George and Dragon Clifton

The room was freezing! The heating only came on for a couple of hours. The room was ok comfy bedding, not worth £175 though. The shower made a squealing noise and the bath tap dripped all night. Breakfast alright (beans were cold). The staff at the bar and restaurant were commendable.

Really positioned whether you are heading north or south on the M6. Room was large clean and comfortable. Good value for money with friendly staff who made us very welcome. The staff really made the stay. Dinner and breakfast were delicious, particularly breakfast. Our room had the kitchen extractor fan outside it, but it really didn’t disturb our night at all. What we did have was a very large, really comfortable bed.

If there was an option to score 3.5 I would. There is lots to like about the George and Dragon; great location as an overnight stop on the way to Scotland, well appointed rooms, coffee maker, fluffy towels and friendly staff, welcoming to dogs, but sadly I feel it's not quite as good as it could be - especially considering the price. The fixed menu is a little restrictive and seems to have meant the much reviewed famous pies and scotch eggs are no longer available. Why not celebrate dishes Grace Dent at the Guardian and The Times have celebrated? We had booked before Grace's review came out, but since reading had plans to tuck in to the aforementioned specialities, it seems a misstep to pull dishes guests might use as a reason to book, and had been highlighted in a very recent review. The beef main was delicious, the individual elements of the pork dish also, but the pork itself was a little tough. Service is friendly if a little stretched, we had £50 of wine added to our bill by mistake - discovered at checkout and there were some pauses in service between courses or to collect plates, as staff juggled several roles at the same time. We and other guests booked with dogs - paying a fee to do so - but breakfast hadn't been laid in the bar which put pressure on the two busy staff and another delay for us. We couldn't get the shower to hot and the shower tray fills with water very quickly, hinting at some maintenance needed. There had seemingly been a mishap with a glass the night before and there were shards of glass glinting all over the floor at breakfast. None of these things are catastrophic individually, but all together led to a disappointing overall stay. Would I recommend The George and Dragon? Possibly - mainly due to the location and ambiance/decor but I'd check what was on the menu first and pay close attention to what was added to my bill on departure.