Make plans to wine and dine this year without travelling too far with our pick of the best overnight gourmet stays. From pubs with rooms to AA-rosette-rated restaurants, you’re spoilt for choice.
Eat: 36 on the Quay, Emsworth
Having retained their three AA Rosette, Emworth’s Michelin-listed restaurant, 36 on the Quay, is well worth a visit; you may have spotted sous chef, Darragh Ryan on this year’s MasterChef: The Professionals. A Voyage to the East Wine Dinner takes place in January, explains co-owner & director, Martyna Pearce: ‘Gary and his team have devised a menu with dishes that offer a nod to some of the flavours of the East, from Thailand to Singapore, and incorporated many of them in a wonderfully entertaining menu. As for the wines, well this is where the wines from the Pacific rim come into their own and Alistair Gibson has used his imagination to pair some ‘New World’ classics with the dishes. This should be something a little different, something to banish the January blues and maybe think about warmer days ahead?’
Sleep: The charming 17th century building is the perfect spot for coastal dining and relaxing overnight stays in one of the four rooms with beautiful harbour views.
Book: A Voyage to the East Wine Dinner includes a 4-course menu with matching wines, coffee and petite fours, plus Bed & Breakfast, from £320 per couple. 36onthequay.com/wine-dinners
Eat: Kyoto Kitchen, Winchester
Kyoto Kitchen offers a little slice of authentic Japanese cuisine in Winchester. Having recently moved from Parchment Street, sushi lovers can now feast at the new Bridge Street property. Don’t miss the Winchester Roll, the world’s first sushi roll to use wasabi leaf instead of seaweed; the wasabi is from Europe’s only wasabi farm in Winchester as well as locally smoked trout. Book an Omakase experience for an audience with chef Onami-san as he creates several courses of sublime sushi for you to devour.
Sleep: The new larger premises now has six bedrooms explains owner Miff Kayum: ‘Our vision is to transform this traditional English coach house into a Japanese style ‘Ryokan’ or Inn with modern comfort and elegance. Guests can expect the same attention to detail and customer service that Kyoto Kitchen has built a reputation for.’
Book: Stay & Dine package: from £125 per person per room, with £50 extra for each additional guest. kyotokitchen.co.uk
Eat: THE PIG, Brockenhurst
THE PIG in the Forest is unashamedly obsessed with home-grown, from its onsite Kitchen Garden or locally sourced produce from within a 25-mile radius of the restaurant-with-rooms. Smoky flatbreads from the wood oven, Chalk Stream trout tartare and Abbot’s Ann Venison Haunch with Jerusalem artichokes and garden mushroom all feature on the menu. For desserts? Bakewell Pudding with Blackmore Vale Crème Fraiche or THE PIG’s Spotted Dick with Bird’s Custard and Longman’s Salted Butter, all served up in the rustic greenhouse-inspired restaurant.
Sleep: THE PIG has a choice of homely but luxurious rooms to retreat to, from Snug Rooms with large walk-in monsoon showers to woodland hideaways with forest views.
Book: Winter getaways: Book a stay for two at any of THE PIG hotels in January and February from £199 - Bed, Breakfast and a bottle of The PIG Cut wine to take home. thepighotel.com
Eat: The Greyhound on the Test, Stockbridge
The Greyhound on the Test is a prominent feature on Stockbridge High Street. The kitchen is run by head chef, Phillip Bishop and his team and has an emphasis on local, fresh produce to create exciting dishes. This winter, escape to this cosy countryside abode for some laid-back luxury and take advantage of the Dinner, Bed, Breakfast & Bubbles offer.
Sleep: With seven ensuite rooms, you can wine, dine and retire to your bedroom with ease (and you can bring your pooch, too). Expect quirky 16th century character meets contemporary chic: walk-in showers, charming baths and flat screen televisions; don’t miss the honesty bar on the landing, stocked with favourite tipples and snacks for midnight feasts.
Book: The Dinner, Bed, Breakfast & Bubbles offer includes an overnight stay with a glass of Exton Park Brut English Sparkling Wine each, a £35 per person dinner allowance in the restaurant and breakfast the following morning. Available until 31st March 2024 and can be booked exclusively via the link thegreyhoundonthetest.co.uk/special-offers
Eat: The Fox, Crawley
Situated in the picturesque village of Crawley, five miles from Winchester, this pub restaurant is a real find. Originally built in 1876, the striking building had a full makeover in 2018 giving the Georgian building a smart contemporary feel. Expect delicious locally sourced Hampshire produce, wines and ales, great service and a relaxed atmosphere. It’s worth noting, The Fox has earned a rep for the best Sunday Roast in the county.
Sleep: Stay overnight in one of the five country/boutique-style ensuite bedrooms, complete with comfy beds, Egyptian cotton sheets and that all-important Nespresso machine. Make sure you ask for a room with a roll-top bath (if you enjoy wallowing in style) and don’t miss the freshly cooked Hampshire breakfast and pastries in the morning.
Book: Bed & Breakfast rates from £139; keep your eye out for the Wednesday Special Offer for lunch and dinner: 2 courses for £24, 3 courses for £29. the-fox.pub
Eat: The Oak Room Restaurant, Hook
Spoil your favourite person with a Romantic Dining Break at Tylney Hall Hotel in Rotherwick. Retreat to the wood-panelled two AA rosette Oak Restaurant for three courses of innovative cuisine with a British twist, created by Executive Head Chef, Mike Lloyd and his team. Save room for dessert; the pastry chefs here are culinary artists.
Sleep: The red brick, Grade II listed hotel has 113 rooms to choose from in the Mansion House and the surrounding gardens. If you want to blow the budget, book the palatial State Suite – all tall ceiling, a heavenly free-standing bath and the best views in the whole hotel overlooking the Italian Garden, Boathouse Lake and the Redwood-flanked vista.
Book: Romantic Breaks from £353.50 per night based on two adults sharing a Deluxe Room and included a three-course meal, late check out, rose at turndown, full use of the leisure facilities and full English breakfast. tylneyhall.co.uk/romantic-break-0
