The urban guide to the countryside -
Eat Out
-
The Maytime Inn
Looking for a romantic escape or maybe just a dog-friendly stride out and Sunday lunch? The Cotswolds' pretty Maytime Inn has your back and then some.
-
Head to Coppa Club
Where to take 17 exacting Muddy Stilettos editors for lunch in London? Oh hello Coppa Club and your stupendous riverside views!
-
Ready to fine dine?
You betcha! Nelson St restaurant has buffed its interiors, refined its menu big-style and is now offering food 'flights'. Fasten your seatbelt (and loosen your trousers, you know you want to) we're about to take off.
-
The Black Horse
The newly refurbished Black Horse in Reigate is creating quite a stir locally, not least because of its Michelin starred ties.
-
The Pint Shop, Oxford
To Oxford city centre, for posh burgers and craft ale at stylish mini-chain The Pint Shop. Sounds blokey; is actually surprisingly family friendly.
-
The Garage, Buckingham
Cool aesthetics? Tick. Good food? Tick. Cocktails on tap? Ticketty tick! Fill up to the top at Buckingham's stylish new addition.
-
Sheep on Sheep Street
Nothing woolly about the offering at this stylishly renovated hotel, restaurant and baaaar (oh come on, that's brilliant). Read the Muddy verdict on the Cotswold's new stylish addition
-
Perfect eats in town for Mudlets
Heading to the big smoke this month? Check out our top places to feed the Mudlets
-
The Ivy Marlow Garden
I ate, I drank, I started writing. The first review evaaaahhh of brand spanking new The Ivy Garden Marlow - only on Muddy Stilettos.
-
The Queens Head, Marlow
The Queen's Head pub describes itself as 'Marlow's Little Secret', a fitting description for this pretty 17th century pub hidden in a leafy lane outside the main town. Shall we eat?
-
The Red Lion, Blewbury
With a refurb and new owners, The Red Lion in the pretty village of Blewbury is gaining quite the local rep - but what's the Muddy verdict?
-
All hail The Crown
The newly refurbished The Crown high in the Chilterns hamlet of Radnage has created a stir locally with its keenly priced gastro offering. Want to see why?
-
The Fat Duck, Bray
The waiting list just got longer. Heston Blumenthal's Berkshire restaurant adds another gastronomic gong to the trophy cabinet.
-
Spread Eagle, Midhurst
Fancy preparing for layer removal with a spa day, or holing up and fine dining in cosy surrounds? The Spread Eagle Hotel at Midhurst has you covered either way and it's so historic Elizabeth I stayed here!
-
The Stanwick Hotel
This Muddy is a regular visitor to The Stanwick Hotel, (formerly The Courtyard Hotel), as I have a monthly networking group I go to that's hosted there (never networked? You haven't lived ; ) Also they're a Muddy Award winner, so I thought you guys could probably do with a peek inside too!
-
THE DOG & BADGER
This slick inn near Henley has added six luxe hotel rooms for an appealing 30 second stagger to bed after dinner. Shall we?
-
The Potager Garden & Café
This idyllic cafe near Falmouth serves up delicious, organic, veggie food, fresh juices and gluten-free cakes - you can't help but feel good here.
-
The George Townhouse
Officially Warwickshire's Best Pub (and who knows what will happen at the National Pub & Bar Awards grand final), this Shipston-on-Stour inn is a winner.
-
-
New spa & afternoon tea
Brighton’s lovely seafront Harbour Hotel and its Jetty Restaurant have been open a few months now but a couple of new additions have just made it a top place to hang out and enjoy a bit of pampering, even if you’re not staying – namely a spa in a grotto and a colourful afternoon tea. Unusually, the hotel […]
-
12 cosy Northants Pubs
I wrote this post just before Christmas 2016 but we have at least another month of freakin’ cold weather, so this is a reminder of some lovely welcoming pubs to try out. We asked you for your recommendations for the finest pubs to snuggle up in and you didnt let us down. I’m more of a chestnuts […]
-
Sundays At The Star & Garter
An amazing slow-cooked Sunday roast and stunning waterside views await at this gastro pub on Falmouth's old high street.
-
Muddy Eats: Perfect pizzas at the Henry VI in Eton
Sharing your name with England’s youngest ever king (who, by the way, also founded Eton College) puts a ton of royal expectation on a pub. One doesn’t want to let the side down – or ‘orf with their heads’. The Henry VI is back after a full refurb, creating a warm, unpretentious, family-centric experience – and I […]
-
Chic sleeps and Sunday roasts at Rathfinny Wine Estate
Ever keeled over on a settee hugging a bottle of Pinot Noir? No, me neither <cough>. Anyway, here’s a much more sophisticated way to sleep with wine. Rathfinny vineyard perched in the South Downs has some gorgeous cosy-yet-stylish accommodation in the Flint Barns on site. It’s perfect for either a house party, or a rejuvinating […]
-
Funky new Brighton cafe
I’m not saying I’m a jinx but my two favourite Brighton & Hove cafes have closed in the last year. Farm just down from Wagamama did the BEST carrot cake (and believe me I’ve done extensive research) while little Pic-nics up an alley off the Hove seafront was my go-to place for a big breakfast […]
-
High Five Northants – Cocktail Bars
Top Five Cocktail Bars It’s that time of year where it’s ok to apply as much sparkle as you want, get dolled up to the nines and head out to a fancy cocktail bar with your friends; and we’ve got a fair few goodies to choose from! Muddy Stilettos contributor Maddie Morgan, has rounded up her top […]
-
Tea at Gran’s? Edith’s House, Rye
There’s no shortage of places to get tea and cake in achingly pretty Rye but when Edith’s House popped up as one of our Muddy Awards nominees this year I was much tickled by the concept and vowed to give it a try when I was next over. It doesn’t look like much of a theme cafe […]
-
Muddy eats: The Garibaldi – Northampton
Driving into a chilly Northampton today I was reminded of our first ever Pub review… In the Garibaldi blurb it says where the pub stands (on the corner of Ash Street and Bailiff Street) was a renowned meeting point for women of the night, blaggards and general wrongdoers of all persuasions. It seemed appropriate […]
-
Muddy Eats: The Green Welly, Ditchling
Handily situated for post walk or cycle refuelling this new family-friendly cafe sits at the crossroads in dinky Ditchling, just down from the Beacon (and if you’re about to tackle that in the upward direction you’re really going to need to fill your boots here first!) It’s been up and running a few months and […]
-
The Muddies eat out in Weston-super-Mare
Over the half term, the Muddies and I made a deal. We would all go to Weston-super-Mare and I would endure an hour of hell amongst the amusements on the pier if we all went for a bracing walk on the flat, flat sands. I didn’t know of any good places to eat round in […]
-
Lovely local pub — and great British dining
I'm sorry to say that I've driven past The Bell in Stoke Mandeville loads of time over the years -- and it was only recently that I actually stopped in and checked it out. Safe to say, I'm definitely going to be stopping there again...
-
Eat here: The Milk Shed, nr Bicester Village
You probably don’t need another excuse to break for the border and head to Bicester (Bicester Village for a bit of early Christmas present shopping anyone?!) but I’m feeling generous so I’ll give you one anyway. I had a meeting at Bicester Village last week (by which I mean coffee with my friend Jude at Villandry) and […]
-
Ensemble – the new restaurant in Wells
I chanced upon Ensemble in Wells last Saturday, when I was Googling something completely different (possibly killer clowns). The restaurant's only been open since June and as I always love trying out somewhere new, I quickly nabbed a friend and we popped ourselves over there to catch the tail end of lunch. Come and see what we found...
-
Sunday roast heaven at The Newbury
At long last! I finally made it to The Newbury a few weeks ago – the winner of Best Casual Dining in this year’s Muddy Stilettos Berkshire Awards. Pete Lumber the landlord and I had been trying to get a date sorted so I could come with the whole Muddy clan to enjoy the full family lunch […]
-
Muddy Eats: Skyfall, Hove
NOTE: SKYFALL HAS NOW SADLY CLOSED AS OF SUMMER 2017 Nope, not a chance of seeing Daniel Craig here – at least not until he reads my review and finds out how good it is. Nothing at all to do with 007 except a little homage in the phone number but it does give you […]
-
My favourite places: Republica’s Saffron Sprackling
Republica frontwoman Saffron Sprackling, most famous for nineties hits Ready to Go and Drop Dead Gorgeous is headlining ISFEST at Isfield in East Sussex this weekend – a fundraising event which features ten singers and bands with local connections. Saffron, who grew up in Sussex, spoke to Muddy Stilettos about her favourite places in the county. […]
-
Muddy Eats: The Alford Arms rises from the ashes
The fire that closed The Alford Arms in Frithsden earlier this year left good food and beer lovers across this end of the county howling and bereft. And understandably so. But it's back -- and it's just as lovely, as welcoming, as comfortable, and as popular as it ever was...
-
Afternoon tea at the Cole Manor Tea Rooms, nr Bruton
Do your bit to support National Afternoon Tea Week by stuffing yourself silly with tea and cake as often as possible from now until next Sunday. I started supporting our Great British institution early by taking the Muddy Ma for afternoon tea in the stunning gardens of the Cole Manor Tea Rooms at the weekend. […]
-
Cool cafe, hot architect – West beach, Littlehampton
What do the new cutting edge Museum of London building and a little beach café at Littlehampton have in common? The same architect as it turns out. “Nice design!” I said, walking towards the West Beach Cafe in Littlehampton last weekend, yonks since I was last at the resort. I loved how the whole front […]
-
Muddy eats: Salt & Malt, Chew Valley Lake
A former tearoom enjoys the golden (crisp, lightly battered) touch of Somerset’s Super Chef Josh Eggleton to become the Salt & Malt fish cafe, restaurant and tearoom. It’s in a fab location overlooking the Chew Valley Lake – actually the largest artificial reservoir in the west country – in north Somerset. Josh Eggleton (of Pony […]
-
Take me to church
I’ve driven past The Church loads of times. I see it, nod and say to Mr M, we really must try it there, it’s meant to be very good. Well it must be pretty special, because it won the Muddy Stilettos Awards for best restaurant, and of course, I had to go and see what […]
-
Gorgeous grown-up gastro pub
I popped into Hitchin's Radcliffe pub earlier in the year, but didn't manage to eat last time I was there. This time, I made sure that I was just in time for dinner -- oh, is that the time already? -- and I'm jolly happy that I did.
-
Muddy Eats: The Crab & Lobster, Sidlesham
The term ‘destination pub’ is made for the Crab and Lobster at Sidlesham and it’s no wonder it was one of our Muddy Awards finalists for that very category. It’s near Pagham Harbour and right beside the pub is wide open marshland with paths around… …yet it’s within easy reach of Petworth and Chichester and well […]
-
Muddy Eats: Curry Rivel’s *NEW* The Firehouse
Just checked out the new kid on the rural block: the newly opened The Firehouse, a pub and restaurant in the village of Curry Rivel, just a few miles to the west of Langport. Located off the main drag, in what was previously the Old Forge Inn, the old village pub has had a complete […]
-
185 Watling St…
There’s been quite the brouhaha about 185 Watling St. Pub & Kitchen since it opened, and until Muddy Northants launched, I have to say, I only ever saw signs to Towcester, rather than Towcester itself (which is a shame really, as this little historic market town has a lot to offer). The pub is in the heart […]
-
Muddy Eats: The Queen’s Arms, Corton Denham
Popped in for lunch with some friends last week to the The Queen’s Arms in Corton Denham, a gastropub with eight en suite rooms, nestled in the hills on the Somerset/Dorset border, just three miles from Sherborne. It’s won loads of awards for its food, drink and accommodation: 5 star AA inn, 2 AA rosettes, […]
-
Muddy meets: Devine Betty’s & Rockabilly Rose
The greatest wonder of the them all is that the stars of your dinner party could ever align. Why would the melee of choosing the right (and impressive) menu, co-ordinating cooking times, giving good front of house, floral arrangements AND keeping certain guests off the cooking sherry before 8pm cause any consternation – after all […]
-
The Wellington Arms, Baughurst
If your understanding of ‘destination pub’ is – takes flippin’ ages to find down endless winding country lanes clogged with tractors – then The Wellington Arms on the Berks/Hants border can definitely be awarded the title. But by heck food lovers, it is so worth it. I took my sister along for the ride and promised her an amazing […]
-
The most spectacular afternoon tea in Somerset?
Cross Lane House is a beautifully preserved Medieval house turned boutique hotel and restaurant on Exmoor, where you can enjoy a luxurious, tranquil weekend away, dinner – and what must be the most spectacular afternoon tea in Somerset. The hotel, recently listed in The Telegraph‘s Top 10 Hotels for 2015 as well as winning a […]
-
Muddy pub walks: Rilla Mill to Stara Bridge (and back)
I know I’m lucky to live in this part of the world, but when its a toss up between 70 mile an hour winds and driving rain or my delicious sofa, I need a bit of incentivizing to get out and see it. Pub at the end you say? Pass me me boots says I. The village of […]
-
Muddy Eats: Mu Mu More
The gourmet burger trend shows no sign of abating, especially at Mu Mu Restaurants in Kettering and Northampton. We were very lucky to get in on the Saturday evening in question; and watched the lovely manager, Chantelle, turn away tens of people. And you couldn’t blame them for trying on a very dark and rainy […]
-
Muddy Eats: The Red Lion – Great Bowden (near Market Harborough)
In putting together a hit list of foodie pubs to visit for the launch of Muddy, there were SIX Red Lions! And as much as I like a pub (and dear reader, I do), even I have to make time for other stuff like making sure the kids get to school! So, it was The […]
-
Getting Hygge with it: Muddy Drinks
Look guys, it doesn’t matter how you choose to phrase the word Hygge, do what it takes to beat a path to a cosy candlelit table at Northampton’s smart new Scandinavian bar. And when there, treat yourself to an ice cold glass of wine, or challenge yourself (as Mr. Muddy has) to working through a […]
-
Best breakfast *ever* at The Old Post Office, Wargrave
So it was yet another grim ‘n’ grey rainy weekend back in January, but refusing to be defeated by the British weather I chucked the Muddy family in their wellies, lobbed them in the car, and before any of them realised the X-Box controller was no longer in their sticky little mitts, we were heading to Wargrave on a […]
-
Muddy Eats: The Swan, Wedmore
Georgian coaching house turned gorgeous gastropub with food by ex-River Cottage chef Tom Blake...need I say more?
-
LEVANT, CASTLE CARY
It's got the feel of a private supper club with a menu inspired by the flavours and scents of the Middle East and the Mediterranean.
-
Cocktails, coffee and casual dining
Hearing that the Beech House had just won Best New Pub/Bar at the national Publican Awards was excuse enough for me, so I asked my friend Lucy to join me (she needed so much persuading...) and we booked in for lunch...
-
Duende pops up in Herts
Duende have been popping up their pop-up restaurants around the Chilterns for a while. Now they’re popping over the border into Herts, and very glad about it I am too. I went along last week, just to check it out, and I’m now marshalling friends and hoping that there are tickets left for the two […]
-
Wellies on! Perfect pub for the end of a walk
If you’re looking for a great pub where you can park your wellies at the end of a bracing walk and fill up on food that isn’t just your average pub offering, The Fox and Duck in Therfield would be a fine choice. It’s right in the middle of some gorgeous, very walkable countryside, and even […]
-
Sushi? In Berkhamsted? Yes please!
Every so often, I just need a big city fix. Usually that involves 40 minutes on the train into London, just enough culture to say we’ve been there done that, and then far too many cocktails with my much-more-glam-than-me friend Kate. And if there’s food involved, then it’s probably sushi because it’s just about my […]
