Yew Lodge & Marco Pierre Whites New York Italian
The Best Western Premier Yew Lodge Hotel sits nestled in the heart of Kegworth Village, Nottinghamshire not far from East Midlands Airport, giving it an instant USP…
Excitingly Marco Pierre White has also decided to open a branch of his New York Italian restaurant within the hotel, the interior of which has been individually designed alongside and in collaboration with the hotel itself.
Upon arrival I notice a good sized car park, with plenty of cars- a good sign.
Our welcome was friendly at reception and the check in process quick and efficient. Our room a good size, comfortable bed and huge shower. All basic amenities taken care of and miniature gingerbread men as welcome gift – nice touch.
I decided to take a mini tour of the hotel to check out what I was dealing with- it’s pretty big, with a complete floor dedicated to functions- wedding/events with its own bar area and lounge, cleverly separating these from the rest of the hotel.
I also took a little nosy into the spa and treatment room- somewhere to visit a little later!
Downstairs adjacent to the reception area is an impressive private dining room slash conference room for meetings with a large board table, decorated like a living room to create a homely feel. On one wall was a mural of the cellars of Laurent Perrier- somewhere the hotel team once visited as part of a supplier trip. I notice ‘Marco’s chair’ in the lounge area as I make my way back to my room- a black and white super contemporary chair I simply had to have a photo taken sitting in- something many guests have most likely done.
I decided to to try out the spa facilities early evening – An old pound coin for the locker took me for a dip in the hot tub and hot it was – just how I like it. There was a children’s swimming lesson taking place at the time I went in, so the noise levels were rather high, therefore I’d advise checking with reception on timings of these before entering, aiming to use it at a quieter time where possible- it did not ruin my enjoyment however, as I closed my eyes and imagined being on a beach somewhere in the Caribbean. The steam room and sauna are also worth a visit and you can enjoy a cool down with the impressive ‘bear’ ice machine (you need to visit to appreciate)!
Dinner was at 8pm and our Parisian waiter was the famous Gillies – a delightful, eccentric who clearly loves to talk to guests and make himself known, what’s more is knowledgeable about wine and good food recommending the mushroom lasagne for myself and a good red for my dining partner.
We certainly tucked in and aside from the delicious tastes of all dishes, we were impressed by the generous portion sizes – please be hungry when you visit Marco’s, as you most definitely get your monies worth.
My starter came as ‘American Nachos’– done the New York way, which was completely new to me- hot cheese sauce with dipping sauces of crushed avocado (another way of saying guacamole), sour cream and… chilli jam – yes it worked.
My dining partner went for Salt & Pepper Calamari with lemon mayonnaise dip- lots on the plate.
Main course was Mushroom Lasagne and a new one for me, as normally us vegetarians are palmed off with a general vegetable lasagne, however this contained all types of mushrooms topped with melted cheese and was absolutely stunning, it came with a side salad of rocket, balsamic and parmesan flakes., but I was greedy and also ordered new potatoes- not necessary on this occasion.
My dining partner opted for the apparently popular dish New York Italian Roast Chicken with pulled pork, smothered in Monterey Jack cheese and served with fries and American slaw PLUS a side order of onion rings; not a peep was heard out of him during this dish- a good sign, so a big thumbs up.
Dessert was a struggle for us after the good sized portions we had just enjoyed, so a little rest was had before we decided to go for it and order the Strawberry & Meringue Mess (basically Eton Mess- my thinking was it is a light sweet yet yummy to finish off with) – this we shared and enjoyed thoroughly.
All in all Yew Lodge is a great place to lay your head if you are off on your jollies, fancy an overnight getaway with access to good food on site, or in relation to a function or event, as all the facilities you will need are under one roof.
Marco’s is definitely worth a visit, whether you decide to stay overnight at the hotel or not- I will be returning very soon -that mushroom lasagne is calling my name.
Fiona Duncan, RSViP
