Feed your culinary curiosity with our finest CoolStays for a tipple and a tasty supper, and all either downstairs from your room, or within minutes of your doorstep. Think big, old country pubs with roaring fires for local ales and ciders, luxurious dining rooms for you to treat yourself to champagne breakfasts and afternoon teas, and fresh, local seafood cafes with views out over the sea where your dinner was caught. Read on, but be warned, your mouth may water.
The Gainsborough Wharf Boatels
Hackney - London
Sleeps 4
The Gainsborough Wharf Boatels - Two charming house boats in East London with wood-burning stoves and waterside deck for soaking up the sunshine. Before laying your head down at very own boatel on the river, take one of their organised gastro tours! You are in the centre of foodie heaven with Brick Lane, Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen, and a whole host of otheramazing eateries just around the corner.
The Seafood Restaurant
Padstow - Cornwall
Sleeps 2
Opened by Rick Stein and Jill Stein in 1975, The Seafood Restaurant in Padstow is pretty famous these days. Sleep upstairs then dine downstairs and oh what sumptuous feasts await you! There’s a seafood bar right in the middle of the restaurant where you can watch chefs assembling platters of oysters, langoustines and sashimi. Or make a reservation, sit back and enjoy the view, whilst you sample the a la carte menu, and as you’d expect (and hope for) the wine list is huge!
Askham Hall
Penrith - Cumbria
Sleeps 2-4 per room
Askham Hall is a magnificent 13th Century hall in the Lake District. The perfect retreat to enjoy a unique hotel, spa & dining experience. Like your breakfast with a kick? Look out for the champagne breakfast menu at Askham Hall. The wines has been sourced from estates or small farms with a strong link to their local community, mirroring the way the Lowther family, owners of this gorgeous hotel, supports this corner of the north west of England.
The Gallivant
Camber, nr. Rye - East Sussex
Sleeps 2
Do you love wine? Well head to The Gallivant, a pretty hotel at Camber Sands that hides a stunning 134 different wines on the menu. There are even 22 delicious English sparkling wines and 6 English still wines. All fresh ingredients are sourced from within 10 miles of the hotel, and this includes a broad lunch and dinner menu, specialising in vegetarian fare.
Cowley Manor
Cowley - Gloucestershire
Sleeps Up to 4 per room
Pad downstairs from your bedroom to the dining room at the Cowley Manor. Celebrating Britain’s culinary heritage, you’ll find plenty to delight in including the reassuring presence of that British staple the afternoon tea, complete (as this is your holiday) with champagne of course.
Monnington House
Monnington-on-Wye - Herefordshire
Sleeps 18
Live the country life in picturesque rural idyll near Hay-on-Wye. 4. How do you like them apples? Appreciate the humble apple at The Bridge Inn, with award winning local ciders on tap and plenty of Herefordshire organic apple juice too. There’s also local ale, a fine selection of wines specially selected from small vineyards, oh and a selection of steaks are on the menu, alongside a killer lobster mac ‘n’ cheese. After you’ve filled your belly take a jolly stroll with your party back to your pad at Monnington House.
The Olde Bell
Hurley - Berkshire
Sleeps 4
2 AA Rosettes adorn the wall of The Olde Bell, a hotel restaurant the serves every meal of the day, including a rip-roaring special Sunday lunch, perfect for feeding all your crew with even a special menu for the kiddos. You’ll also find 93 wines on the menu too...so you may wish to take your time. Perhaps the perfect trip for a proper foodie, the two Michelin starred pub The Hand and Flowers, run by the TV friendly Tom Kerridge, is also just up the road.
The Punch Bowl Inn & Restaurant at Crosthwaite
Crosthwaite - Cumbria
Sleeps 2
Say hello to the Dining Pub of the Year for Cumbria Life for 2015 and 2016 by taking your tummy on a trip to The Punch Bowl Inn and Restaurant at Crosthwaite. Expect a warm welcome, with space for a big group to hang out, yet plenty of cosy nooks for two. Look out for dishes such as wild brill and king prawn linguine, roast halibut, cockles, capers, confit fennel and dill, and of course plenty of local ales on draught.
Ploughmans Cottage
Nr Lymington - New Forest
Sleeps 12
At the Ploughmans Cottage, you’ll find you can wander out of your garden gate across to the The East End Arms in moments. Say yes please to pan seared calves liver with mustard mash, dry cured bacon, crispy onion rings and a rich jus, with a house ale from the local Ringwood Brewery. If you’re lucky you’ll get a sneaky peak at John Illsley, bass guitarist of Dire Straits, who owns this home from home in the heart of the New Forest.
Hive Beach House
Burton Bradstock - Dorset
Sleeps 6
A stunning romantic bolthole right on Dorset’s Jurassic Coast; complete with a sea-view hot tub next to a sandy, shingle beach. Pop across to the Hive Beach Cafe from your Hive Beach House and you’ll find locally sourced and sustainable ingredients, plenty of seafood and a seaview. If that’s not enough, take a 15 minute trip to River Cottage, where you can do meat curing and smoking, bread making, cakes and sweet pastry, or simply sit down for lunch, maybe even with Hugh F-W.