My stay at the Compleat Angler Marlow: location, location, location

The Compleat Angler, Marlow is proof that some hotels don’t need to have swimming pools, hot tubs and the very latest in beauty treatments – they just need to be in a great spot.

Location of Compleat Angler, Marlow

You could say that hotels in Marlow are blessed with a great location anyway, as Marlow is one of the nicest towns in Berkshire, but  only the Compleat Angler Marlow can boast such a prime position on the Thames.

The Compleat Angler, Marlow, is located right on the banks of the Thames

It’s just a stone’s throw from the impressive suspension bridge designed in the 1830s by William Tiernay Clarke (who also built the Szechenyai bridge spanning the Danube in Budapest) and right across the river from the beautiful All Saints’ Church, so that couples getting married in the church can travel in style across the river to their wedding reception while guests follow on foot over the bridge.

The view from the Compleat Angler takes in the Marlow Bridge and All Saint’s Church across the river

In case you managed to miss the Thames on your way into the hotel, both its Riverside restaurant and its restaurant Sindhu overlook the river, with stunning views both during the day and in the evening, when the church is lit up against the night sky. Our room, in the newer wing, even had its own balcony overlooking the weir.

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Our room with its own balcony (ablaze with sunlight) overlooking the weir

The rather lovely view of the weir from our bedroom balcony

(Incidentally the Compleat Angler, named after the famous fishing book written by Marlow resident Izaak Walton, is officially called the Macdonald Compleat Angler as it’s part of the Macdonald Hotels chain, but thankfully while the corporate name is much in evidence inside the hotel, the building you see as you drive across Marlow bridge is resolutely just the Compleat Angler.)

The Compleat Angler – nothing more, nothing less.

Sindhu by Atul Kochhar restaurant

While the hotel has eschewed spa facilities it certainly hasn’t neglected the fine dining option: its hotel restaurant is Sindhu created by Michelin-starred chef Atul Kochhar and it was there I had lunch. The ten-course tasting menu looked good value and so it proved: the food, billed as traditional Indian, was excellent, from the chickpea and yoghurt ‘wheat bubble’ amuse-bouche to the tandoor-grilled rack of lamb, by way of small but tasty dishes of sweet potato, hand-dived scallop, grilled chicken marinated with herbs and saffron cream (that really was delicious).

Sindu’s tasting menu was delicious – all ten courses of it

The meal finished with a flourish and a chocolate mousse ball which opened up dramatically when chocolate sauce was poured over it and the portions were so well-judged that we left feeling replete but not over-full.

Chocolate mousse with passion fruit

Dinner at the Compleat Angler

Dinner at the Riverside restaurant couldn’t be faulted either: excellent service and good food: starting with smoked salmon mousse (£11), then breast of pheasant (£28) and the only duff point of the meal, a rather tasteless salmon fillet cooked sous vide, (£27) – we shared the mirror-glazed chocolate delice and resolved to stop eating for a while. (Obviously this didn’t last – the breakfasts were too good to resist).

The Riverside restaurant at the Compleat Angler – a lovely setting both day and night

Overall the Compleat Angler – sorry, Macdonald Compleat Angler – was a lovely place to stay and eat: it was charming and relaxed, with several smart lounges where you could sit and watch the world go by (while enjoying rather pricey espressos at £4.20 a shot).

Even the loo roll makes the most of the Compleat Angler name

Bedrooms at the Compleat Angler

Our room was immaculate and very quiet, with the only complaint being the lack of conditioner in the bathroom (you’re given shampoo, shower wash and moisturiser, but no conditioner). The reason from reception was that conditioner was only available ‘on request’. Now I tend to be halfway through a shower before I request conditioner and that’s probably too late. Thankfully they don’t apply that criteria to the loo roll…

Minor gripe aside, it’s a lovely hotel in a lovely setting and worth making tracks for – it was charming enough on a cold February day so I can imagine that sitting outside on the lawn by the river on a summer’s day watching the world go by will really be something.

[Note: this review of my stay at Compleat Angler Marlow hotel was published in 2015 but has been updated regularly since]

Hotel information and to book Compleat Angler Marlow

Macdonald Compleat Angler
Bridge
Bisham
Marlow SL7 1RG
Phone: 0344 879 9128

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If you love hotels with a view of the Thames then you’ll love these reviews: Cliveden House hotel, a favourite of poets, players and princesses; Danesfield House hotel and spa, relaxation on the Thames; The Bull at Sonning: a perfect example of a great British pub;