Introducing the re-generated Walton Hotel

After a recent re-generation the Walton Hotel set back from Derby Road has been re-opened and restyled with a return towards it's former glories. The building was originally built as a hunting lodge for the Duke of Newcastle and with the newly renovated dining area you'll feel like gentry in the Grade II listed building.

Having initially been invited to a Christmas themed evening this morphed into a more traditional dinner service so we were more than happy to attend. It's probably close on ten years since I last visited the Walton's on a work night so so was intrigued to see how things had changed and I was very impressed by the transformation.

An address within the prestigious Park area of Nottingham needs for a property to have a degree of style and class in line with it's location among the properties of many of the city's elite. This area of town has seen significant investment with the recent development of the impressive Alchemilla restaurant alongside regeneration of the likes of the Sir John Borlase Warren- It seems that the Canning Circus area once again high on the list of areas to head to.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas at the Walton Hotel

Marketing itself as a 'Boutique Hotel', the Walton features 24 attentively decorated rooms that aim to capture the atmosphere and ambiance of downstairs 19th Century Hunting Lodge, with a few more modern amenities. There's also one of the biggest terraces outside with hanging out on a summers day.

The Impressive Savoy Dining Room 

The giant main table within the meticulously set out Savoy room is a sight to behold. Painstakingly regenerated it would be an exquisite setting for family occasion or party. Adorned with dark wood and a grandeur that didn't overawe and make you feel somewhat out of place. We felt rather at home in here.

Even the glassware is painstakingly chosen to represent The Walton

It feels like The Walton is really doing it's best to wow you. From the decor to the glasses they've spent time as well as a significant amount of money bringing the hotel to a very high standard and the inner obsessive compulsive in me felt at ease with the matching decor throughout.

The Fantastic Monkey Room 

As foodies, whilst we love a good environment our main priority is always going to be the food. Could the Walton offer a standard to keep up with the quality we were expecting of our surroundings.

The Walton House Merlot

We started off our meal with the offer of a bottle or red or white wine for the table. The house red was a nice fruity Merlot. It was relatively light for a Merlot though was very easy to drink.

We were here initially for a Christmas showcase evening however it had pleasingly developed into an evening to sample the new menu.

We started off with a beautiful Duck and Orange Parfait with a lovely creamy almost mousse like texture. To add an extra bonus it came with three freshly toasted slices of bread when usually you run out of bread halfway into spreading.

Duck and Orange Parfait

Jem opted for the impressive looking Scallops which were impeccably cooked

Scallops at the Walton Nottingham

With two impressive starters we were very much looking forward to our main courses.

My steak came out looking fantastic with a griddle lattice effect, peppercorn sauce and ultra-crispy onion rings. Whilst steak isn't an unusual choice for a restaurant the key is getting it right and many places struggle. The steak at the Walton was impeccably well done.

Derbyshire Sirloin Cooked Rare with Peppercorn Suace and Onion Rings

I love a steak cooked rare and as shown the Sirloin was beautifully pink. It wasn't the leanest cut I've had however I appreciate the fat on my meat for it's intense flavour.

Rare Steak at the Walton Hotel

The only disappointment with my meal was the chips. With a good chunky steak I like to see proper thick cut chips not weak little French Fries. Those served up were in a great portion size however many of them were just small inch long fries- not proper chunky chips.

I found French Fries a disappointing choice with a nice chunky Sirloin Steak

Jem opted for the impressive looking Belly Pork although the star of the show was the Crackling on top. Along with black pudding balls and a sweet potato puree the dish didn't look a classic but it packed plenty on the plate. 

Whilst the star of the show was the Crackling the belly pork itself was pretty standard- it seems to be on everyone menu at present which takes away the beauty of it and whilst we love a bit of piggy- without the crackling the dish itself would have been a pretty standard affair.

Belly Pork with Cracking

Jem was definitely impressed with the seasonal winter veg with a great variety including squash parsnip, purple carrots and courgette there was plenty of flavours to satisfy.

Strawberry Eton Mess

If you want a dessert with more calories than you could ever need in an evening the Eton Mess would definitely be a box ticker. With lovely fresh meringue and succulent strawberries mixed with thick cream it was a devilish dessert.

Tarte au Citron with Raspberries

We were also very impressed with the Tarte au Citron. With a zesty lemon cream and tart raspberry sorbet it would have many a diabetic in need of their insulin. Well worth trying if you have an ultra sweet tooth.

Our meal at the Walton Hotel was very nice indeed. With fantastic surroundings, attentive staff and well cooked food we were grateful of the opportunity to attend. The only real negative for us was the pricing. You were paying boutique hotel prices and this was reflective of the menu. Whilst the food was very nice we'd argue they need to address pricing to be able to attract more people to a hotel on what is the far edge of town. From where we live we would need to make an extra special trip and whilst we loved the surroundings the food was good but didn't warrant the premium in comparison to other restaurants we've visited.

If you're looking for somewhere to stay in the Nottingham area the Walton Hotel could be a good choice. With a selection of well furnished rooms a close walk into the heart of Nottingham it would be a great choice for business or a city break.

The rooms at the Walton Hotel