Place has pretty much become an Instagram Restaurant. You go there to take some pics and show off that you went. There's no denying that visually it is a really unique and charming place. But everything else about the visit was a disappointment.
The food was okay, but nobody was blown away. At a more reasonable price I wouldn't be bothered by that in the slightest, but The Crazy Bear has become one of the most expensive menus I've seen outside of central London. There's definitely a noticeable gap between price and value.
Also had various issues with service: Forgetful servers, multiple over-charges on the bill; not really representative of the 13.5% service charge...
The furniture also seems to be chosen for aesthetic appeal over comfort. A nice place to be seen sitting, but not really a nice place to sit. Especially after 2 hours on a knobbly picnic bench made from natural dead wood.
Even on the set menu we ended up paying about £70-80 a head for average food, massively overpriced drinks, sub par service, and a round of backaches... We've been fond of this place for probably a decade or so as a family, but decided after our recent visit that it might be our last, at least for a long while.
Ian m271 days ago
Really nice food and pleasant staff. The only issues I have is that the bottled water left on the table is £5 a bottle, I could understand if it was requested and nicely chilled. But you would assume it was complimentary being it was already on the table prior to being seated. Also a service charge is added to the entire bill, which makes the bottled water more expensive.
Ava Hashemi302 days ago
Food was excellent quality. Decoration and outdoor seating created a great atmosphere. Lady manager with the white shirt serving outside needs customer service training- very moody and quite unpleasant, made us feel quite unwelcome. Also she was training a new staff member and talking about house keeping over everyone else. Ruined the beautiful setting.
Tom Blackburn302 days ago
Review for restaurant only.
What an odd place. On the one hand, the atmosphere of the enclosed garden space, the service (largely) and the food were all really excellent. We ordered off the Thai menu and it was first-rate, perhaps some of the best Thai food we'd ever had. Lovely cocktails, especially the Old Fashioneds. Friendly, attentive service on what seemed to be low staff numbers.
However, prices were surprisingly high, even for Oxfordshire. Had we not had the 50%-off lunch offer on our side, we wouldn't have been so satisfied. Coupled with this, the inside seating area (for both restaurants) was dingy - cramped, dark and inexplicably smelly, like your local boozer that hasn't been cleaned of beer stains for a week. That's why we chose to sit outside, and luckily the weather obliged.
Overall, a real mixed bag. Self-consciously quirky decor and fancy service and seating does not London prices make. But we felt like we made the most of it.
Arroma1990363 days ago
Very beautiful and unique hotel with fascinating bedrooms. The hotel has a nice farm where you can walk through. The lunch menu was Asian food which was nice, especially the aubergine dish. The salted caramel desert was amazing. The staff there were very nice. I had a Thai massage which was just okay…the masseuse wasn’t pleasant.
Lucy Anne363 days ago
I had my wedding here back in July and it was a dream. The venue is perfect, the food is the best wedding food you will ever have and the layout of the venue allows for the perfect atmosphere for all your guests. I highly recommend this place for a nice dinner, a night stay or wedding/any event! Thank you to all the amazing staff for making our special day the best ever!
Nicola Duncan1 year ago
Just returned from a superb stay at Crazy Bear Stadhampton. From the moment we arrived until the moment we left we felt special and valued! We started with a coffee and a bite to eat at the fabulous farm shop, followed by an absolutely amazing Thai massage. Best I’ve ever had! We checked in to our stunning room where we relaxed before our 7 course tasting menu in the restaurant which was superb! A great sleep in the most comfortable bed and a hearty breakfast before we left. The most outstanding part of our stay was definitely the staff! Everyone was just lovely especially the serving staff in the restaurant and the bar. Standing out by a mile was the lovely Connor who was just wonderful and made the best cocktails on the planet! We will definitely return! We have been before a number of years ago but this stay was exceptional. we were so Impressed we purchased 3 stays for our grown up kids and their partners as Christmas gifts! Thank you crazy bear! Outstanding! ❤️
A book/tour or short exposé on all its offerings would've been nice though. Staff are very knowledgeable and did their best to answer all questions adequately however.
There's no denying that visually it is a really unique and charming place. But everything else about the visit was a disappointment.
The food was okay, but nobody was blown away. At a more reasonable price I wouldn't be bothered by that in the slightest, but The Crazy Bear has become one of the most expensive menus I've seen outside of central London. There's definitely a noticeable gap between price and value.
Also had various issues with service: Forgetful servers, multiple over-charges on the bill; not really representative of the 13.5% service charge...
The furniture also seems to be chosen for aesthetic appeal over comfort. A nice place to be seen sitting, but not really a nice place to sit. Especially after 2 hours on a knobbly picnic bench made from natural dead wood.
Even on the set menu we ended up paying about £70-80 a head for average food, massively overpriced drinks, sub par service, and a round of backaches...
We've been fond of this place for probably a decade or so as a family, but decided after our recent visit that it might be our last, at least for a long while.
Lady manager with the white shirt serving outside needs customer service training- very moody and quite unpleasant, made us feel quite unwelcome. Also she was training a new staff member and talking about house keeping over everyone else. Ruined the beautiful setting.
What an odd place. On the one hand, the atmosphere of the enclosed garden space, the service (largely) and the food were all really excellent. We ordered off the Thai menu and it was first-rate, perhaps some of the best Thai food we'd ever had. Lovely cocktails, especially the Old Fashioneds. Friendly, attentive service on what seemed to be low staff numbers.
However, prices were surprisingly high, even for Oxfordshire. Had we not had the 50%-off lunch offer on our side, we wouldn't have been so satisfied. Coupled with this, the inside seating area (for both restaurants) was dingy - cramped, dark and inexplicably smelly, like your local boozer that hasn't been cleaned of beer stains for a week. That's why we chose to sit outside, and luckily the weather obliged.
Overall, a real mixed bag. Self-consciously quirky decor and fancy service and seating does not London prices make. But we felt like we made the most of it.
We started with a coffee and a bite to eat at the fabulous farm shop, followed by an absolutely amazing Thai massage. Best I’ve ever had! We checked in to our stunning room where we relaxed before our 7 course tasting menu in the restaurant which was superb! A great sleep in the most comfortable bed and a hearty breakfast before we left. The most outstanding part of our stay was definitely the staff! Everyone was just lovely especially the serving staff in the restaurant and the bar. Standing out by a mile was the lovely Connor who was just wonderful and made the best cocktails on the planet! We will definitely return! We have been before a number of years ago but this stay was exceptional. we were so Impressed we purchased 3 stays for our grown up kids and their partners as Christmas gifts!
Thank you crazy bear! Outstanding! ❤️
Serene location and beautiful scenery.
A book/tour or short exposé on all its offerings would've been nice though. Staff are very knowledgeable and did their best to answer all questions adequately however.
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