Imagine, if you will, a fine English Vineyard, a country lane, and a back drop to some of the finest countryside our great British Isles has to offer. Now imagine a petite restaurant offering a fine dining experience to rival the very best in the business. There is no need to imagine, because in the form of Vatika situated in Shedfield, Southampton, this becomes reality.
Vatika is only a relatively young venture but it shows none of the insecurities or uncertainties of a fledgling business. Sister restaurant to the highly acclaimed Benares Restaurant in London, Vatika manages to transport you to a world of flavours in a truly accomplished manner, all under the watchful eye of Head Chef Jitin Joshi who can be seen, in rare moments of respite, chasing pheasants and playing Frisbee in the adjoining Vineyard!!
Seated within the smart, but suitably relaxed surroundings, enjoying views of the wind-ruffled vineyard, we embarked on a veritable feast of engaging dishes from the Tasting Menu.
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Castle Combe is often referred to as the prettiest village in England… so as you turn off the main street, as the wrought iron gates glide open, as you cruise up the drive taking in the sweeping views across the croquet lawn to this imposing 14th century manor house you just know you’re in for a treat!
This is luxury done to the sort of standard we’ve come to expect from a Small Luxury Hotels of the World property and they make it all look and feel so easy.
Getting a feel for the place…
Castle Combe Manor is a tucked away in the bottom of a valley, on the edge of the Cotswolds, in amongst some three or four hundred acres of woodland, parks and gardens. The main house, a warren of little drawing rooms and fireplaces, looks and feels almost untouched in it’s 500 years of history.
A little snug…
Our junior suite, upstairs in what I guess must have once been servant’s cottages, seemed equally authentic.
It’s not, you understand, that it’s not all plush and polished and clean and new; because it is. There’s a plasma screen in the bath, a walk-in monsoon shower, the lighting needs a manual and the tea caddy is better stocked than my house but it’s been done with enough care and attention that it feels as old as the bricks and mortar around you.
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Having skied from the age of 5 (including a couple of seasons in the late 90s when working for a living temporarily lost its appeal) I’m always amazed that I find choosing a ski resort and chalet so difficult! I blame the Internet (perhaps slightly ironic for a blogger).
The trouble is, there’s so much choice!
But I think I’ve found the answer. I recently returned from a trip to St Michael, in Austria’s southern region of Lungau – slightly off the tourist route but still only an hour’s transfer from Salzburg. It was, quite simply, exceptional.
There are several reasons why.
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British Japanese TV chef Jun Tanaka is best known for presenting Channel 4’s Cooking It as well as appearing in Saturday Kitchen on BBC One. Yet day-to-day he’s Head Chef of Pearl Restaurant & Bar on High Holborn and in my opinion its one of London’s most alluring and glamorous dining rooms you’ll ever walk into.
This restaurant exudes Asian-influenced understated opulence with a beautiful backdrop of hand-strung pearls. The pearl chandeliers are oversized whilst the polished walnut interior gives a more formal statement of grandeur. The unique table lighting shines from underneath rather than above, a distinctive centrepiece detail, which enables you to give full attention to the culinary masterpiece dishes.
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King Arthur is said to have chosen the legendary Avalon for his retirement (great golf clubs apparently), and now Clapham’s latest gastropub has adopted the island’s mythical name. If it’s rest and recuperation you need after a day in the office you would also do well to retire here for an evening.
Situated near Clapham South tube stop the pub formally known as ‘The George’ has been given a much needed make over by Tom Peake, Mark Reynolds and Nick Fox the brains behind other well known haunts such as the The White Hart in Kennington and The Bolingbroke in Battersea. This clever bunch were smart enough to recognise the rise of young professionals in the area in need of somewhere to enjoy a drink or a bite to eat without having to head over to the Common or down the hill towards Balham.
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