When it comes to food, London's West End district in the city center doesn’t have the best rap. Many locals will say that you need to venture out of zone one to eat some authentic cuisine. I disagree.
23.10.2023 - 10:29 / theguardian.com
Brockencote Hall, Chaddesley Corbett, WorcestershireYou might think you’ve rolled up at a luxury Loire valley chateau when you arrive at this Victorian manor in landscaped parkland. There’s nothing too luxe about the price, though, with B&B from £138. Spend what you save on a nine-course tasting extravaganza in the restaurant, perhaps matching it with a flight of wine. A normal two- or three-course dinner might feature local produce such as Worcestershire duck breast with confit duck hash and artisanal cheeses. There’s plenty to do during the day – fishing, tennis, or a stroll around the 29 hectares. The 21 bedrooms range from contemporary classics to feature suites.
Doubles from £138 B&B, nine-course dinner £85, brockencotehall.com
The White Hart Inn, Mersea, Essex
Derelict for almost a decade, this weatherboarded pub reopened last summer in the capable hands of Piers Baker, owner of Dedham’s Sun Inn. It’s worth crossing Mersea’s causeway (check the tides first) for the seafood alone, although carnivores and vegetarians are equally well catered for in this gastropub, where nibbles are less salted peanuts and more asparagus fritter with pea aioli. The long wine list offers plenty by the glass and reasonable prices. The bar forms part of an expansive dining room with colourful banquettes and parquet floor. Six colourful contemporary bedrooms have modern bathrooms and art (for sale) on the walls.
Doubles from £150 B&B, whitehartinnmersea.co.uk
Parador 44, Cardiff
Cádiz comes to Cardiff in this boutique bolthole, whose nine rooms were added last year above acclaimed Spanish restaurant Asador 44. Mains range from Pyrenean milk-fed lamb to grilled carabinero prawns. The (soundproofed) bedrooms evoke Andalucía at every turn, with their tiles, shutters and headboards. They share a guest lounge whose honesty bar is stocked with Spanish wine and beer. Breakfast is a delightful mix of Welsh and Spanish produce, with Spanish cheeses and tarta de Santiago (almond sponge) alongside Welshcakes on the buffet; cooked dishes include “flamenco eggs” or a “full parador”.
Doubles from £131 B&B, grupo44.co.uk
The Crown and Anchor, Ham, Wiltshire
Run as a curry house before two local couples stepped in to renovate it, this village inn serves food several notches above the average chicken madras and pub grub. Unusual options might include torched salmon with hispi cabbage and tiger prawn spring roll, or celeriac schnitzel with truffle dressing. Dining dogs are served snacks from the open kitchen, while owners can try the Ham 1840 beer, made for the pub, or sparkling Winding Wood from a nearby vineyard. Interiors include a log burner and flagstone floor with interesting additions such as Martin Parr photos in the loos.
When it comes to food, London's West End district in the city center doesn’t have the best rap. Many locals will say that you need to venture out of zone one to eat some authentic cuisine. I disagree.
Girl dinner doesn’t have to be basic. And if you know someone who indulges in girl dinner on a regular basis, this gift guide will help them make the most of doing the least, deliciously of course. Whether it’s specialty tinned fish, internationally sourced snacks, gourmet pasta or dishware that make girl dinner feel gourmet, these girl dinner gifts from around the world elevate the humble meal to a truly gift-worthy occasion.
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Want to watch the sixth and final season of The Crown at an estate that has the royal stamp of approval from the British monarchy? Whether you’re looking to vacation like King Charles III or unwind like Queen Elizabeth II, here are a handful of stunning royalty-approved UK properties that any commoner can book.
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Two books bestrode my childhood, and made me the man I am: The Magic Bridle, a collection of British and Irish myths retold by the folklorist Forbes Stuart, which ignited my six-year-old imagination in 1974, and Mysterious Britain by Janet and Colin Bord, published two years earlier, and part of a then burgeoning bookseller phenomenon of often unreliable Earth mysteries compendiums. Nonetheless, they set this particular boy off, seeking out ancient sites whenever possible. Now everything has wilted but I still have calves of iron, and I can identify the outline of a hilltop earthwork from a moving car on a motorway as surely as a falcon seeing a field mouse 500 feet below.
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