Out for Dinner in Chesterfield - The Coach House at Ringwood Hall Hotel & SPA
Published On Monday 10 Nov 2025 by Sticky Beak
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Crikey! Maybe I should go away on holiday more often – the invites have been coming in thick-and-fast whilst we were abroad!! The first venue we visited upon our return was the Coach House restaurant, located within Ringwood Hall Hotel and Spa in Chesterfield. In past years, The Man and I have been fortunate enough to have stayed and visited the Spa and dined at this stunning setting, and it was mooted that plans were afoot to refurbish the Coach House into a dining space.
Fast forward a few years, and the plans have indeed come to fruition. The Man and I rocked up at the main reception, to be given a wonderfully warm welcome and directions to the Coach House, by the lady at the desk. Having confirmed our table reservation (and our coats taken), a young chap showed us to our table and handed us over to his colleague, a really lovely young lady who swiftly got us sorted with drinks (Chardonnay for me, pint of Moretti for The Man) and table water.
The Coach House is pet friendly in one section of the restaurant, and is child-friendly throughout. I loved the exposed stone walls, and the twinkling chandeliers that add to the elegance feel of this setting. Huge, gilt-edged mirrors reflect the light around and amplify the amount of floor space, and a splash of colour is injected by the Art Deco-inspired, teal and gold feature wall paper on one wall. The floor was pale wood, its muted tone echoed by the tables and mid-back chairs.
Although not vast, the menu certainly offered a great range of choice; to start, I chose the Gravadlax (£11.95) and His Nibs opted for the Hot Scotch Egg (£9.95). For mains, I ordered Seafood Arancini (£29.95), The Man fancied the Chef’s Chicken Cordon Bleu (£24.95). We also opted for a couple of sides: Salad, and twice-cooked Chunky Chips, both £3.95.
Whilst we waited for our starters, it was nice to see the Coach House Restaurant filling up with fellow diners; groups and couples soon filled the space with lively chatter, creating an excellent weekend ambience. We weren’t waiting long before another member of the team was placing our dishes before us carefully, and I noticed that he wore [black] gloves on his hands; call me old-fashioned, but I do like to see this service touch, it adds a bit of class in my opinion.
My choice of Beetroot and Lemon-cured Salmon was presented gorgeously, my eyes immediately drawn to the rose-pink fish slices and their garnish of dramatic, black [edible] skeleton Leaf. Coral hued pearls of ‘Caviar’ were deliciously saline, cutting through the rich oiliness of the Salmon perfectly. Beetroot purée was sweet and earthy, quietly emphasising the bright pepper/mustard notes of micro-Watercress.
As far as Scotch Eggs go, this one was a very generous size – much to the delight of Mr Greedy-guts! The yolk wasn’t runny at all, but was creamy and rich tasting, though its Nduja sausage ‘jacket’ took star of the show; superbly smoky, this complemented the egg marvellously. You have to have a crisp coating to a Scotch Egg, or else it just doesn’t work, and I’m pleased to say that this one was so crunchy that you could hear the sound as His Nibs cut into it. Two-for-two so far with our meal, could the success continue? We were looking forward to finding out, and smiled happily when we saw our mains being brought out.
Whenever I’ve had them, I’ve always enjoyed Arancini, though I‘ve never had Seafood ones. The trio of sizeable spheres were a good size and each had an irresistibly crisp, golden outer that contrasted with their soft contents. Perfectly cooked rice had been combined with pieces of King prawn and Chorizo to form the ‘body’, and the flavours swirled seamlessly over my palate; I savoured the marriage of fragrant seafood and punchier Chorizo, and the balance was executed skilfully by Chef. Possibly the most flavoursome Crayfish bisque on the planet provided a luxuriant bath for the Arancini, and I have to say that this was an utter joy to taste! Both the Calamari and grilled Octopus were superb, neither had been over-cooked so their softness lazed in my mouth.
His Nibs was more than happy with the initial impression of his Chef’s Chicken Cordon Bleu; served cut in half on the angle, this was serving major visual appeal. The chicken breast itself was moist and tender with its Pangrattato (fancy breadcrumbs) coating being golden and crisp. At the very heart of the chicken was a delightfully silky Bechamel sauce, zhuzhed with Prosciutto, Garlic, Parsley, Chive and Cream Cheese - talk about muchos scrummy! Verdant creamed Spinach was soft yet powerful in The Mans’ mouth, and was the final element of the flavour wheel for this dish.
The wheels did slightly come off the meal with both of the sides; whilst there was a lot to like about them, they did also fall short. My salad of Cherry Tomatoes, Red Onon, and Mixed Leaves was cool and crisp, but the dressing on them was just too sharp and over-powering. His Nibs had gone for a portion of the twice-cooked Chunky Chips and there was a good bowlful of them. They were a gorgeous shade of brown and had been prettily garnished with chopped herbs; unfortunately, this couldn’t disguise the fact that they were bone-dry. Now, don’t misunderstand me, The Man doesn’t like them swimming in oil, but Chips do need a bit of ‘moistness’ when all is said and done…and these guys just didn’t have any.
Feeling positive overall, we marched on and ordered dessert: White Chocolate and Lavender Crème Brulee for me; the Dessert of the Day (Chocolate Brownie with Caramel Sauce and Vanila Ice Cream) for His Nibs, both £7.95.
As with the previous courses, our desserts were served by the dapper chap in the black gloves, with the urge to ‘enjoy your desserts’. Those who know me IRL will now that what my mouth doesn’t say, my face will! I couldn’t help but be sad by the obvious lack of a ‘thwackable’ Brulée top, but was looking forward to trying the Crème. The silky taste of the White Chocolate was instantly discernible, but the floral flavour of Lavender was missing-in-action, again leaving me wanting. To be fair, the Lavender wouldn’t have had its 15 minutes of fame anyhow because it would’ve been in the shadow of the [chocolate] shortbread. The Shortbread finger was mesmerisingly crumbly and buttery, but the Blueberry was four halves of the fruit on its top, secured by dots of compote. I’d been envisaging ‘plain’ Shortbread, swirled with Blueberry, and I do feel that my vision would work much better.
There is nothing finer than a warm, gooey Brownie that has Ice Cream slowly melting on it, and this treasure was exactly that. Seriously, this was every dessert lover’s dream. The Caramel sauce was rich and sticky, partnered by a beautifully rounded, creamy Vanilla Ice Cream. Judging by the look on The Mans’ chops, this was certainly hitting that sweet spot (no pun intended!).
In summary, the starters and mains were giving everything you’d want, the desserts were [broadly] the same, but the sides had been a bit, well, shoved to the side-lines. If you haven’t been to The Coach House restaurant before, I would definitely still go as there’s a lot to like, and on that basis, I am going to give Hot Wings to this Chesterfield eaterie. I have always said that food is subjective, especially opinions on it (a bit like movies/films), so please go, and let me know your thoughts.
To book a table, call 01246 280077 or visit www.ringwoodhallhotel.com and hit the ‘dining’ button, then the ‘coach house’ button, and then the ‘book a table’ tab. The main menu is served seven-days-a-week between Noon-8.30pm. Breakfasts and Afternoon Tea are at differing times, so check the site for more details.
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