Champney’s Restaurant & Tavern

Eating lunch at Champney’s offered me a nice restful break form touring Historic Deerfield. Upon entering the historic building I noticed the interiors looked fairly modern, almost faux colonial, but definitely refine and well maitained. I hesitated to enter as I was on a tight schedule and only wanted a quick light lunch not a full meal. My fears were quickly alleviated.
Each staff person was friendly. Even my server was most understanding when I only ordered a small salad and coffee after I stated I wanted something quick and light. The salad was presented well on the plate but was room temperature rather than chilled. Still the vegetables were fresh. The coffee was served in a large mug and tasted great. I stayed longer for a refill.
In closing, the restaurant was very cleaned and the staff welcoming. I enjoyed the ambiance and what a treat not see a television screen while dining (I was in the bar area).

We have been to Champney’s many times and never had a complaint. Whether a burger at the bar for lunch or a more formal dinner at a table, both the food and service have been just fine. My wife gives the Bloody Marys a good review and they maintain a good selection of draft beers. We’ve introduced several friends to Champney’s and they have been likewise impressed. The seasonal menu and largely local ingredients add to the experience. I highly recommend this place if you happen to be in the Deerfield area.

Everything turned out ok despite the fact that they couldn’t find our reservation made three weeks earlier. Make sure you get a confirmation number or at least the name of the person taking it. Took quite a while to get our drinks. I think they could use more help.

Champney’s has seasonal menus, which means you can count on them using fresh local ingredients! I’ve gone for brunch, lunch, and dinner– the dinner menu being my favorite. The thin crust pizzas are really delicious. I also thought the wedge salads and brussels sprouts were great, although both were taken off the menu for a while (not sure if they’re back).
I found the brunch menu to be lacking, unfortunately. I ordered home fries, eggs, and orange juice. None of them were memorable and were pretty average. Definitely not worth the price.
The ambience has always been pleasant, and the bathrooms were clean. The staff members are hard working and friendly. Champney’s is on the pricy end for sure, but is a decent place to eat if you’re in the Deerfield area.

Love to visit Champney’s, and do so often. We are locals and consider this our go to spot for good fare and conversation. Mark and Tad are great, behind the bar. The restaurant has improved, but they need to return to their full menu as the excuse that they reduced it because multiple Parents’ Weekends in October kept them too busy to maintain the expanded menu, is getting old. It’s well into November and Parents’ Weekends are over.

Great staff the bar manager was great set me up with a beer sampler and knew almost everyone by name, breakfast in the morning was awesome too

It’s located right in the middle of historic Deerfied, and is pretty much the only option if you are passing by or visiting at Deerfield Academy. The staff are very friendly and attentive. The menu varies from lunch through dinner as there is a ‘in-​between” menu from 3−5pm that I pretty much hit each time I’m there. The place holds its own and is quite good, despite being the only act in town.

Can’t say the hostess didn’t warn us: «We’re on a limited menu due to suddenly losing some longtime staff members. Your server will be… I’m actually not sure.» After about 10 minutes of waitstaff walking right by our table, seemingly avoiding eye contact, we finally flagged someone down to take our drink orders. The server made an odd comment when one member of our party ordered a Belgian beer — «Blonde like your hair, right?» — and walked away before he could specify that no, he’d actually like the amber. Another one of us was served his beer in a different size glass than he ordered, which he decided was more trouble than it was worth to correct. The two of us not drinking were served extremely flat Diet Coke, twice — some issue with the fountain — and finally our apologetic server got us some cans. It would have been a nice gesture to take the two $ 3 Cokes off the check, but we were refused. («You drank them, right?»)
The food was good, as it has been every other time we’ve come here, but for the price I don’t think it’s unreasonable to expect a higher standard of service. We felt uncomfortable and unwelcome. For now, we aren’t planning on returning to Champney’s.

Four stars is right! Really nice elegant, historical/​modern atmosphere. Went with my 10-​year old, and he liked it too. Many good food selections for both of us. Settled on charcuterie board (really good), fried oysters on salad, calamari appetizer (excellent greens, spectacular pickled peppers, and «meh» calamari), and a burger. The server, Beth, was both efficient and fun, and she really added to the experience. My only gripe is with the quality of the fried things: calamari, oysters, and frites. All lacked pizazz: too soft, gummy texture, not flavored well. Maybe just hotter oil and some salt would help? But the greens were all spectacular. I’d go back. Note: it gets crowded, so get a reservation. We went on a Thursday early evening, and had to sit at a high table right next to the bar.

I had read an article about Champney’s in our local paper that interested me for a few reasons, but particularly because the chef had changed their batter for fried seafood to a gluten-​free cornmeal based mix. And for someone that rarely gets to eat fried food, let alone fried seafood, this was exciting news! So we headed up on 8÷13÷2015, our anniversary, and had a wonderful dinner! Fried oysters are awesome! Another highlight of the meal was the wonderful peach salad, and the pickled vegetables that accompanied the oysters. It’s a nice diverse menu that specializes in fresh and local produce and we look forward to going back!

This place is the BEST!
First, it’s nestled in Historic Deerfield which is so wonderful and quaint. One of our nation’s treasures. The Inn allows dogs which is so cool and there is a friendly, old dog roaming the lobby.
BACK to the restaurant. The service is impeccable. Like, insanely friendly and accommodating.
The lunch menu features many gluten free options which are very clearly marked. This place is awesome if you have a gluten allergy or Celiac.
The seafood chowder soup is amazing. It’s super creamy and you can tell they use high quality dairy. Also, its loaded with seafood.
I had a chicken BLT sandwich which was good and large! Also the sandwiches come with an option for sweet potato fries which is always amazing in my book (most places charge extra for sweet potato but these were free!). Also ordered a side of maple syrup for dipping which was sooo good. Also if you order any fried fish, it comes with a «tartar sauce» which is more like a remoulade and insanely good.
Try the Indian pudding for dessert! It tastes like a pumpkin pie custard. It’s divine!

We sat down at the bar about 15 minutes before the kitchen closed. We ordered an appetizer and then ordered our meal. Our appetizer came out with our meal. Our French fries were cold.
If you’re going to be open, be open. Don’t rush out food because your kitchen is close to closing.
There only saving grace was the bar tender was very friendly and accommodating.

Wonderful dinner, service and atmosphere! Don’t leave without the triple chocolate cake! Would definitely come back.

I wanted to thank you for yet ANOTHER great meal! I also cannot stress enough how much we appreciate the personalized service. During our last visit, our usual table wasn’t available (I prefer a corner seat). The server (who was very pregnant), recognized us, and offered us a table that was perfect. There was also an issue with something floating in a water glass. Not a big deal, and it was promptly replaced. Two servers actually came to replace it!
The food was absolutely great, as expected! I can’t say enough good things about the food or the service here. I forget the pregnant servers name, but she is just the most attentive, prompt and friendly person ever! Certainly an asset to your business! She always makes us feel like the most important people there.

This restaurant should be sooo good. Beautiful village, beautiful building, ambience not bad (not great, but not bad), cordial service if casual and informal (a little too chatty on occasion, although last time was much more professional, they’re obviously reading these reviews), prestigious school down the street with a captive audience with allegedly lots of disposal income.
But the restaurant is not good, it’s mediocre. We’ve eaten here many times as our children go to school down the street – but no matter what we order, we are almost always disappointed. The NE clam chowder – «knocking down the door good» said our waitress. Huh? She must’ve had it somewhere else. Mine was like a bowl of tasteless warm milk with a couple of diced potatoes and clams in it – and one ridiculously large clam, still in its (burning hot) shell, thrust into the middle of this mess – so that it had to be pulled out with with your fingers (note warm tasteless milk all over them and burnt fingers from extremely hot clam shell) and clam wrestled out – why?
The fried eggplant? Heavy, hard, tasteless crust, tasted like it had just made its way out of the freezer into the fryer – not fresh tasting at all, but «old» tasting. Same with the French fries. These were not made fresh that day. Wedge salad? Freezing cold iceberg lettuce, drenched with prepackaged blue cheese dressing. Fish and chips? My son, who will eating anything and everything, left most of it on his plate. Again, that same tasteless, heavy and hard coating. The Bloody Mary is very good – they say it’s their own mix, but who knows? It doesn’t matter, it passes muster.
Here’s advice from a foodie gourmet with lots of disposable income: fire the chef (if they’re family or the owner – pull your head in and admit you need outside help and expertise), give the menu a do-​over (a new, talented chef will be able to do this), use only fresh-​that-​day ingredients and foodstuffs – and this will be the hottest ticket in town, the hottest place for miles, the owners will make a fortune, you will have a great reputation, and people will come back and fill the rooms, every meal. Good luck, I hope you’re reading this.

We made reservations for dinner at Champney’s partially on the strength of the reviews on Unilocal!and partially because of the dearth of fine restaurants in a 10-​mile radius of the historic village of Deerfield. Make no mistake about it: Champney’s is the in-​house restaurant at the Deerfield Inn — you actually walk through the lobby of the 19^th-​century inn to get to Champney’s — and Champney’s is the undisputed, official go-​to place for parents, alumni, and students from the adjacent Deerfield Academy.
When we arrived on a Friday evening during the height of fall foliage season, the tavern portion of Champney’s was jumpin’ with people having a good time. Everyone was friendly and happy, and we were seated promptly (thanks to our reservation made online) and the service was excellent. They have a dozen or more beers on tap, mostly from microbrews around New England, and a five-​beer sampler for $ 9 (I think). I thought it was cool that you could also order any draft you want in a 12-​, 16-​, or 20-​ounce size.
It was not a night for us to gorge so we kept it light: a big salad with grilled chicken breast and a quesadilla with chicken, sautéed mushrooms, and beans. Both meals were pretty much what you’d expect from a good restaurant. Fresh ingredients, generous portions, prepared to please. The dining room was beautiful and the ambience was just perfect for us, despite the noisy crowd in the tavern. If you ever find yourself on Route 5 in Deerfield, or if you happen to be at Deerfield Academy for something, then we recommend Champney’s.

A great lunch in a relaxing atmosphere while you enjoy Historic Deerfield. Excellent service from our waitress.
I’m not sure what one would necessarily do at night if you didn’t have a child at the nearby academy but it would also be a great place to stay.

After a long day walking up and down in historic Deerfield, we sunk gratefully into a quiet corner for an early dinner at Champney’s. What a treat!
Our waitress was chatty and personable without being obtrusive. My husband and I enjoyed a pleasant conversation without having to talk over the usual restaurant chatter. A generous drink and warm fresh baked focaccia kept us sustained while we waited for our entrees.
Chicken under a brick was crispy and juicy without being overpowered by trendy seasonings. The chicken rested on a bed of warm and creamy cheddar grits. Collard greens seasoned with bacon finished off the plate of homey goodness.
My husband’s Cowboy Steak could have served two buckaroos easily. Smashed potatoes complemented its succulent goodness and roasted asparagus added a healthy touch to a fabulous repast.
Though many of the desserts were tempting, we shared a warm peach cobbler topped with a scoop of cinnamon gelato. We were sorry to see the evening end.
Many historic areas offer a local restaurant — too often they are simply a courtesy to weary travelers. Their menus are kitschy and their food a disappointment. Not so with Champney’s. This restaurant was a fitting end to a lovely day. I highly recommend it!

This weekend while on the hunt for perspective venues for our wedding rehearsal dinner, we decided to stop in at this location to try out their cuisine. When we walked into the Inn we were warmly greeted by the staff who seated us quickly. The dining area itself was comfortable and clean. Our waiter was decent but absent at times, but the bartender Joe was extremely polite and helpful.
When it came time to order our meals, we started off with an order of calamari. The calamari was cooked to perfection and the dipping sauce was incredible. For my entrée I chose the oyster po’ boy sandwich which was amazing. The oysters were fried to perfection, the bread they came on was delicious, and the French fries that accompanied the sandwich were delicious as well. My partner had the pulled pork sandwich which she also enjoyed.
In the end we had a relaxing meal at Champney’s and hope to return soon. The food was great, the atmosphere was relaxing, and the staff was extremely polite. This will have to be one of the options for our rehearsal dinner.

The food is a-​okay at Champney’s and I htink the «tavern» in the title should prepare you for the experience. There is nothing at all wrong with that, I just think you will enjoy your experience here more if you are prepared for that atmosphere. We were there a few nights ago and Chamney’s had a lively bar business. I forget it is near Deerfield Academy for most of the diners in the dining room were young (take that for what it means).
The disconcerting piece of my evening was the service. .. quite perplexing. I am reluctant to say it was «bad» becuase I’ve had bad service in the past, this was more off-​putting. For example, my BF ordered hot tea and asked what Champney’s had — he was told «we have everything, what would you like?» First, it’s offputting to have that ut back at you. .. now it is my responsibility to come up with teas? He’s not looking for Earl Grey, he; susually looking for somehting like Bai Lin Gong Fu which I am sure they don’t have. Later, when we were ordering dinner: I order my entrée, and he ordered the app stating «we’ll start with the apple and cheddar melt, then we would like to split a ceasar salad» (we had previsouly asked if it was dinner size or side salad size and told it was dinner size). The waiter then closed his pad and walked away — we had to stop the waiter so he could order his entrée. It was very odd. Also, the salad came before the appetizer which is not the standard in my opinion.
As I said, I cannot complain about the food, and the atmosphere is a lovely tavern — but the service leaves more than a little to be desired.