The Hoops

My family and I were ungraciously refused service here on Bank Holiday Monday. We drove all the way to this place for a country pub lunch as my mother had been before for a party and it was a nice location. We had checked the website which clearly stated the opening times on Bank Holiday Mondays were '12 noon to 4pm for food and drinks', so made the journey there. We arrived at 2.50pm and were told the kitchen had closed. The staff ungraciously tried to justify this. Very disappointing and also difficult to find. Plenty of other nice pubs in the area. Avoid!

The Hoops is a very genuine, pretty and highly atmospheric gastropub in what seems deepest Hertfordshire, but is in essence a quick 10-15min drive from Stansted Airport. Now there are a few of these, but The Hoops has something very special about it. The entire property is very pretty and well run, but the kitchen deserves a special notice as there is a real sense of passion about the food that is produced and served here. The cook has his own herb, salad and vegetable garden out back and the result are dishes which many central London eateries would kill for – delicious, honest and simply excellent. There are many reasons to visit The Hoops, but if you are picking up friends or family from Stansted, this is a slice of countryside England before hitting the metropolis. Lovely.

Went here for Mothers Day, 3rd April 2010. The restaurant has been taken over my the Henry Moore Foundation and reflects his art. Beautiful setting and a light and airy restaurant. Greeted by friendly staff and sat a nice table. From here things went from bad to worse. Service was appalling one of our dinners came out and we waited for the other two to arrive for at least ten minutes, therefore food got cold. Staff were wandering outside with plates of food to find the respective customers and then bringing back into the restaurant as they could not find the right tables. Halfway through my dessert it was whipped away as they thought I had finished. We were then given a bill for six people (we were three). When we asked for the coffee it was almost as it was too much trouble. The quality of the food is great but the service needs to be sorted out as it ruins the overall experience.