Showing posts with label wine. Show all posts
Showing posts with label wine. Show all posts
It was my birthday at the beginning of June and I thought what better way to spend it then to go to a luxury hotel for the night and have dinner?! I love, love, love hotels (who doesn't) and having recently finished University I felt that a little break was just what I needed.
Hambleton Hall is owned by Mr & Mrs Hart who also have the Hambleton Bakery's, Hart's Hotel and Hart's Restaurant in their collection. If you have been to London you may have visited their restaurants ran by Sam and Eddy, their sons, Quo Vadis, Fino (now closed) and Barrafina. Located by Rutland Waters it is easy to get to via train or car from everywhere and only took us an hour via two trains from Nottingham. Originally opening in the 1980's Hambleton Hall is a large country house hotel featuring 15 bedrooms, a restaurant, bar, drawing room and heated outdoor swimming pool. With beautiful grounds and next to the quaint town of Oakham it is a lovely retreat away form the hustle and bustle of busy cities.
After arriving at the hotel and checking in to our room we decided to take a stroll down by the lake and walk alongside the sheep and lambs whilst the weather was being nice to us (this didn't last though and we managed to be on the way back to the hotel with umbrella in hand when the heavens opened!). Time to dry off and have a tea and coffee in the drawing room; as this isn't supplied in the rooms. Personally I really liked this as it encouraged us to see more of the hotel and be in the company of other guests rather than hidden away in our room...although it was so nice that this wouldn't have been a problem at all. Loose leaf tea and a cafettiere of coffee with some homemade biscuits really was added luxury instead of a tea bag and instant coffee, the small things really do make a difference.
Time to head back to the room and really take a look around and get the camera out. We had a Standard Room on the top floor which was the Treetops room - named so because of the view of the trees across from the entrance of the hotel. Each room is individually decorated and named according to it's view and each has a large bedroom and bathroom to go with. I didn't see any of the other rooms but to say ours was a Standard room it was much better than any other Standard room I had been in. The bedroom was large and had a small hallway in-between that and the bathroom. In the wardrobe was a walking pack with maps and granola bars and instructions of where to find the wellingtons to wear for walks around the countryside. The bathrooms was the biggest I have had the privilege of using in hotels with a large bath and separate walk in shower there was probably room to dance in there and two people to actually get ready at the same time. The walls in the bedroom were covered in high quality fabric and the bathroom floor was marble - pure luxury.
We changed for dinner and headed to the bar for a pre-dinner drink and canapés before being shown to our seat. I had a Bramble Cocktail and the canapés included a parmesan windmill and a beetroot macaron with goats cheese. The Sommelier had also introduced himself after our order was taken to recommend a bottle of wine to go with the dishes we had chosen, given the choice of two we decided with a very nice French red.
Starters were served and we were blown away with the Michelin Star quality of food in front of us. I went with the Seared Scallops served with Lapsang Tea Puree and Escabeche. The Scallops were cooked to perfection and the puree provided a slight smokey and flavoursome accompaniment which went beautifully with the light flavours of the Scallops.
For the Main Course I chose the Roast Goosnargh Duck served with Cucumber, Plums and Black Beans. The Duck was, again, cooked to perfection and the sweet plums with black beans and cucumber made the meat taste divine. The portions were not huge but with the amount of flavour we received we were both quite full after our Main Courses and had to hold off dessert for thirty minutes. We decided to try something that sounded light and fruity after our previous courses so we both chose English Strawberries with Champagne Jelly, Sorbet and Pistachios. It arrived on what could only be described as an Oyster dish with amazing flare and attention from every other table. We still managed to devour this and we were then ready to head back to our room to relax. The wine suggested was beautiful and paired well with each course.
We arrived back to our room to find that the turn down service was one better than any other. Our clothes that we had wore during the day and thrown on the bed were folded and put in the wardrobe, our phones were on each side of the bed and everything had been picked up off the floor and put neatly on the side. Some people may find this intrusive however we appreciated the extra touches and were surprised at the effort taken for a service that can easily be forgotten about.
After an amazing night sleep in the huge bed we were in it was time to order breakfast to the room. As Hambleton Hall is part of the collection with the Hambleton Bakeries all of their breads and cakes are made fresh and delivered from the bakery just nearby. All produce is also sourced locally and the quality shows in the taste. I ordered some Loose Leaf Tea, a Tea Cake, a Manchet, Grapefruit Juice and Eggs Benedict. Everything was amazing and I was very satisfied with not a bite-full left on the plate. Time to relax in the large bath and get ready to go home we were very disappointed to not be enjoying another night of luxury.
We very much enjoyed our stay, the staff and food were amazing and we couldn't fault anything about Hambleton Hall - hopefully we will return again one day! Let me know what your favourite hotels are in the comments below!
Hambleton Hall, Hambleton, Oakham, Rutland LE15 8TH Tel: 01572 756 991
Twitter: Hambleton Hall Hotel
Dinner, Bed and Breakfast was a complimentary gift however all opinions are my own.
It was Jensen's birthday last month so I decided to treat him to a night away somewhere not too far but that felt far enough to enjoy some time together. After searching through websites for independent hotels I came across Langar Hall, I had heard some good things previously and I don't know why it took me so long to think of staying here. They had a Dinner, Bed and Breakfast offer available and it was just too tempting to pass on!
Pulling up to the hotel down the tree lined road we were greeted by a gorgeous honey coloured country house and some welcoming receptionists. It seemed we were the first guests checking in so far that day right on time at 2pm; unfortunately there was a wake due to start within the next hour and we were advised to stay in the room until around 5pm whilst the 200 or so guests were there. A little disappointing as this meant we were almost imprisoned in the room and couldn't take a leisurely walk around the hotel to see what it had to offer. We didn't mind too much as the bed was so comfortable we made ourselves some tea and got cozy until the event had finished.
To our delight a couple of hours later we were given a small complimentary afternoon tea (food from the wake but absolutely lovely) and this tied us over until our evening meal. This offer included the best available room also and we were not disappointed by the lovely Lilac Room they allocated us. The room had all of the essentials and was decorated beautifully with white walls and accents of green and lilac. Our room was on the second floor and the view out of the window was of lovely peaceful greenland and the tree lined road that leads to the hotel.
Time went by and we were ready for our dinner! We got changed and headed down to the restaurant where we were given some Prosecco (courtesy of Imogen the owner) and some popcorn to snack on whilst we looked over the menus in the lounge area next to a beautiful log burning fire. We finally decided what to have and were taken to our lovely table in the restaurant to enjoy our evening.
After having a wonderful nights sleep in the huge comfortable bed we got ready and headed down for breakfast. Imogen, the owner, was there once again and it made me think she must never leave for the day except to sleep. She greeted us on arrival, was there at dinner and came to say 'Hello' to us at breakfast. Service was incredible again and the breakfast was lovely with fresh baked croissants and local produce we definitely appreciated the delicious food. I opted for Poached Eggs, Black Pudding and Mushroom whilst Jensen went for the Full English. With a pot of Green Tea and some lovely continental items the breakfast room was truly heavenly.
Overall, we really enjoyed our time but were a little disappointed by the lack of communication before we arrived that the wake was being held, it would have been nice to look around the communal area. I would definitely recommend the hotel and the food really made our evening special.
Dinner Bed and Breakfast was £185 for 2 people sharing. Although the afternoon tea and prosecco was complimentary everything else was paid for and all views are my own.
It is that time of year again, Christmas Market time! Nottingham's Christmas Market has been open for over a week now and so I thought it was about time I took a trip into the city centre and had a look at what is there. Nottingham hold their market in the Market Square part of the city centre, which is located outside of the Council House. It was recently modified and upgraded a few years ago and is now the perfect place for the Christmas Market. For the past couple of years there has also been an outdoor ice rink for families, couples and friends to skate around whilst listening to Christmas music and having a really good evening. The theme for the Christmas Market is always 'Old English' and has lots of little wooden cabins with snow covered rooftops and men and women in traditional coats and top hats selling gifts and food items.
A little like the Goose Fair in Nottingham, there is always yummy treats to purchase and take home as a souvenir. Treats on offer this year include; traditional pancakes, chocolate covered fruit, fudge and chewy cables. As you can see there is also a large selection of flavours of the fudge for everyones inner child to get sugar crazy about, such as Mince Pie flavour and also Vodka Red Bull flavour! As I write this I am also nibbling on some Watermelon flavour cables...for breakfast *tut tut*.
It's not a Christmas Market without German sausages and burgers! There are Traditional Sausages, German Sausages, Beef Burgers and Pigs in Blankets .... to name a few. Lots of lovely smells and tastes for everyone to experience and enjoy. Jensen chose the Hot and Spicy hotdog whilst I went for the Wild Boar burger. Yum Yum Yum.
Who can resist hot mulled wine or hot apple cider?? No one! That is why every year there are two individual bars for the public to relax and have a drink at. There is the traditional wooden house bar next to the outdoor ice rink and also, the bar situated under a Helter-Skelter! Each one houses the same selection of cold and hot drinks and there are benches and blankets to sit down and keep warm. As you can see I couldn't stop myself from indulging in a Mulled Wine - a little expensive for the size of the cup but that is what the market is all about, Christmas music and festive spirit.
Let me know if you have been to any Christmas Markets this year or if you have been to Nottingham's! xx
Le Bistrot Pierre, 13-17 Milton Street, NG1 3EN (0115) 941 2850
I have been away from blogging lately because of the workload from Uni (final year!) but it has slowed down a little now so I thought I would share my recent visit to Le Bistrot Pierre with you all.
Twice a month (except for December) they hold a Dine with Wine evening where you can have a three course meal each paired with wine for £27.95 or £22.95 for two courses. I went along with the boyfriend to see if it was any good as we have eaten here a few times but never with this menu. They put the menus online for the whole year so I would advise having a look before you choose which evening to go to as the menu is different each time. I have also noticed there is little choice for Vegetarians so I would ring ahead to see if an alternative option could be provided, they have their normal a la carte menu running along side this one so I can't see why there would be a problem.
The company is a chain (sigh) but it is actually really nice and the restaurant they have in Nottingham has recently had a refurbishment. This means they have a completely new interior and they have expanded up one storey so it is now quite large too. The overall ambience is quiet relaxed but still intimate meaning there are couples, families and ladies who lunch here all the time. For dinner I would recommend booking a table as they are usually always full and at lunch they do not take bookings so there is usually a large queue outside waiting for it to open everyday!
First course: I chose the Mushroom, Roast Butternut Squash and Sage risotto. This came paired with a small glass of Samur Blanc, a very nice light white wine with a slight citrus taste. The risotto was the perfect portion in a creamy sauce and the mushrooms were amazing.
Main Course: Slow Cooked Shoulder of Lamb with lemon, green herb and garlic butter and a chorizo, plum tomato, bacon and flageolet bean cassoulet. This dish came paired with a Pinot Noir. Unfortunately, I very much enjoy red wine and this one was not good. I returned the original glasses and asked for a fresh bottle but it was pretty much the same and had a slight acidic taste and off smell. Not enjoyable.
But the food was delicious. A huge portion that I could not finish; the meat was slightly dry but pulled a part fabulously and the dressing was delightful
With all of their main courses you can choose which sides you would like to accompany your dish. We choose vegetables and dauphinoise potatoes which were deliciously cooked, not too soft however, I have had better potatoes their before. All in all as I said I could not finish this course as it was just too much but I managed to save a little room for dessert!
I chose the Cheeseboard served with Quinta Do Crasto Port as I hadn't ever tried Port and was feeling adventurous. After the main there was also no way I could have eaten the gooey Chocolate Torte, however my boyfriend ordered this and I couldn't help but snap a picture as it looked amazing served with Pouring Chocolate and Blackcurrant Ice Cream. His also came with a glass of French Dessert Wine which, after a little taste by moi, I agreed it paired perfectly with the chocolate and wasn't too sweet.
I can't speak for experiences in other restaurants of this brand as I have only been to the Nottingham one, but I would definitely recommend this to anyone wanting a rich, French dish and a relaxed environment. After dining here multiple times I would advise to book on a quiet night as there is definitely a lower quality of food on the busy evenings. We both enjoyed the Dine with Wine menu but will probably not choose it again.
Let me know if you have ever been to Le Bistrot Pierre and what you thought! xx
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