2 AA Rosettes

The Forest Hotel on the AA Guide

Directly opposite the station, at the end of a classic suburban parade of shops, the red-brick and ornate scrolling of the late Victorian façade gives way to a sophisticated, easy-on-the-eye modern look within, with its boutique-style rooms and designer décor in the airy bar and restaurant.

The crowd-pleasing, broadly European style of cooking suits the contemporary surroundings. Well-conceived dishes are prepared from quality seasonal ingredients, and cooking is precise, simple and intelligent.

Start with lamb sweetbreads with tartare sauce, move on to grilled halibut with artichokes, salsify, clams and basil linguine, and finish with dark chocolate fondant with pistachios and Turkish delight.

Competitive pricing and informal, professional service hit just the right note, too.

Rosette awards for restaurants

The long-established Rosette scheme recognises successful cooking at different levels across the UK. Success or failure in achieving Rosettes is based on one or more visits by an AA inspector to a hotel or restaurant. Essentially the visit is a snapshot, whereby the entire meal, including ancillary items (when served), is assessed.

About 10% of restaurants nationwide are of a standard that is worthy of One Rosette and above. This is indeed a huge achievement, and something not to be underestimated.

AA Rosettes are solely awarded by AA Hotel and Restaurant Inspectors. External influences from hotels, restaurants or other guides are not taken into account when awarding Rosettes.

Excellent restaurants that aim for and achieve higher standards and better consistency. A greater precision is apparent in the cooking, and there will be obvious attention to the selection of quality ingredients. Around 40% of restaurants/hotels within our AA Restaurant Guide have Two Rosettes.