Punchbowl Inn - Lancaster

This restaurant is nothing like what is advertised. It felt like we had been deceived. The place was very dirty, with some people appearing to live on the premises, which was quite unsettling. I would recommend avoiding this place at all costs, as the health and safety standards are very poor.

We actually booked a 3 night stay in the rented caravan with breakfast. The reason we did not stay and left within an hour or so of arriving, can be plainly seen from the photos I took of the caravan. Toilet was dirty, basin had a thick layer of what looked like vaseline smeared around it, dirty paper near the door on the floor of the toilet ,the bin in the toilet hadn't been emptied. I didn't look in the shower as i had seen enough. Ashtray still had ash in it , the cups had tea/coffee spots on them , the sink had food particles stuck to the side, used dish cloths on draining board, carpet and flooring dirty and one wall light not working. Besides the disgraceful and unhygienic condition of the caravan as can be seen from these photos , we had no hot water, no key to lock the caravan and the heater didn't work as it was missing the control knob, instead there was a fan heater placed on top of the work surface to heat the caravan. It was too late for us (21.30) to find alternative accommodation with a dog , so we actually spent the night in our car in a motorway service station. Shanti was welcoming and did offer to make us something to eat as it was late when we arrived but after seeing the caravan we declined. Doug came across as unconcerned about the state of the caravan and our security for the night. We wasn't expecting anything special ,the caravan would have been fine if it had been in a fit state of cleanliness but unfortunately it wasn't fit for purpose and after seeing the biggest rat of all time near the back entrance of the pub , I was glad to be out of there .

So I booked a little break for me and my fiancée through group on online on the pictures this place looked tidy and clean campsite looked good when we arrived there pub was closed at 7pm on a Saturday night also waiting 20 minutes having to phone number from website to talk with someone the lady husband arrived showed us to the caravan said everything was working. So when we got into the caravan it was a very run down looking thing but the main point was that made the whole thing unpleasant was the state of the place the sofa bed stunk of sweat also floor was covered in crumbs and hairs toilet filled with paper and urine and shower had hairs all over. They given us a heater which might as well not have even been on with the heat it was putting out when it was -1 outside I tried to put cooker on for a little to try heat the place that didn’t work and neither did the water so we didn’t even stay the night. So they say booked this meal book that then you try to go no response and place is closed I’ve read many reviews they leave on here and there is always a excuse the police was doing this the pipe burst here we was doing maintenance there none stop excuses. I spoke to a few local businesses and people in the village and they don’t have a single positive word about the place and you can find this out yourself by just visiting.

Absolutely terrible experience. The breakfast included in a Wowcher deal was disappointing, to say the least. We weren't even offered a hot drink with our meal. The food was greasy, burnt, and completely inedible. To top it off, it was delivered to us in the rain without any cover, making the experience even worse. We weren't even allowed to eat our meal in the pub. I highly recommend checking out my full review on the Punch Bowl camping section of Trip Advisor.

I have just stayed at The Punchbowl Hotel for 3 nights and I can’t fault a thing. The family that run it are the most kind and welcoming people. We rented a caravan and it was as described, basic but comfortable. The campsite itself is basic, with 2 toilets and a shower, but it makes a good base for exploring nearby areas. The true high point of our stay though was the food. We had both breakfast and dinner every day, and tried both the western and Malaysian menu and everything was perfect. I would honestly say it was some of the best food I have ever eaten, and you can tell it’s all handmade with love. This is one place we will definitely be returning to.