What is Travellers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
The Cedar Tree Restaurant
Review
About
Travellers' Choice
2024
The Cedar Tree Restaurant is proudly located as the principal restaurant at South Lawn Hotel. We provide freshly cooked dishes influenced by traditional British and European cuisine with efficient yet informal service standards.
Features
CUISINES
Bar, European, British
Meal types
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Special Diets
Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Gluten free options
FEATURES
Accepts Credit Cards
Dog Friendly
Free Wifi
Full Bar
Highchairs Available
Outdoor Seating
Private Dining
Reservations
Seating
Serves Alcohol
Table Service
Validated Parking
Wheelchair Accessible
有泊車位
Location
Validated Parking, 有泊車位
Save this restaurant
Hours
Closed now
• Opens at 7:30 AM
Sunday
7:30 am - 8:00 pm
Monday
7:30 am - 9:00 pm
Tuesday
7:30 am - 9:00 pm
Wednesday
7:30 am - 9:00 pm
Thursday
7:30 am - 9:00 pm
Friday
7:30 am - 9:00 pm
Saturday
7:30 am - 9:00 pm
Contribute
4.8
1,221 reviews
Excellent
1,080
Very good
107
Average
29
Poor
4
Terrible
4
David C
Waltham Abbey17 contributions
Mar 2025 • solo
Stayed at Hotel & had dinner & breakfast included. What a fantastic deal and the dinner menu (Chef Recommends) was top quality, very generous portions and served perfectly, couldn't fault it. Breakfast was varied, plentiful and again served perfectly by the team who are so efficient & polite. Just can't find fault in this place.
Written 9 March 2025
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
South Lawn
Thanks for your lovely review. We hope you get chance to return again soon.
Written 10 March 2025
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Helene S
4 contributions
Jan 2025 • family
During our stay we had breakfast and dinner, and lots of coffee in the lounge. My husband especially loved the steak and chips options, either rump or rib eye, served on hot plates with hot crispy chips, mushroom and onion rings and a perfectly cooked steak. I had the lovely brisket burger twice, delicious but also tried one of the special £20 for dinner and dessert, or starter and dinner, was pork loin with a stroganoff sauce and a chocolate bread and butter pudding. Breakfast is great a full cooked and plenty non cooked and other options, also if you want something just ask it’s normally not any trouble. The menu is not large but everything they do is done very well, with good quality tasty food.
Written 17 January 2025
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
South Lawn
If you have the same dish twice it must be good. Delighted you enjoyed and we will look forward to welcoming you back next time. Thanks.
Written 20 January 2025
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
THFC69
Berkshire716 contributions
Jul 2024 • couples
Staying for the second time in the hotel and made a point of having dinner in the restaurant. Friendly helpful staff as per rest of the hotel, menu is wide ranging, with a chefs recommendation each night which offers real value for two courses. Wines are decent and sensibly priced, chilled water on tap a good idea. Top choice for me was the fish pie, crammed full of quality fish in a fine sauce with Parmesan mash and veg on the side. Pity that on one night the pavilion wasn’t open, eating in the bar area didn’t have the same ambiance or comfort. Breakfast each morning was excellent, bags of choice to suit all, delicious croissants!
Written 26 July 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
South Lawn
Its great you enjoyed your meals whilst staying with us. The Pavilion is actually an extension to the restaurant which we use when numbers require, Im delighted you enjoy dining in there but be assured where you ate when it was quieter is very much part of our restaurant and not our bar. We hope to have the pleasure of welcoming you back and thank you for your lovely comments.
Written 29 July 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Richard B
4 contributions
May 2024 • family
My wife and I, our daughter and husband stayed at South Lawn for three days and enjoyed their breakfast and dinner menus, which were served in the new restaurant wing, which is spacious an has views of the courtyard.
The breakfast menu was extensive and offered a variety of hot choices, croissants, pastries, fruit and cereals. The staff were always prepared to adapt the menu to suit our personal preferences.
The dinner menu offered a good selection and the chef’s choice changed each day. By booking for inclusion of dinner for each day for a fixed price the value was very good.
Written 31 May 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
South Lawn
Thank you, we are pleased you enjoyed dining with us during your stay and hope to see you again.
Written 3 June 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
c1pry
Portsmouth54 contributions
Feb 2024 • couples
Once again the Cedar Tree has exceeded my expectations. The staff are attentive and always willing to help. As well as being professional they are also friendly without being too familiar and there are always plenty of them on duty.
The menu is wide ranging and delicious. It is changed midweek with added daily specials at a reduced rate. The food is excellent as well as plentiful. There are seafood options as well as vegetarian choices. The theme is chiefly British/European although there are inspirations from around the world.
Deserts are a strong suit with the sticky toffee pudding, creme brulee and mango and passion fruit cheesecake particularly good. We ate a selection of starters, tapas style. The standout dishes were calamari and whitebait (the biggest whitebait I've ever seen!) and the caramelised onion and cheddar focaccia. How can such simple dishes taste so good? The duck and bacon salad was another delicious addition. On other evenings we ate the unctuous steak and ale pie with seeded top, Chilli nachos (not too spicy) and the very cauliflower and mushroom pasanda with prawns added as an option. It was creamy, authentic and delicious as well as very generous with plenty of prawns.
The breakfast menu is lovely. We mostly stuck with our favourite of smoked salmon and scrambled eggs on toasted muffin. It's listed as the healthy option and comes with poached eggs but the kitchen is always willing to change or swap out items. One table of eight ordered breakfasts and not one of them was standard.
The bar has a wide selection of spirits, with an extensive gin collection along with a good choice of tonics. The Moretti on tap is lovely and clean tasting and there are a variety of interesting soft drinks on offer. The white wines are of good standard and reasonably priced with the Pinot Grigio and Chenin/Viognier offering value and quality. The red side of the list contains a rather wonderful Primitivo, which is smooth, has plenty of body and is bursting with fruit.
The Cedar Tree offers a refined yet informal dining experience and I would recommend it for anyone looking for a quiet place to eat good food.
Written 22 February 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
South Lawn
Thank you, its lovely to read your detailed appreciation of what we offer. Wines are a passion for us without being pretentious and I am touched that you recognise how carefully we select. Look forward to seeing you next time.
Written 22 February 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Glenys P
2 contributions
Mar 2024 • couples
We had bed and breakfast at the South Lawn Hotel during our 4 night stay.
The choice of cereals and pastries was excellent. The full English was excellent as was the Healthy Option of smoked salmon and poached eggs on brioche rolls.
We also had three evening meals, choosing the 2 course special menu for ÂŁ18.50. This was excellent value for a 2 course meal.
The food was nicely cooked and quite delicious. The service very pleasant and friendly.
Written 24 March 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
South Lawn
Thank you for your complimentary title and review and we are of course pleased you enjoyed dining with us. We hope to have the pleasure of welcoming you back in the future.
Written 26 March 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Michael H
Hereford16 contributions
Jan 2024 • couples
A bit soulless institutional atmosphere but the service was pleasant and efficient. A two course fixed menu was good value at ÂŁ18.00, but the red wines by the glass (just 3) was somewhat limited. Good-sized portions. Water from the cold cabinet presented at table without being asked. Very nice fish course well presented with a generous helping of samphire.
The breakfast buffet was limited to the point of being poor. The orange juice was unpleasant, presumably from some very cheap concentrate. A choice of white or brown bread of a presliced supermarket type which you had to toast yourself. No rolls, cakes, or croissants, though presumably, these might come if the 'continental breakfast' is separately ordered. The usual individual packets of cereals were on offer, segments of oranges or grapefruits could be spooned out of a large bowl, but there was no yogurt or granola on the bench, even thou there was a label for them. Buttter was on an individual dish, but preserves were those usual portion-controlled packets. Neither the tea nor the coffee were nice, just not high-end certainly. The 'full English' cooked breakfast was much like any institutional cafeteria, although here they were individually cooked to order. The sausage and hash brown were tasteless and I could only face a single bit of each, nor did I enjoy the watery mushrooms. The bacon, fried egg and tomato however were acceptable. Management really should try and raise their game if they want to be better than the usual Premier Inn type budget hotel breakfast offering
Written 17 January 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
South Lawn
This has to be one of the weirdest review titles I have ever seen and whilst I know what it means it’s almost as pointless as the content of the review itself, so here is my response.
We are not a 4 or 5 star hotel and have chosen our position in the market purposely. We usually exceed our guests expectations but that is of course with consideration to rating and the price point. I have read your points over and over to try and understand why you conclude our buffet is poor but there’s nothing, it’s just piffle.
Yes they sell sliced bread in supermarkets, in fact most items you see on any hotel breakfast buffet can be purchased from a supermarket. Our bakery supplies baguettes, bloomers as well as Croissants and Panne aux Chocolate for breakfast. They also supply that all important sliced bread which I think is expected for toast.
The orange juice is not cheap, I will have a word with the man from Del Monte to see what he can do to improve. Freshly squeezed oranges doesn’t fit with our breakfast price point I’m afraid but just to give myself a reality check I have called 6 local hotels including 3 four star and 1 five star, none serve freshly squeezed orange juice for breakfast but one told me they offer it at the bar at £9.50 per glass.
So far as Tea and Coffee is concerned it’s Tetleys for our Breakfast Tea and Douwe Egberts continental Filter Coffee, we use Twinings for Green Tea, Fruit and Herbal infusions and Redbush is our choice of naturally decaffeinated. What’s not nice about this selection or indeed the quality of the brands?
Cereals, yep just the usual Michael, that’s what we find guests want and expect, Weetabix, Cornflakes, Alpen, Rice Crispies, Crunchy Nut and Frosties all individually boxed which is my preference as a quality standard. We also have a selection of Jordans gluten free cereals as well as Granola, fruit and yoghurts which as you suggest from the sign you read is our usual standard.
Yep butter was on a butter dish on your table, was that ok? flora also available and we serve Hartleys individual preserves Marmalade, several Jams, Honey and Marmite. Now I just don’t get the portion control comment, is there a sign saying 1 per person? No. Individually wrapped products are not for portion control Michael they provide a far superior standard from a hygiene perspective and are in fact more expensive than bulk products tipped into fancy bowls for everyone to poke their spoons into.
To the cooked breakfast, Sausages from our local butcher and hash browns by popular request from our freezer, apologise for not making and seasoning our own. Sorry you found the Mushrooms watery, (by nature this should be expected 80% actually, please google it) we sauté ours so there’s no water added by us.
I’m relieved you found the egg, bacon and tomato acceptable or maybe you were just nodding off by the time you got that far. We do constantly review our standards, of course it’s always possible to improve but we are very happy with our price point and where we sit in the market and that seems to be supported by the vast majority. With that in mind and the fact that there is no substance to your critique “more than un oeuf” might have been a more appropriate review title for a breakfast from such a literary genius.
Written 29 January 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
mrprtly
Cirencester4 contributions
Jan 2024 • family
We used the restaurant for our 4 night stay this month. Breakfast as always tasty and most enjoyable, freshly cooked to order.
Twice during the stay we used the restaurant in the evening, the Chefs 2-course option is to u very good value for money. On the second night my wife had the lamb which was superb. The staff are attentive and extremely pleasant.
Written 22 January 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
South Lawn
Thank you, delighted you enjoyed your stay and especially dining with us. We look forward to seeing you next time.
Written 29 January 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Scott H
10 contributions
Jan 2025 • couples
We stayed at the hotel and looked at the impressive menu supplied to us at the reception. We decided not to venture anywhere else for dinner as the menu was just perfect for us. The hotel reception booked a table for us and had a reasonable choice of time slots available to us even though it was a Saturday evening and a lot of tables were already in use. We chose a ribeye steak and beer battered fish and chips. The steak was great and perfectly cooked, my wife said the fish was awesome, the batter was not at all greasy and tasted very fresh. The adjacent bar was also very comfortable and had a selection of beers and wines. The staff were brilliant and we were not rushed at all. We will definitely be back again when we return to the New Forest
Written 13 January 2025
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
South Lawn
Thats great to read, we are pleased you enjoyed dining with us and hope to see you again. Thank you.
Written 14 January 2025
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Gill N
3 contributions
Jan 2024 • couples
This was our second visit to the South Lawn Hotel and on both occasions breakfast was included and we chose to book dinner at the Cedar Tree Restaurant for all the evenings we were staying.
We certainly enjoyed our full English each morning, particularly the very tasty sausages!
The slow roasted lamb for dinner was absolutely delicious as was the goat's cheese tart.
This is a well managed restaurant with caring employees. The service was extremely good.
Written 29 January 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
South Lawn
Delighted you enjoy dining with us and look forward to welcoming you back in the future, thank you.
Written 3 February 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Mr C S
Hook6 contributions
Feb 2024 • couples
Friendly restaurant with separate area for dog owners. Good choice of reasonably priced food for dinner, chefs recommendation extremely good value if selected. Competitively priced drinks, excellent service with good food.
We also had breakfast, good choice with nothing too much trouble. We asked for natural yoghurt and cranberry juice both of which were provided promptly. Smoked salmon on a muffin with poached egg were brilliant. We will return says it all.
Written 28 February 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
South Lawn
Always a pleasure to oblige where possible, thank you for mentioning this in your review.
Written 28 February 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Gary C
3 contributions
Feb 2025 • family
Not only was the food here of a high standard with a wide selection of drinks but we were also able to take our dog into the special dog dining area with us. Whilst you may not think this unusual I must stress that the dog dining area has the same luxury seating,carpeting and space as the non dog restaurant adjoining it which has not always been my experience at other hotels. This,coupled with highly attentive staff that brought every dog a bowl of water and breakfast sausage made this a very pleasurable breakfast experience, so much so, we dined here in the evenings too. Why go anywhere else,the South Lawn Hotel has it all.
Written 14 February 2025
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
South Lawn
Lovely, thats what we like to read. Delighted you enjoyed dining with your dog and we hope to see you again.
Written 23 February 2025
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Jean R
3 contributions
Jan 2025 • couples
We have stayed at the hotel many times with breakfast included. On our first visit we had dinner in the restaurant and have never gone anywhere else.we found the menu varied and of a high standard. The staff are helpful ,friendly welcoming and attentive. There is a good choice for breakfast and is most enjoyable. Our westie is made to feel welcomed and enjoys a fresh bowl of water and a sausage.
Written 13 February 2025
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
South Lawn
Thanks, always great to see a familiar face, and of course a regular Westie. We are please you enjoy stayng and dining with us and look forward to seeing you next time.
Written 13 February 2025
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Shirley479
3 contributions
Jan 2025 • couples
Had two breakfasts and two evening meals here. Cannot fault the food at all. Breakfast is freshly cooked to order and also includes a selection of pastries, fruit, etc. The evening meals were excellent. Can’t praise the staff enough, they are all so helpful and efficient. A very comfortable place to stay and eat.
Written 30 January 2025
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
South Lawn
Thank you, we are pleased that you enjoy dining with us and hope to see you again soon.
Written 3 February 2025
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Mary
5 contributions
Dec 2024 • couples
We thoroughly enjoyed our breakfasts and our evening dinners in The Cedar Tree Restaurant. The staff were so very attentive, the food was served up hot and we were thrilled with the very tasty meals.
The restaurant has comfortable seating with ample space between diners.
Many thanks, Mary and Ken
Written 19 December 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
South Lawn
Thats great to read, thank you and we look forward to seeing you again soon.
Written 24 December 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
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