusive and you do not feel squashed in. The overwhelmingly young waiting staff are all attentive and polite and service is efficient. There is a small bar and large reception area next door to the dining room - one opens off the other - where you can have an after or pre lunch drink (space permitting).
It does cater for quite large groups, and several were in today for family parties or birthdays, so it is not somewhere for a quiet and intimate lunch. But it is cheerful and friendly, and knowing how popular it is, you should expect it to be busy. However busy it is, it seems well managed, and you are not kept waiting for ages to order food or for dirty plates to be cleared.
This venue does offer very good value. Two courses are £11.95, or you can have three courses for £14.95. Drinks are extra.
If you want a Sunday carvery, this is the place to go. Not fancy food maybe, but good honest food with efficient service.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk