This £82 hotel buffet has gone viral — is it worth the money? (2024)

It’s 1pm on a Saturday and I have a decision to make: whether to line my stomach with piles of blush-pink roast lamb and fluffy Yorkshires, or gorge on stone-baked pizza dripping with mozzarella. I’m standing, empty plate in hand, before the ludicrously palatial array of international food stations at the Grove Hotel in Hertfordshire. It’s hard to know where to begin with the hotel’s “luxury buffet”: the sushi stand laden with fresh sashimi, the “live pasta station”, the table of steaming curries, the robata grill station full of tender meat… and that’s before I’ve even reached the desserts. I resolve to begin with moderation, piously devoting a corner of my plate to curly kale and asparagus, before launching into a feast that would make Augustus Gloop look restrained.

When I had asked my 85-year-old grandfather if he would like to join me for a posh buffet lunch, the week before, he was initially hesitant. My grandpa is the first to describe himself as culinarily unadventurous, much more inclined towards fish and chips than trendy fine dining. Besides, as he explained in more forgiving terms, the idea of a buffet on home soil connotes a mass-produced, oily, pile-em-high display of grey. “This one’s different,” I told him. “Buffets have become cool — you’ll like it, I promise.”

My trusted source, at this stage, was TikTok: it was on the video-sharing app that I had first come across the Grove’s buffet (namely an American user excitedly proclaiming to have discovered the “secret five-star buffet right outside of London”). It wasn’t the only buffet I’d seen raved about online in recent months: Gen Z appears to have become increasingly enthralled by the all-you-can-consume concept post-pandemic, from holidays to brunches — now, the bouji buffet lunch is booming in popularity, with hotels leading the way. High-end restaurants such as Nobu are also capitalising on the trend, redefining the all-you-can-eat concept with lavish sushi buffets.

At the Grove’s upscale restaurant, the Glasshouse, the demographic of my fellow buffet-goers is diverse, from families with young children to smartly dressed, Instagrammy couples in their twenties. It isn’t particularly busy, meaning sparse queues at the food stations and attentive service from our waiter, who swiftly clears empty plates and takes our drink orders. My grandpa — having capitulated to my powers of persuasion — quickly finds himself won over by the “fine dining buffet” concept. While his plates fill and empty with rounds of mushroom soup, Ottolenghi-style salads and crispy roast potatoes, I find myself returning to the robata grill, where a chef carves up an array of juicy meats.

The Glasshouse’s executive chef, Maarten Geschwindt, tells me that it is this “live cooking” experience that makes the Grove buffet so popular. “Even as a chef, my opinion of buffets was always, ‘Yeah, the fish is always overcooked, and the meat is dry, and the salads look a bit limp’ … but we’re able to keep it fresh because we’re cooking as we’re going,” he says. “Each station has its own specialist chefs … the Italian station has an Italian on it, for example, which always helps, cooking a range of sauces and pastas.”

Another factor contributing to buffets’ bad rep is the wastage involved, but Geschwindt says sustainability is a priority for his team. The Grove’s pre-booking system allows the chefs to carefully plan the volume of food required for each day, minimising the amount that’s left uneaten, and meat is sourced locally. During the pandemic, the restaurant operated on an à la carte basis, but when the buffet was reintroduced, Geschwindt says there was an influx of bookings. “I think there was a huge surge of pent-up frustration at not being able to go to buffets,” he says. “I thought it would be short-lived, but it’s really continued.”

In the visual-led universe of TikTok, where excess generates engagement, it’s no wonder that buffets such as this one are proving such a hit. But these banquets, full Hogwarts-style, are also the stuff of dreams for children — particularly when it comes to dessert.

Our savoury stomachs sated, my grandfather and I waddle over to the dessert area, which occupies a substantial portion of the food court, and survey the options. Row upon row of bijou gateaux, each artful (and delicious) in its own right; a colossal chocolate fountain with marshmallows and strawberries for dipping; an ice cream and sprinkles station; bouncy cakes and Turkish delight … we devour our fair share to the point of near-combustion.

• Best hotels in Hertfordshire

So my grandfather, once buffet-sceptical, appears to have been converted. He’s even pondering taking the whole family back to the Glasshouse for his 86th birthday lunch.

Claudia Rowan was a guest at the Grove’s Glasshouse restaurant; lunch buffet from £82; B&B doubles from £410 (thegrove.co.uk)

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Five other luxury hotel buffets to book now

1. Ned’s Feast at the Ned, London

The Ned’s Feast in Millie’s Lounge is all-you-can-eat with serious glitz, featuring oysters, limitless lobsters, charcuterie, Sunday roast, and the all-important mammoth dessert selection. There’s also live music to entertain you while you go up for seconds, thirds and fourths at this hotel near Bank (from £100; 12pm-7pm Sundays).
Details B&B doubles from £430 (thened.com)

2. Brunch at the Spence, Gleneagles Townhouse, Edinburgh
Scotland’s finest brunch buffet is at Gleneagles Townhouse on St Andrew Square in the city centre. Here, the last weekend of every month brings the Spence Brunch Club, where top picks include wild mushroom arancini, Scottish shellfish, truffle gnocchi, and a dedicated dessert room. There’s live music, and you can even build your own bloody mary or opt for a mimosa instead (from £85; 11.30pm-3.30pm, last Saturday and Sunday of every month).
Details B&B doubles from £335 (gleneagles.com/townhouse)

3. Buffet at the Leftbank Restaurant, the Runnymede on Thames Hotel, Egham, Surrey

Breakfast, lunch (weekends only) and dinner are available at the Runnymede’s all-day buffet, which has a backdrop of the River Thames. The buffet includes live-action cooking, so expect wood-fired dishes made before your eyes (from £32; daily).
Details B&B doubles from £145 (runnymedehotel.com)

4. Sunday Carvery at Oatlands Park Hotel, Weybridge, Surrey
Every Sunday afternoon, this Surrey hotel serves up a luxury Sunday roast buffet with all the trimmings, plus live jazz. Start with a mezze platter or mackerel crevettes before choosing between roast beef, pork, West Country lamb, turkey and the chef’s catch of the day (or try them all). Desserts include bread and butter pudding, warm sticky toffee pudding and tiramisu (from £40; 1pm-3pm Sundays).
Details B&B doubles from £149 (oatlandsparkhotel.com)

5. Dinner at Celtic Manor Resort, Newport
This Welsh hotel takes its buffet inspiration from around the world: here you’ll find traditional Welsh, European and Asian flavours, five salad options, ample vegan dishes, a street-food section, a cheese board and a plethora of different desserts. Dishes change on a daily basis (from £38; 6pm-9:30pm daily).
Details B&B doubles from £123 (celtic-manor.com)

What are your thoughts on buffets? Let us know in the comments below

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