The Restaurant at Macdonald Bear Hotel

Name: The Restaurant at Macdonald Bear Hotel
Address: Park St, Woodstock, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom, OX20 1SZ
Telephone: 0344 879 9143
Price range: £26 to £40
Rating: 2.9

2.9

6 Reviews

£26 to £40

British

Make a booking

2 people

27 Nov 2024

7:00 pm

Booked 1 time today

Experiences are available.

Charming
Good for business meals
Neighbourhood gem

Formerly a 13th century coaching inn, The Bear Hotel sits serenely at the centre of the charismatic market town of Woodstock, close to Blenheim Palace. Complete with period features, oak beams and rich interiors, it’s a hidden gem where the combination of history, and exceptional service ensures a memorable dining experience.
Enjoy modern English fare with seasonal ingredients complemented with an impressive drinks list. Our creative chefs have designed a stunning menu– a creative fusion of traditional and modern English cooking.
You’ll be well looked after by our friendly team who will help you select the perfect drink to complement your food. You can also enjoy Afternoon Tea or snack in The Churchill Lounge featuring comfortable sofas and pretty views across the quaint market square.

Of course, you can also be sure to receive a warm welcome and the meticulous service you’d expect from Macdonald Hotels.

Additional information

Dining style
Casual Dining
Price
£26 to £40
Cuisines
British
Hours of Operation
Breakfast Mon–Fri 7:00 am–10:00 am Sat, Sun 8:00 am–11:00 am Lunch Daily 12:00 pm–5:00 pm Afternoon Tea Daily 12:00 pm–4:00 pm Dinner Daily 6:00 pm–9:00 pm
Phone number
0344 879 9143
Website
https://www.macdonaldhotels.co.uk/bear
Payment Options
AMEX, Cash not accepted, Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Smart Casual
Catering
A la carte
Private party facilities
yes up to 20

Location
Park St, Woodstock, Oxfordshire OX20 1SZ
Area
Woodstock
Cross Street
Park St, Woodstock OX20 1SZ
Parking details
Hotel Parking
Public transit
Hanborough train station
Additional
Bar/Lounge, Beer, Beer Garden, Cafe, Cocktails, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, High Tea, Indoor Fireplace, Late Night, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Vegan, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Experiences

Breakfast
GBP 24.00 per person
Multiple dates available
Breakfast is a reminder that every day is a fresh start, full of possibilities." "Starting the day with intention and a nourishing breakfast." "Breakfast is a celebration of the simple joys found in the morning routine." "Nourishing the body and soul with a breakfast that warms the heart."
Festive Afternoon Tea
GBP 32.00 per person
15 Nov 2024 - 30 Dec 2024
Introduced in the Victorian era by British royalty seeking a late afternoon snack between lunch and dinner, the quintessential joy of Afternoon Tea can now be savored as an indulgent pastime with friends, family and partners. Our dedication to using the finest ingredients ensures that our Afternoon Tea is always a special experience to be shared - whether you’re treating mum to a memorable day out or you just can’t wait to catch-up in style as part of an important social occasion.
Lunch & Dinner
GBP 35.50 per person
Multiple dates available
Brasserie Style Menu - Available during Lunch & Dinner, in Restaurant, Bar & Courtyard

Lobster and Crayfish CocktailGBP 19.00
Lobster and Crayfish cocktail with flying fish caviar, pickled lemon and Melba toast
Whipped Truffles Goats CheeseGBP 13.00
Truffle Goats cheese with Heirloom beetroot, pickled onion, pea shoots, balsamic, parsley oil and pine nuts
John Ross Junior Smoked SalmonGBP 16.00
Smoked Salmon with egg, shallot, capers and seasonal leaves
Cornfed Chicken RilletteGBP 14.00
Chicken Rillette with apple and celeriac remoulade, lamb and truffle dressing
Pulled Ham Hock TerrineGBP 14.00
Ham Hock Terrine with pickled Shimeji, fig chutney, rocket, balsamic and sourdough
Soup of the DayGBP 9.00
Homemade Soup of the Day with Sourdough

Mains

Main Courses

Catch of the Day - Ask your Server
Pan fried Fresh Fish with Herb-crushed potato, tenderstem broccoli and hollendaise sauce
Shepherd's PieGBP 18.00
Slow cooked Scottish lamb with peas, topped with parsley and cheddar mash
King Prawn LinguiniGBP 20.00
Linguini with shell on King Prawns with white wine, chili, cherry tomato and parsley
Chicken MilaneseGBP 21.00
Breaded and butterflied chicken breast dusted with Parmesan cheese on a bed of greens, fried egg and creamy truffle sauce
Traditional Haddock and ChipsGBP 19.00
Haddock Fillet with thin cut chips, mushy peas, tartare sauce and lemon
Tagliatelle Pasta Alla NormaGBP 23.00
Tagliatelle pasta with aubergine caviar and pecorino

Grill

Something from our Grill

Charred MonkfishGBP 20.00
Charred Monkfish skewer with tomato and tamarind chutney ad mixed leaf salad
Rack of LambGBP 38.00
Served pink with olive oil mashed potato and seasonal greens
Scottish Beef BurgetGBP 20.00
Beef Burger with caramelised red onion, aged cheddar, truffle mayonnaise and French fries
Cote de BoeufGBP 80.00
Sharing Steak for Two served with choice of 2 Side and Sauces
Halloumi BurgerGBP 19.00
Grilled halloumi cheese, basil pesto, tomatoes, rocket, spiced mayonnaise and French fries
Aged Sirloin SteakGBP 38.00
Aged Sirloin with duck fat chips, rocket salad and choice of sauce

Salads

Selection of House Salads

Greek SaladGBP 18.00
Feta cheese, mixed peppers, cherry tomato, cucumber and olives
Quinoa and Butternut Squash SaladGBP 18.00
Quinoa and butternut squash salad with pomegranate, seasonal vegetables
Caesar SaladGBP 18.00
Baby gem lettuce, croutons, anchovies and Parmesan
- Add ChickenGBP 5.00
- Add SalmonGBP 6.00

Sides

Side Dishes

Seasonal GreensGBP 5.00
Bowl of seasonal vegetables
Olive Oil Mashed PotatoGBP 5.00
Creamy mashed potato with olive oil
Duck Fat Chips with RosemaryGBP 5.00
Thick cut chips cooked in duck fat and rosemary
Green SaladGBP 5.00
Small green leaf salad

Sauces

Selection of Sauces

Bearnaise SauceGBP 4.00
Creamy bearnaise sauce
Peppercorn SauceGBP 4.00
Creamy peppercorn sauce

Sandwiches

Selection of Sandwiches

Prawn Marie Rose and Rocket RollGBP 14.50
Prawn roll with Rosemary sauce with French fries
Hummus, Sundried Tomato and OliveGBP 10.00
Hummus, sundried tomato and olive sandwich served with a side salad and crisps
Club SandwichGBP 18.00
Chicken breast, bacon, lettuce, tomato, mayonnaise with French fries
Cheese, Tomato and PickleGBP 10.00
served with a side salad and crisps
Smoked Salmon and Creme FraicheGBP 12.00
Served with a side salad and crisps
Ham, Cheddar and Mustard MayonnaiseGBP 10.00
Served with a side salad and crisps

Desserts

Selection of Desserts

Vegan Chocolate and Orange TartGBP 10.00
served with Orange Gel and Raspberry Sorbet
Vanilla Creme BruleeGBP 10.00
served with a Scottish Shortbread
Isle of Arran Ice CreamGBP 8.50
3 boules, selection of flavors available
Opera GateauxGBP 11.00
served with caramel sauce and Isle of Arran strawberry ice cream
Selection of English CheesesGBP 15.00
Smoked Applewood, Somerset Brie, Clawson Blue Stilton, fig compote, grapes and oat crackers

What 6 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

2.9

2.9 based on all time ratings

2.9Food
2.6Service
2.5Ambience
2.6Value

Noise • Moderate

6 Reviews

R
Russell
Hampshire
1 review
2.0
1 review
Dined 7 days ago
1. Overall 2
2. Food 1
3. Service 2
4. Ambience 2
Very much looking forward to visiting as looked lovely from outside and menu offering looked good. However drinks took a while to arrive and server brought over wine but left it on the table saying she cannot open a corked bottle so someone else will be over. The starter whipped Goats cheese, not whipped at all just a slab of blow torched goats cheese log. Prawn linguine awful pasta overcooked, no flavour in the sauce just like a tin of tomatoes. Steak was poor like it had been frozen prior, watery and bland. It was a special birthday and they offered a free dessert as a birthday treat which is a nice touch but crème brûlée very runny and over powered with lemon was meant to be with shortbread but came with a coconut macaroon? Cost just under £200 and felt really poor value. We then went into the bar for a night cap and the barman spent all night talking to a lady at the bar who left her coat and bag on the only table by the open fire but never used it which I felt was very rude. I don’t usually leave poor reviews however this was a massive disappointment all round and I hope my feedback may encourage the powers above to step in and enforce some well needed improvements.
The Restaurant at Macdonald Bear HotelResponded 4 days ago
Thank you for sharing your feedback, and I’m truly sorry to hear that your experience did not meet your expectations, especially on such a special occasion. We aim to provide excellent service and high-quality dishes, and I sincerely apologize for the delays, the issues with the wine service, and the quality of the food you received. It’s clear that there were several areas where we fell short and I understand how disappointing that must have been. Your comments about the dessert and the bar service are also concerning, and I will be sure to review with the team. We appreciate you bringing these issues to our attention, and I can assure you that we will take steps to address them. Thank you again for your valuable feedback, and I do hope you will consider giving us another opportunity.
Is this helpful?
A
Andrew
London
1 review
4.0
1 review
Dined on 12 November 2024
1. Overall 4
2. Food 4
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 3
We were greeted and served by Dawn who was extremely pleasant and helpful . Nothing was too much trouble for her and she went out of her way to make our visit enjoyable .The food and wine was very good
Is this helpful?
A
Amanda
Oxford
2 reviews
2.0
2 reviews
Dined on 28 September 2024
1. Overall 2
2. Food 4
3. Service 1
4. Ambience 2
Booked afternoon tea for my daughter’s birthday Seemed to have defaulted to lunch 🥗🤷🏻‍♀️ To be fair they sorted this out and we waited around 45 minutes so the chef could prepare Food was tasty 😋 The service was slow and we had to keep asking for tea cups, spoons, jam etc We paid the service charge which we didn’t really want to but……. We were 2p short which they made us pay😢 I’ve never sent a negative review but it was poor, and the staff were not attentive or friendly Very disappointed for a supposedly 4 * hotel ☹️
The Restaurant at Macdonald Bear HotelResponded 4 days ago
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback, and I’m truly sorry to hear that your experience did not live up to expectations, especially for your daughter’s birthday. I completely understand your frustration with the lack of attention to detail with the service. It's disappointing to hear that the staff were not as attentive or friendly as they should have been, and I sincerely apologize for that. I also regret the situation with the service charge and the 2p discrepancy—it should not have been an issue, and I’ll ensure that this is addressed with the team to prevent similar occurrences in the future. We truly appreciate your feedback and will use it to improve our service moving forward. I do hope you’ll consider giving us another chance to make things right.
Is this helpful?
m
maudl
Washington DC
2 reviews
1.0
2 reviews
Dined on 27 September 2024
1. Overall 1
2. Food 1
3. Service 1
4. Ambience 1
Food was expensive and low quality. Wine was not the vintage shown on the menu and was served basically warm. Service was poor, wine poured all over the table cloth. All in all not good value for money at all.
The Restaurant at Macdonald Bear HotelResponded 4 days ago
Thank you for sharing your feedback. I’m truly sorry to hear that your experience did not meet your expectations. It’s disappointing to hear that both the quality of the food and service fell short, and I apologize for the issues with the wine and the service you received. We aim to provide an exceptional experience, and it’s clear we missed the mark during your visit. Your comments about the wine and the overall value are concerning, and I will be sure to pass them along to the team for review and improvement. We value your input, and I hope you’ll consider giving us another chance in the future.
Is this helpful?
C
Clive
Oxford
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on 29 August 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Absolutely loved the place, service and food, will definitely use again.
The Restaurant at Macdonald Bear HotelResponded 4 days ago
Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback! We’re thrilled to hear that you enjoyed the food, service, and overall experience. It’s always fantastic to know that our guests are happy, and we can’t wait to welcome you back again soon. Your kind words mean a lot to us—thank you for choosing us!
Is this helpful?
P
Paul
Edinburgh
1 review
1.0
1 review
Dined on 10 August 2024
1. Overall 1
2. Food 1
3. Service 1
4. Ambience 1
We were residents at the hotel. We received our food & found a hair on the £80 steak. We mentioned the hair at the end of our meal & received complimentary drinks. During our meal we requested drinks. 25 minutes later we still didn’t receive our drinks so we requested again. It took another 10 minutes before we actually received the drinks. Our bill was £150 for two - at these prices we would expect a tad more attention to detail. For the record the restaurant was not busy & we noted that one lone diner left after starters due to the wait time for the main course. When we checked out the next morning the desk staff didn’t mention our experience & no mention of an apology.
The Restaurant at Macdonald Bear HotelResponded 4 days ago
Thank you for sharing your feedback, and I’m truly sorry to hear that your experience fell short of expectations during your stay. A hair in your meal and long delays with drinks are both unacceptable, and I understand your frustration. The fact that your concerns weren’t properly addressed or acknowledged at check-out is equally disappointing, and I apologize for that oversight. We take attention to detail seriously, and it’s clear we didn’t deliver the level of service you should have received. I will make sure your comments are passed along to both the restaurant and front desk teams so we can improve going forward. Your feedback is valuable, and I hope you will consider giving us another opportunity to make it right on a future visit.
Is this helpful?

FAQs

The Restaurant at Macdonald Bear Hotel is rated 2.9 stars by 6 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a booking

2 people

27 Nov 2024

7:00 pm

Booked 1 time today

Experiences are available.

Google Map for The Restaurant at Macdonald Bear Hotel

Park St, Woodstock, Oxfordshire OX20 1SZ

Additional information

Cross Street
Park St, Woodstock OX20 1SZ
Area
Woodstock
Hours of Operation
Breakfast Mon–Fri 7:00 am–10:00 am Sat, Sun 8:00 am–11:00 am Lunch Daily 12:00 pm–5:00 pm Afternoon Tea Daily 12:00 pm–4:00 pm Dinner Daily 6:00 pm–9:00 pm
Price
£26 to £40
Cuisines
British
Dining style
Casual Dining
Dress code
Smart Casual
Parking details
Hotel Parking
Public transit
Hanborough train station
Payment Options
AMEX, Cash not accepted, Mastercard, Visa
Additional
Bar/Lounge, Beer, Beer Garden, Cafe, Cocktails, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, High Tea, Indoor Fireplace, Late Night, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Vegan, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Website
https://www.macdonaldhotels.co.uk/bear
Phone number
0344 879 9143
Catering
A la carte
Private party facilities
yes up to 20

The Restaurant at Macdonald Bear Hotel

Make a booking

Additional information

Breakfast

Festive Afternoon Tea

Lunch & Dinner

Nibbles

Marinated OlivesGBP 4.00

Sourdough Mini LoafGBP 6.00

Salt & Pepper SquidGBP 11.00

Starters

Lobster and Crayfish CocktailGBP 19.00

Whipped Truffles Goats CheeseGBP 13.00

John Ross Junior Smoked SalmonGBP 16.00

Cornfed Chicken RilletteGBP 14.00

Pulled Ham Hock TerrineGBP 14.00

Soup of the DayGBP 9.00

Mains

Catch of the Day - Ask your Server

Shepherd's PieGBP 18.00

King Prawn LinguiniGBP 20.00

Chicken MilaneseGBP 21.00

Traditional Haddock and ChipsGBP 19.00

Tagliatelle Pasta Alla NormaGBP 23.00

Grill

Charred MonkfishGBP 20.00

Rack of LambGBP 38.00

Scottish Beef BurgetGBP 20.00

Cote de BoeufGBP 80.00

Halloumi BurgerGBP 19.00

Aged Sirloin SteakGBP 38.00

Salads

Greek SaladGBP 18.00

Quinoa and Butternut Squash SaladGBP 18.00

Caesar SaladGBP 18.00

Sides

Seasonal GreensGBP 5.00

Olive Oil Mashed PotatoGBP 5.00

Duck Fat Chips with RosemaryGBP 5.00

Green SaladGBP 5.00

Sauces

Bearnaise SauceGBP 4.00

Peppercorn SauceGBP 4.00

Sandwiches

Prawn Marie Rose and Rocket RollGBP 14.50

Hummus, Sundried Tomato and OliveGBP 10.00

Club SandwichGBP 18.00

Cheese, Tomato and PickleGBP 10.00

Smoked Salmon and Creme FraicheGBP 12.00

Ham, Cheddar and Mustard MayonnaiseGBP 10.00

Desserts

Vegan Chocolate and Orange TartGBP 10.00

Vanilla Creme BruleeGBP 10.00

Isle of Arran Ice CreamGBP 8.50

Opera GateauxGBP 11.00

Selection of English CheesesGBP 15.00

Overall ratings and reviews

FAQs

How is The Restaurant at Macdonald Bear Hotel restaurant rated?

Is The Restaurant at Macdonald Bear Hotel currently accepting bookings?

Make a booking

Additional information