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 Rose Cottage
Review
About
Travellers' Choice
2024
Rose Cottage is situated in the Rufford Forest area, minutes away from Center Parcs, Rufford Abbey, Clumber Park and Sherwood Forest. We pride ourselves on serving fresh home-cooked food with outstanding service in unique surroundings – all sourced from quality local suppliers. We offer a classic coffee menu, a fantastic range of draught lagers, bottled ciders, real ales and a fine selection of wines.
Features
CUISINES
Bar, British, Pub
Meal types
Lunch, Dinner, After-hours
Special Diets
Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Gluten free options
FEATURES
Accepts Credit Cards
Dog Friendly
Free Wifi
Full Bar
Highchairs Available
Outdoor Seating
Parking Available
Reservations
Seating
Serves Alcohol
Table Service
Wheelchair Accessible
Location
Parking Available
Save this restaurant
Hours
Open until 10:00 PM
Sunday
12:00 - 21:00
Monday
12:00 - 21:00
Tuesday
12:00 - 22:00
Wednesday
12:00 - 22:00
Thursday
12:00 - 22:00
Friday
12:00 - 23:00
Saturday
12:00 - 23:00
Contribute
We perform checks on reviews.
Tripadvisor’s approach to reviews
Before posting, each Tripadvisor review goes through an automated tracking system, which collects information, answering the following questions: how, what, where and when. If the system detects something that potentially contradicts our community guidelines, the review is not published.
When the system detects a problem, a review may be automatically rejected, sent to the reviewer for validation, or manually reviewed by our team of content specialists, who work 24/7 to maintain the quality of the reviews on our site.
Our team checks each review posted on the site disputed by our community as not meeting our community guidelines.
Learn more about our review moderation.
3.8
(1,452)
Excellent
718
Good
261
Average
141
Poor
148
Terrible
184
Jet17691494075
1 contribution
Jun 2024 • family
Average food for above average price. A chicken roast dinner with one roast potato, one sprig of broccoli, a table spoon of mash potato, very large Yorkshire pud, crunchy stuffing and a chicken breast for almost £17.
A steady stream of mistakes and oversights such as dropping the kids food on the floor when serving, sending out a kids meal of chips, nuggets and peas with an adult size fork, asking for 3 bottles of water and getting one (there were 9 of us), asking for extra plates and not getting them, not complying to special requests and sending out the standard meal plus several more issues.
I can cut them some slack for being Fathers day and busy but in short, not going back.
Written 16 June 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.
Nicola Mayoh
Sorry you felt this way out waitress did offer to fetch you extra nuggets to replace the single one that fell from the plate.
We always would given extra veg and roasts if you was unhappy woth the portion you had received but on check back nothing was said.
The waitress took 2 separate plates as soon all the food had been delivered to the table
Knifes and forks again sorry we would normally give out smaller ones on request.
Hope you would return maybe not on a day were we served over 400 meals , again sincerely apologise.
Water again sincerely apologise and this was also rectified for you upon request.
Written 18 June 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Steve
8 contributions
Feb 2025 • friends
Sat 01/02/25 had table for four. Enjoyed a good night. Premises busy - just about every table occupied including group celebrating 40th birthday. Staff efficient and service good. Comprehensive menu - would cater for most tastes. Staff on the ball - asked us about potential allergies. We did three courses: 3 × soup and one garlic mushroom followed by: one crispy belly pork; one liver with mash and two lamb shank shepherds pies. Sweets: sticky toffee pudding, crumble of the day (apple) and two cheesecake. The sticky toffee pudding and crumble came with large jugs of custard. All portions were of a good size. Bill came to £160 including drinks - reasonable given recent pressures from Employer's National Insurance and minimum wage rises. All well fed and happy.
Observations: whilst I thought the soup very good there was a comment it was a bit 'peppery'; crackling on 'crisp' belly pork was hard but not crispy and despite thick fat layer (of course it's belly pork!) the meat was good; topping on crumble a bit sparse although there was a generous portion of apples and loads of custard.
Overall an enjoyable meal and worth the visit. Large car park too! We'll definitely go again.
Written 2 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.
Nicola Mayoh
Thank you so very much we really appreciate your review and glad you will return 😊
Written 27 February 2025
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
shandy2922
Felsted621 contributions
Sept 2023 • family
Table of 14 booked for a relaxing family meal whilst away on a family break.
Whilst the food was good, the service was a shambles.
We booked our table for 4.30pm, and at no stage given any time restrictions. Had we known this, we wouldn't have booked.
Had to pre-order food, which wasn't an issue for such a big table.
We arrived and were shown to our table.
The dinner party wasn't even seated or had drinks before our food was being brought out, literally, as we were still taking off coats and getting settled.
It was at this point I was informed that we had our table for 1hr 45 minutes!
How on earth they expect a table of 14 to eat in that time frame was ridiculous.
We were then offered desserts at 6pm to be reminded again that we had our table until 6.15pm. At this point, the next booking had arrived, having been told they could decorate where we were seated for a birthday meal.
We were even asked if we wanted our bill before we'd even finished our desserts. No chance of having a coffee or drink post meal.
The whole meal was a complete rush from start to finish, which tarnished what could have been a very good review. Greed over quality, I'm afraid.
I did speak to the manager that night who agreed that mistakes were made, however, it doesn't compensate for a family meal being ruined.
Written 2 October 2023
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.
Nicola Mayoh
We spoke in length regarding your visit, you had your table from 4.30 till 6.45pm in the end yes we do give 2 hours as explained. This is standard in most restaurants.you was more than welcome to have stayed and had some drinks in the bar area but at no point did you say this to us as this could of easily of been sorted, yes food did come out within 10 minutes hence why we do a pre order so service is at a high standard and your not waiting for food for too long with it being a large party,
You seemed very happy in the end so disappointed you had to do this review.
You didn't mention I took money off for you at the end and the bill was given after you had finished eating.
Sorry after our lovely talk and explanation again disappointed you did this review and didn't feel you could say to me you was still upset, on leaving you thanked me fir my time and for clearing the matter with you, I felt you left satisfied.
Written 2 October 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Chris T
7 contributions
Dec 2024 • family
We booked a small family Sunday lunch in memory of a family member who had recently passed away after we had spread his ashes... It was meant to be special but unfortunately it was far from it , firstly on booking i was asked for five pound per person deposit (3 little children and 4 adults) , Yes its very pretty inside and done out like Alice in Wonderland ..... Unfortunately at the end i felt like we had gone down the rabbit hole !!! ..The kids had basic chicken nuggets , chips and beans , we had three starters which were ok , nothing spectacular, the main course was 1 lamb and 3 pork roast dinners with extra cauliflower cheese ... i hate to say this but ive had better dinners in a pub chain (i later found out that Rose Cottage is a Marstons pub , ! ) The kids had ice cream and adults had desserts ... We all had soft drinks as we were driving, When the bill came i was shocked...... £208 !!!! Yes you read it right £208 !
When i checked the receipt later i found that they had omitted to refund me the £35 deposit which made the meal for four adults and three kids a whopping £243 !!! Now come on this place is hardly Gordon Ramseys restaurant , i think they are taking the "proverbial"
Before i continue i must say that at that price i would expect tablecloths, not a wooden table wiped down with a bottle of cleaner and a cloth, also i think cheap paper napkins and the knife and fork on top of the napkins once again rings of the pub chain ! Also the cauliflower and broccoli was so hard you couldnt cut it with a knife so thats why the majority of it was left uneaten , i have worked in the hotel industry for many years in South Yorkshire and i know the difference between Al Dente and raw ... Nobody came to check on our meals so when the plates were collected i mentioned to the waiter that the veg was rock hard .... end of ! Nobody came to see us and certainly no compensation was forthcoming ...
When i got home i rang Rose Cottage re the refund of the deposit , the young lady told me that if i give my bank details she would make sure it went into my bank within five working days , if it didnt then i was to ring her back......Youve guessed it ! .. It never materialised so i rang again this morning only to be told that as its a Martstons pub they have to request that Marstons refund me !! I told her i would come to Rose Cottage in person to get my refund (I'm on a mission now !) the lady told me that i still could not have it because its got to come from Marstons !!!!! Give it a few more days she said, i told her i should not have to go through all this , to which she did agree but obviously Marstons have the final word...
The moral of this story is that if unfortunately you book a largish party in for Sunday lunch and they ask for a deposit please dont leave the premises without your deposit being refunded, also i should add that its very expensive for what you get ...
Written 10 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.
Nicola Mayoh
Sorry you felt this way, if you had concerns on the day we could of sorted any issues you had.
Your refund should come through as explained yesterday its usually 5 to 7 working days this does not include weekends.
£208. For 7 x 3 course meals including drinks
If any more concerns please contact us immediately
We are a marstons building but not marstons food we are independent.
Written 11 December 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
lisa
Derby4 contributions
Dec 2024 • family
We booked for the Boxing Day Christmas Fayre Menu. We had high expectations as the previous visits had been good. We arrived early and was seated promptly, wasn’t very busy at the time. Starters were brought out and was cold. There was no courtesy check and we had to flag a member of staff down. The starters were reheated and brought out. We then waited over an hour for the mains to brought out. The roast potatoes were the hardest thing I’ve ever attempted to cut. It’s obvious they had been reheated. The lamb shank was over cooked, the cod portion was tiny. No courtesy check was carried out again. So we got through the mains. Then began the long wait for dessert! We gave up and asked for the bill, but they hurried the desserts out in a panic we was going to request a partial refund. The woman at the front desk shouldn’t be in customer service. Her response to my complaint regarding quality/service was met with a standoffish attitude stating she’s fed up of dealing with complaints today. I work in hospitality and a quality complaint can be easily diffused with good customer service, both are lacking here.
Written 16 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.
Dohardy
Bristol8 contributions
Feb 2025 • couples
Disappointed when we had a word with the manager about very over cooked fish burnt batter and bone dry fish all she could say was sorry offered something else which was good service but we decided, but the meal was ruined didn't even offer a reduction on the bill what a shame as we've just moved to the area and would of been a local there. Sound like they get lots of business from centre parks and aren't the interested.
The worst fish and chip we've had.
Written 26 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.
Nicola Mayoh
I'm so sorry as the owner i know nothing about your visit, could you email the day and time of your visit so I can look into this for you, also we have a lot of local people who visit us regularly, along side our holiday makers to the area.
I'm so sorry you had a bad experience and would like the opportunity for you to re visit.
Nicolamayoh1@gmail.com
Written 27 February 2025
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
BigNorris2013
London4 contributions
Dec 2024 • family
Booked for 5 people (one of whom as Gluten Free) for Xmas Day, and I can safely assure you this was possibly the worst dining experience any of us have received.
The standard of the food provided for the main course was dreadful, with all 5 diners receiving vegetables that were barely cooked. The roast potatoes were rock-solid and the small amount of gravy relative to the food on the plate was ridiculous. 3 of our party had chosen what was advertised on the Xmas menu as ‘sirloin of beef, served pink’….what was received was what I could only describe as an inch thick slab of grey boiled beef?? It bore no relation to beef sirloin any of us had eaten previously, and bizarrely none of the fat had been even slightly rendered during the cooking process, resulting in a thick white gristly layer of fat around the outside of the meat. When this was questioned with the manageress we were informed that the beef had been cooked the previous day and was pink at that point, but the re-heating process had changed the colour of the meat?? Apart from the fact that this was advertised as ‘served pink’ when it clearly wasn’t, I’ve never experienced a restaurant anywhere in the UK or abroad attempting to argue the toss over the collective opinion of 5 diners.
The Gluten Free diner just had all of the gluten containing products removed from their plate, rather than having GF substitutes as expected. This meant that they received a far smaller portion than the other diners but were still expected to pay the £75 in advance, with no mention during the booking process that they would not be receiving GF substitutes…..a packet of GF Yorkshire puddings is a few quid in Sainsbury’s so it’s disappointing that the Rose Cottage couldn’t stretch to this.
The GF diner’s dessert, which was advertised as a GF option was in fact a completely different, non-advertised dish?? When this was questioned we were informed that it the dish that was chosen was never GF (even though the menu stated it was) and what had been provided was a GF substitute. The GF diner quite rightly questioned why this wasn’t made clear on the menu as they were not keen on the non advertised choice made on their behalf by the restaurant.
All in all this was an utter disaster and I would not recommend anyone to dine here out of choice.
Written 27 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.
Pub Owner
Bignorris2013, thank you for taking the time to leave us feedback about your experience with us.
Written 19 February 2025
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
louise s
Nottingham282 contributions
Nov 2024 • family
We visited for a family birthday after reading the reviews
We arrived and were shocked at how busy it was as in so many tables crammed in that we couldn’t even get seated without asking other diners to move
We were in the dog side which is a good size and very dog friendly but jam packed in with diners and dogs
The decor is lovely with an Alice in Wonderland theme
However as we sat down the chairs were too small for the table so we were literally shoulder height to the table which made eating uncomfortable and as it was full there was no chairs to swap with but the pub obviously thought this was acceptable
The dinners ( roasts ) arrived within minutes so we didn’t get chance to even have a drink - the roasts were approx £16.95-19.95 and were quite small portions .. 1 slice of meat mash overdone inedible roast potatoes carrot peas broccoli Yorkshire pudding
We had extra pigs in blankets and stuffing as these didn’t come with the meals ( small portions approx £4) the whole experience was rushed and very disappointing
We did express our feelings regarding the overdone food to the server who was lovely throughout
Other staff at bar didn’t seem friendly
We literally got there ate and left within 45 mins not a relaxing experience and not one we will repeat
We had extra
Written 17 November 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.
Nicola Mayoh
Sorry you felt this way we will look in to your complaint and try and make a solution moving forward, unfortunately due to rufford last Sunday we had a lot of people who came to us for drinks, so agreed it was extremely busy.
Food wise we will look into your comments.
Written 19 November 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
bbinnie
Brandon17 contributions
Sept 2024 • couples
A warm welcome and a pleasant atmosphere and it’s dog friendly. There’s a good selection of wines and beers and the menu was pleasingly different. Great choice and both vegetarian and vegan options. We had both regular and vegetarian options and both were absolutely beautiful. Food was delivered in good time and very tasty, with quite large portions, but extremely good quality and value and the puddings were delicious. If you can’t finish your food they will give you threat in a carry out box. There’s even a doggy menu.
If you are in the area it’s well worth a visit for both you and your dog.
Written 23 September 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.
Nicola Mayoh
Wow thank you so very much we really appreciate your review and hope you come back and visit us again soon 😀
Written 24 September 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Judy B
1 contribution
Jun 2024 • family
Steak and ale pie had meat that was tough with chunks of fat. After giving feedback to the member of staff in charge she commented that they had had a “bad batch ” before from their butcher supplier and she would contact him again regarding this. However, there was no offer of recompense with the comment “sorry we can’t do anything “!! I felt it wasn’t a good deal paying full price for a substandard product. Other meals were acceptable and the junior staff waiting tables provided very good service.
Written 22 June 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.
Nicola Mayoh
Good afternoon
I will look into who delt with your complaint.As they shoukd inform me direct of any issues.
Our butchers do make all our pies and I'm really sorry that yours was not good.
We use a award winning Butcher, I will contact the owner direct as this shouldn't happen.
Again massive apologies.
We take things like this very seriously as it's our reputation on the line.
Written 23 June 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Fiona B
Mansfield11 contributions
Feb 2024 • couples
Very disappointed after hearing all the praises & reading the good comments. We only had the fish or lack of fish pie after being recommended, this came after a 50 minute wait yes it was hot but not worth the wait or money. It’s been a long time since our last visit and will be a long time before our next.
Written 10 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.
Nicola Mayoh
I'm so very sorry, did you speak with our staff regarding this, we do get extremely busy and we do cook everything to order so wait times can at time be longer than expected which you shoukd of been made aware off on entering the restaurant.
Please email me directly Nicolamayoh1@gmail.com
Written 11 February 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Very U
Bedford6 contributions
Sept 2023 • family
Seven different meals were ordered from the main menu and can honestly say every one was awful. There was a sign requesting patience as meals were cooked freshly, we waited for around 50 minutes for the order and nothing was fresh. We were the only customers at the time. Service was fair, they were friendly, although the staff preferred to chat amongst themselves rather than check on the only occupied table. We weren’t asked why very little had been eaten, they must return full plates frequently
Written 1 October 2023
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.
Nicola Mayoh
Still had no response from you as i do not think this review is correct.
Email us immediately
Nicky.walters71@hotmail.co.uk
Written 2 October 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Peter T
23 contributions
Oct 2023 • family
On a wet and miserable day there was a warm welcome and our dogs were also welcomed.
Ella greeted us, showed us to our table and explained the menu choices. She took our drinks order then swiftly returned with the drinks.
There was a little delay between ordering food and it arriving , but the place was very busy (they were turning people away!) and they were also hosting a post-funeral gathering .
The food was lovely, good portions (the pizza was massive!) and Ella was keen to ensure we enjoyed our meals.
Paying was easy by contactless and the cost was very reasonable.
Very pleasant surroundings, comfortable, plenty of bits and pieces to look at, a good menu with plenty of choice and a nice family atmosphere .
Overall an enjoyable visit and full credit to Ella for her great customer service.
Written 26 October 2023
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.
Nicola Mayoh
Amazing to hear, Ella is a fantastic member of our team.
We are pleased you enjoyed your visit and hope you come back and visit us again soon 😊
Written 27 October 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Alice D
Worksop6 contributions
Jul 2024 • family
On entering, two staff were busy doing something and nothing and after waiting a while to be greeted I decided to take our own menus (lack of attention to detail)
The food was ok but again just lacks attention to detail, salad garnish needs a little dressing and the goats cheese ciabatta was ‘thrown together’ rather than assembled with some care and love and on bread which resembled ciabatta but fell short of what should be a crispy, tasty bread. Fries were nice!
Written 22 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.
Nicola Mayoh
My sincere apologies, we always acknowledge customers on arrival unless we are busy and no one noticed you enter at that point.
Not our usual practice and this very rarely happens unless they was seeing g to other customers at the time
Our ciabattas are usually nice and think from the bakery we use so not sure why yours was not to standard,
Also the side of leaves we don't actually put on dressing as we have more complaints that ppl do not want it.
If you had asked we could of got you some not a problem at all.
I will speak with my team and make sure the quality is being delivered as I've not had anyone say anything about the way we prepare these in the past.
Please if you come into us again make us aware if you don't feel the standard is correct so we can rectify immediately for you as this is not our standard as you explained.
Written 22 July 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Bob
12 contributions
Dec 2024 • family
Having booked a table for a family meal to celebrate a birthday after a walk around Rufford Abbey. We were immensely disappointed with our meal and service.
Yes the witnesses were polite, however, we had to go and find some staff and ask for sauces as we weren't asked if we wanted any. We needed the sauces to moisten the food might I add. By the time we were asked how the food was we'd tried to eat it. But that said, the food was very very poor. The chips had been cooked a long time before and left on a hot plate. They were so hard and dry they were a chore to try and eat and the same went with the fries and sausages. Portion sizes are a disgrace for the price of the meal. My seasonal veg with my steak pie was 6 pieces of broccoli, 5 very thin spring beans and I piece of carrot! For God sake, the out in in an area where carrots are farmed and grown by the millions of tonnes. And I got one little piece!!!
In all, very disappointing and could and should be so much better than it is. The quality should be fantastic.
Defiantly won't be going back or recommending the place. Steer clear, do not turn in. An expensive mistake.
Written 31 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.
Pub Owner
Defender902a, thank you for taking the time to leave us feedback about your experience with us.
Written 19 February 2025
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Showing results 1-15 of 1,451
Best moderately priced restaurants
See all
Best nearby
We rank these hotels, restaurants, and attractions by balancing reviews from our members with how close they are to this location.
Best nearby hotels
See all 
Best nearby restaurants
See all 
Is This Your Listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim Your Free Listing