A weekend at Montigo Resorts Somerset at Charlton House – and the Tiigo Bottomless Brunch

We’re sitting on a plush sofa in a historic walled garden surrounded by mature apple trees that cling to the 17th century stonework and squirrels who occasionally take a break from their scurrying, squirrelly business to peep at us from behind the hedgerows on the rolling lawns beyond our little courtyard. The sun is thinkingContinue reading “A weekend at Montigo Resorts Somerset at Charlton House – and the Tiigo Bottomless Brunch”

The Walled Garden Restaurant at Lucknam Park Hotel and Spa

Even when the SatNav tells you that you’ve arrived at the gate, take your time. “The scene is set from the moment you turn into the driveway of the luxury Lucknam Park. A magnificent, mile-long lime- and beech-lined avenue stands like a guard of honour gently guiding guests to the graciously restored Palladian mansion setContinue reading “The Walled Garden Restaurant at Lucknam Park Hotel and Spa”

Ponte Vecchio, Spring Gardens Road, Bath

It’s Thursday evening and Ponte Vecchio – the elegantly flamboyant contemporary trattoria set in a singularly unique, stand-alone location right on Bath’s bubbling weir – is buzzing. I know this even before I’ve set foot in the restaurant because, as I approach the sparkling, fairy-lit cabin (a former storage hut for boats, would you believe),Continue reading “Ponte Vecchio, Spring Gardens Road, Bath”

Green Park Brasserie/Bath Pizza Co: two (menu) worlds collide

Did you know that, if you put fresh spinach on a pizza base where you’d normally find tomato sauce, it brings a uniquely fresh, super-silky aspect to every bite? I had no idea! But the chefs in the kitchen at Bath Pizza Co know everything there is to know elevating pizza from prosaic to prodigious;Continue reading “Green Park Brasserie/Bath Pizza Co: two (menu) worlds collide”

The Richmond/The Pasta Laboratory, Bath

We went in search of a couple of freshly-baked pizzas and a bottle of good wine to celebrate… well, to celebrate it being a Friday’n’all. But The Richmond – the gorgeous little Georgian-era pub-with-rooms tucked away on a leafy residential street in one of the most beautiful neighbourhoods in Bath – went way over andContinue reading “The Richmond/The Pasta Laboratory, Bath”

The Upton Inn, Upton Cheyney, nr. Bath/Bristol

Blink as you drive past the sign for the tiny village of Upton Cheyney – roughly halfway-ish between Bath and Bristol, just off the Kelston Road – and you’ll miss the turn-off. But miss it and you’ll seriously miss out, as Upton Cheyney has to be one of the most picture-perfect villages for miles around,Continue reading “The Upton Inn, Upton Cheyney, nr. Bath/Bristol”

Mantra, Bladud Buildings, Bath

“Is that the roof of the Tramshed building?” “It must be, yes. And that lovely little Corn Market house – doesn’t it look weird from here? Like a toy house that’s just been dumped there by a kid who got bored.” “I remember when the Tramshed was the Ha! Ha! Bar” “Stupid name, with theContinue reading “Mantra, Bladud Buildings, Bath”

RootSpice, Argyle Street, Bath

A Japanese Izakaya and a modern French bistro. A supercool lounge experience and a superb steak house. An Italian trattoria, a traditional pub, a ‘boutique co-working space‘ – Argyle Street/Pulteney Bridge has quietly morphed into a distinctive modern Bath ‘quarter’ all of its own of late; heck, you could move from office to late-night partyingContinue reading “RootSpice, Argyle Street, Bath”

The Oven, Saw Close, Bath

Decent pizzas are hardly a lesser-spotted speciality in Bath; whichever part of the city centre you choose to stroll through, a proliferation of pizza perfection is never far from your orbit. As a result, it could be said that there’s no need to review a pizza hotspot – they’re hardly tucked away, and everybody knowsContinue reading “The Oven, Saw Close, Bath”

escala, Clevedon

So we got back from our break in Cannes, and it was still my big birthday week, and we both had another day off… so we went for a day out in Clevedon, where I used to live many, many years ago, and where we knew for sure that the sun would be shining… well,Continue reading “escala, Clevedon”