These restaurants and bistros are places to find some of the best food available in the Cotswolds. People even travel out from London to enjoy the award-winning cuisine of many of these restaurants in their beautiful and unspoiled surroundings

Despite being an idyllic country location (in fact it is officially an “Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty”) the Cotswolds has a good range of options for dining out in some outstanding restaurants.

For example, Calcot Manor near Tetbury is a beautiful contemporary country house hotel that features two superb restaurants. The Conservatory is a formal dining venue with views of the Cotswold countryside, and the Gumstool Inn is a more relaxed environment where you can enjoy good quality traditional British pub food. The food at the Conservatory restaurant is by acclaimed caterers William’s Kitchen, who regularly cater for Royal events and personally cater for Prince Charles at his Highgrove estate.

Lords of the Manor near Bourton-on-the-Water is a former 17th Century rectory and retains much of its old charm. It’s located in over 8 acres of beautiful countryside and private gardens in the popular area of the north Cotswolds. The 26-bedroom hotel has undergone a £1.5 million revamp in the last year and the restaurant has just won a coveted Michelin star – one of the highest accolades in British cuisine! The menu offers a selection of classic French food with most ingredients sourced from local or regional suppliers. The restaurant is also known for its extensive wine selection, with wine tasting taking place before most evening sittings, so that the guests can try wines before their dinner.

The Sixteen58 Restaurant at Lower Slaughter Manor is an extremely modern, stylish venue. The Manor won the British Travel Awards’ Hotel Chain of the Year award for 2009 and the restaurant is as chic as you can get outside London, with chocolate brown walls, fine crystal glassware and Caribbean glass chandeliers. The menu features primarily modern British cuisine and the restaurant can accommodate all types of parties – from friends stopping by for afternoon tea to intimate wedding receptions in the private dining room.

The Corse Lawn hotel in Corse, is a classic English hotel that features nineteen beautiful bedrooms, all individually furnished with fabulous antiques. There is a restaurant and bistro on site, serving classic British food and wines from the owners’ extensive cellar. The property has been owned by the Hine family for over 30 years and is the only place in the British Isles where you’re able to enjoy the family’s fine Hine cognacs!

Tags : UK Dining, UK Food, UK Restaurant

Bed and breakfasts in the United Kingdom are located in private homes, for the most part. You live with an English family, share their home and accept their hospitality. There are as many different types of bed and breakfasts as there are types of U.K. citizens! If you’re looking for a holiday destination in which to relax and participate in leisure activities, they are plentiful in the coastal holiday spots. If instead you are on a long road trip and need a night’s respite, those can be found easily as well.

Although the United Kingdom bed and breakfast doesn’t usually boast some of the bigger hotel amenities, like full restaurants and bars, it does offer a more intimate look into the everyday lives of the English people as they go about their days. Also, you needn’t worry about quality. U.K. tourist officers anonymously visit thousands of bed and breakfasts. They grade the quality, cleanliness, food and comfort and publish a guide for visitors.

The “breakfast” part of the stay might be your favorite. Many U.K. bed and breakfasts are located in farmhouses on working farms. Here the breakfasts are made with the working man in mind and will fill you up. It may include eggs and bacon, fried bread and/or potatoes and tomatoes. Local specialties, like black pudding, are and added treat. If you prefer, continental breakfasts of cereal, toast, coffee or tea and juice is always available.

Even London, one of the largest and busiest cities in the world has plenty of great bed and breakfasts for your holiday pleasure. London hotels are marvelous, but the romantic appeal of a European bed and breakfast has been the focus of many a book and film as ideal getaway spots. And indeed, they are very cozy, romantic and beautiful. No matter how lush and luxurious a hotel, it doesn’t offer the personal touch and home-like feel of a bed and breakfast. If you’re looking for a comfortable retreat with home-cooked meals in between your busy site-seeing ventures, a London Bed and Breakfast should be on your list of possible accommodations.

The Irish Sea coast is another wonderful holiday destination. Blackpool is one of the most popular of these. Here the bed and breakfasts are diverse and you can find one to meet any requirement you may have. Many are themed and have daily activities for the kids, allowing you some “time off”. Blackpool has become a popular gay and lesbian vacation spot and you can find bed and breakfasts that cater to them. The newest trend is weddings in Blackpool. Although the B&B’s aren’t usually large enough for this type of event, they’re great for the overnight guests attending. It would be a nice idea to look up the B&B’s in the neighborhood of your wedding facility and give you guests a list for their choice of accommodations.

Tags : UK News, UK Restaurant, UK Travel