The Angel at Burford

I was excited to visit this pub however when I arrived as a solo patron I was quickly relegated to the back room next to an area/table where things were being stored and not another person in sight. No working fireplace and zero warmth and ambiance. There were tables open in the front room which had two fireplaces and the cozy atmosphere I was really looking forward to. Initially I thought those tables were reserved or saved for guests but it became clear they were not. In fact, even more tables opened up and I spent my entire meal alone in the back next to a stack of “stuff” that shouldn’t have been there at all much less if they were planning on seating any guests back there.. other than taking my order, I was basically ignored. I suspect it will be suggested that I should have asked for a different table. However, I shouldn’t have had to. Furthermore, the vibe the waiter/host was giving off suggested such a request would have been a complete annoyance and possibly rejected.. In this situation I wanted to assess how people treat solo women travelers without having to be told how they should. have read many stories where solo female travelers are treated this way. I am relatively new to solo travel and this was as disappointing as it comes. That being said the food was very good-the experience however was not .

My husband and I stayed at these premises for two nights. On the first night our bath plug got stuck and despite bringing it the attention of the staff we were offered no solution. Therefore, one of us had to have a second-hand cold bath. We later discovered there were empty rooms available but we were not offered a room move or the bath facilities of another room. The heating throughout the whole building then failed on the first evening which happened to be the coldest of the night the year so far. As you can imagine there is very little insulation in a 16th century building so we spent the night and morning absolutely frozen. We were not made aware of this by any member of staff and actually assumed the heating had been turned off at night. Had any checks been done on the pub before we were effectively unbeknown to us shut in on our own then perhaps, they would have noticed the issue themselves. There was an oil filled radiator in the room but this was not working. In fact, we propped the hairdryer on a table to try and warm the room. Thankfully the bath and heating issues were resolved for the Friday night. We were offered a £40 deduction off of a £140 night stay for the first night which we declined after which it was agreed we would just pay £25 breakfast for that first night. We obviously paid full price for the second night. At no point did one single Manager apologise throughout our whole stay. Even more alarming was the discovery on checking out the pub is unstaffed at night and that we had been the only ones in the building for the first night and just us and two other guests were the only ones in the building on the second night. We completely accept that maintenance issues arise but absolutely no customer care was offered to us at any point and no member of the Management team ever offered an apology or a free drink in the pub. At no point were we informed this would be the case and assumed that somebody was on site should there be a serious issue such as a fire. We were not even physically shown where any of the emergency the exits were. Incidentally the landline emergency number listed in the room information was also no longer in operation. We would not have stayed in a premises that was unstaffed at night had we known and when we explained this, we were informed by the tenant Gemma by email that it was our responsibility to check this out before staying at a premises. This is nothing that has ever crossed my mind before and I think that perhaps this information should actually appear on their website so customers can choose if they are happy with the arrangement.

We stayed for two nights and had a pleasant experience overall. Breakfast was delightful, and a great choice of options with cheery service on the second morning although service was a bit grumpy on the first morning. The room was clean, with appreciated touches like complimentary bottled water. Burford itself is stunning, and the free parking was a plus. A few minor issues: the headboard was loose and banged every time we moved, so my partner had to hold it steady with his pillow to sleep. Additionally, the hot tap faucet was loose, the mirrors were a bit smeary, and the pillows and mattress were a bit firm for our liking. With a few tweaks, it would have been perfect. Overall a positive experience.

Beautiful building with a lovely atmosphere. Food was outstanding, probably among the best meals out I’ve ever had. The staff were attentive and service was extremely quick. I can’t find anything to fault it. Might even visit Burford again just to eat at the angel once more!

A very nice and comfortable place to stay. Room was clean and spacious. We only stayed one night but we would definitely stay again. We ate in the restaurant and the food was all very good with a great menu choice. Breakfast was excellent,great choice and very good quality.

What an amazing weekend, this is 100% the best place to dine and stay in Burford. Having eaten at The Angel previously we knew the food would be good but it surpassed all our expectations with every single plate being exceptional. Our room was the perfect mix of old and new and the hospitality is second to none. We’ll be sad to leave tomorrow and have already booked our next stays