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  • Milsoms

    The Muddy insider guide to Essex

    Close to London yet home to beautiful countryside and a stunning stretch of coastline with in-the-know islands and hidden estuaries, Essex is the underrated jewel of East Anglia and it’s time you paid a visit.

  • The Muddy insider guide to Norfolk

    Stunning beaches, beautiful broads, bijou boltholes and a vibrant main city – Norfolk is one of our favourite year-round staycation destinations. Ready to 'Do Different'?

  • Chopsticks ready! 15 best local sushi & Japanese joints

    Did you know Bucks & Oxon are home to some amazing, authentic and under-the-radar Japanese restaurants? Here's where to get your sushi, ramen, katsu and bento box fix

  • Lunch with a view: 23 top riverside eats

    Ahh, is there anything better than a stroll along the riverside? Actually, yes - a riverside that includes a long lazy lunch an some stonking views across Bucks or Oxon! Come on landlubbers, let's tuck in.

  • Review: Wild Thyme & Honey, Ampney Crucis

    Cotswolds corker! Brand new for this year and showing all the honey-stoned charms you'd expect of an historic 16th century inn (with some multi-million pound mod-cons), read on and book in. You'll love it.

  • Insider Guide: Canterbury

    Perfect for culture vultures, food fanatics, shoppers and families - here's the top things to do whether you're capering around those cobbled streets or relaxing on the river...

  • The Retreat Elcot Park Menu

    Tickle your tastebuds! It’s a foodie newsflash

    The UK's hottest new hotel opens, a snazzy new restaurant to spice up your life, a cool new deli and more tipples than you can shake a bottle opener at. It's all going on in Berks

  • Let’s take a day trip to Chelmsford!

    Looking for a top-notch day trip just outside of London? Discover 12 of the best things to do in Chelmsford in our carefully-curated Muddy guide. You’re welcome…

  • 52 roasts with the most across the Muddy counties

    Why bother basting potatoes with goose fat when this lot do it so much better? Grab your gang and head to one of these gorgeous gastropubs across the Muddy counties.

  • 30 best Sunday roasts with the most in Kent

    Bring on the Yorkshire puds! But no point slaving away in that kitchen yourself. Where are the best spots for a weekend nosh up? Here's 30 of the best places to try in Kent...

  • Coworth Park

    Spa struck at Coworth Park, Ascot

    A five star hotel so fab you'll never want to leave. Pack your bags, and canter towards Coworth Park for fun, fresh air, food and a heavenly spa. Ahhh that's better.

  • Mollie's Diner, Oxfordshire

    Best cheap eats in Bucks and Oxon

    There's no shame in seeking out the cheap-but-chic! From charming hole-in-the-walls to bargain set menus, these 16 eateries are Muddy-approved for light pockets.

  • Food at Coconut Tree Oxford

    Best vegan & veggie eats in Bucks & Oxon

    Vegan or vegetarian curious? Get your local plant-based fix at one of these foodie joints that put veggies front and centre and deliver on flavour

  • Your festive guide to the big smoke this Christmas

    Eat, drink, and be merry in the capital this festive season with our holly jolly hitlist. From glam pop-ups and glittering fairgrounds to cocktails and carols, here's the best of the best.

  • Review: The Yurt restaurant at Nicholsons

    Banish the word café from your mind: The Yurt at Nicholsons in North Oxfordshire has gone full stylish restaurant. Muddy stopped by for a lunch, but did its new menu live up to the hype?

  • Country House

    Tuck in! AA Guide lists top restaurants in Bucks & Oxon

    We've got your foodie wish list right here - the AA Restaurant Guide 2022 is hot off the press and it lists a whopping 54 stellar restaurants in Bucks & Oxon

  • The best small plates and tapas bars in Bucks & Oxon

    Dainty but delicious, small plates are where it's at in the restaurant world. From tapas to street food, here are 20 of the best local spots to get your fill.

  • The-Crown-at-Bray-roast-pork

    Autumn roasts with the most

    Can’t be bothered to baste potatoes with goose fat? I hear you. Instead grab your gang and head to one of these local gastropubs that do roasts with the most.

  • Review: Pluma tapas, Old Amersham

    Is this the best tapas restaurant in Buckinghamshire? There's only one way to find out! Read on for the Muddy lowdown on Muddy Awards 2021 finalist Pluma in elegant Old Amersham

  • My Favourite Places: Grace Regan

    Introducing the awesomely cool, gorgeous and talented chef Grace Regan - owner of critically acclaimed London curry house, Spicebox, who lives in Margate. To celebrate her delicious vegan cookbook we got Grace to tell us her fave places to hang out locally.

  • SWAN AT STREATLEY EXT RIVER

    Muddy reviews: The Swan at Streatley

    This boutique hotel in the village of Streatley, West Berkshire, with its slick styling and stunning riverside location is the ultimate weekend escape.

  • Protected: Muddy stays: Cliveden House Hotel, Taplow

    There is no excerpt because this is a protected post.

  • Best beaches in the South & South West

    Heading south for the summer? Then you'll be needing our guide to the 18 best beaches including the inside line on the best activities, foodie joints and sundowner spots.

  • Insta-worthy places to eat in Oxon and Bucks

    Now we're all going out out, naturally we want to shout about it. Be the envy of your followers at these photogenic local hotspots where the backdrop is as good as the food.

  • Review: Two One Five Kitchen & Drinks

    Food reviews are back on the menu and this one's a goodie. Relaunched in lockdown, this 3AA Rosette restaurant offers fine dining that won't break the bank - ready to tuck in?

  • Seafood and eat it! 8 best local fish restaurants

    Spend the summer at the seaside this year - and indulge in lobster, oysters and the finest fish around. From Cambs fisheries to Norfolk fine-dining, East Anglian seafood is some of the best.

  • Moroccan Feast

    Yardley Hastings’ special occasion takeaway

    Give yourself a break from being a kitchen slave. The pro team at The Red Lion are laying on swanky takeaways. We donned our stretchiest waistbands and gave their Moroccan Feast a whirl.

  • Launch review: The Pig, Harlyn Bay, Cornwall

    On its opening day, Muddy's ed-in-chief Hero Brown was the first to eat lunch at the brand new Pig hotel in Harlyn Bay (what a trooper!). So what was the verdict - and is it worth a trip to North Cornwall?

  • Restaurants with rooms

    Dreaming of a foodie getaway? We've scoured the Muddy counties for hotel stays with serious culinary credentials for when lock-down lifts. Tuck in.

  • Restaurant Coworth Park copper halo of leaves hung from ceiling

    1 night, 2 chefs, 3 stars

    Fancy a supercharged foodie supper? Canter to Coworth Park for posh nosh, luxe starfishing and a laidback vibe we could get used to.

  • John’s House Restaurant

    A few phone calls and a six month waiting list later, I finally made it to Leicestershire's only Michelin-starred restaurant...but was it worth the wait?

  • Monkeying around in Bray

    A new hotel brasserie in Bray with an ex-Simpson’s on the Strand head chef. We felt it our duty to nail three courses *ahem* actually make that five.

  • table set for lunch overlooking tulips and gardens beyond

    Little Barwick House, Barwick

    Michelin-listed country house fine dining restaurant – with gorgeous rooms and gardens – in south Somerset

  • The Waterside-Inn-Bray riverside location

    Three star thriller

    The Roux's Waterside Inn in Bray boasts 3 Michelin twinklers, river views, classic cookery and you don't have to sell a vital organ to eat here. *Dabs napkin*.

  • Bistro du Vin, Winchester

    Ooh la la! The Bistro du Vin, Winchester serves up très bon French fare in a relaxed Anglo-Gallic ambience.

  • The Royal Oak

    Awarded an AA Rosette four years on the trot, Muddy books a table at this Long Whatton pub with rooms to see what all the fuss is about.

  • Roux at Skindles riverside brasserie yellowy brick 3 stories Maidenhead Berkshire

    That’ll Roux nicely

    It may have the name Roux over the door (and on the floor) but Roux at Skindles is not hunting for Michelin stars. This is gallic, comfort food at its best.

  • Malmaison Reading illuminated cinema sign edison bulb lamp and 2 red winged chairs

    Skip brekkie for a hipster brunch

    Fancy a lie in? Hit that snooze button, body swerve the granola and dive into avo and eggs at Reading's super-stylish Malmaison.

  • Lussmanns, Tring

    Tring’s modern brasserie is bringing sophisticated meat-free dining to the table. Muddy Herts’ resident veggie gives it her verdict…

  • 31 Below

    You can keep your Oxford, Bond and Kensington High Streets - it's Marylebone High Street and its new watering hole, 31 Below, all the way for me!

  • 2019’s Michelin Stars

    It's the accolade that all chefs want – so who's reached for the stars in Glos, Wilts and surrounding counties this year?

  • Muddy’s fave new hangout, The Priory

    After a stylish gastro pub for lunch or dinner? We've found just the joint down Loughborough way.

  • Rathfinny’s new vineyard restaurant

    Enjoy fine seasonal food with a view, and perhaps the diverting antics of 'Kevin' the kestrel, at this new Sussex eatery

  • Park House Hotel & Spa, Midhurst

    Spa - tick... fab food - tick... rooms with a view - tick... get a relaxing triple whammy at this country house-style getaway with great seasonal promotions. Go on, you deserve it.

  • The Longstore, Charlestown

    You had us at steaks and seafood! This Cornish harbour-side eatery was named ‘Best Restaurant’ in this year’s Muddy Awards. Here's why...

  • The Belfry Hotel & Resort

    Muddy tucks into a 6-course Tasting Evening at this 4* top golf, leisure and spa resort in the North Warwickshire countryside. It was definitely well above par.

  • Grey’s Brasserie

    Whatley Manor’s revamped eaterie is cutting quite a swathe with its chic European interiors and innovative menu.

  • Superflashy newsflash

    Food and booze news! Check out the latest Sussex food and drink launches and more - including a big wineries weekender, new pubs, dining experiences and tipples.

  • inside the ivy montpellier brasserie tables and bar and plants

    The Ivy Cheltenham

    Cheltenham’s new The Ivy Montpellier Brasserie delivers on food, drinks, service and glitz. Muddy was there to review it first.

  • 185 Watling St…

    Revisited this gem in Towcester - a great spot for groups of friends looking for a good bar vibe in the evening and a classy dinner. Nom!

  • The Best Pub in England!

    Into the winner's enclosure! A lovely village pub that's only gone and got itself the accolade of AA Best Pub in England

  • Coppa Club, Tower Hill

    Where to take 17 Muddy editors for lunch in London? Oh hello Coppa Club and your riverside views!

  • The Harcourt

    5 reasons why Marylebone's The Harcourt is officially our most favouritest (yes it's a word) public house in the big Smoke.

  • Perfect eats in town for Mudlets

    Heading to the big smoke this month? Check out our top places to feed the Mudlets

  • 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!

  • New spa & afternoon tea

    A cosy new spa in an old seafront cellar and a show-stopping afternoon tea at the stylish Brighton Harbour Hotel

  • 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 […]

  • Bistrot Pierre, 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 […]

  • Let’s Ensemble 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...

  • 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 Stays: The Barn at Roundhurst

    Remember that dramatic wedding scene at the end of The Graduate when Dustin Hoffman bangs on the glass at the top of the church? I had to fight the urge not to recreate it when I stayed over at The Barn at Roundhurst recently. Just look at this epic lounge/restaurant space with a glass-fronted snug […]

  • 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...

  • 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 Michelin-starred […]

  • 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 […]

  • The Firehouse, Curry Rivel

    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 […]

  • The most spectacular afternoon tea in Somerset?

    Cross Lane House is a beautifully preserved Medieval house turned boutique hotel and restaurant on Exmoor. Come on in…   The hotel, recently listed in The Telegraph‘s Top 10 Hotels for 2015 as well as winning a host of other accolades, is just off the A39 in the tiny village of Allerford on the National Trust’s […]

  • Quirky, romantic bolthole – The Bell Inn, Ticehurst

      At the start of November I spent a week living in a shoebox of a hotel room with a plastic shower ‘pod’ in London’s Docklands while I, somewhat ironically, reported on a travel show. After days living out of a suitcase I decided it’d be great to do it all again… well, for one more […]

  • The Swan, Wedmore

    Georgian coaching house turned gorgeous gastropub with food by ex-River Cottage chef Tom Blake...need I say more?

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