Beakfast @ the Swan Cafe

9 - 13 West Market Place

Cirencester

Glos

GL7 2NH

I can't find a web site for this gem of a place, but let me tell you it is a little treasure. We went there for breakfast on two consecutive Saturdays while Christmas Shopping in Cirencester. The owners are friendly and helpful, especially when it was busy, they monitored diners and stopped that selfish tradition of table hogging, you know, where one gets in the queue, their friend goes and saves a table....all very well unless you're at the front of the queue with a tray full of food and no where to sit!!!! Grrr this gets my goat...it's worse than middle lane hoggers on the motorway!!!
Anyway back to the Swan Cafe, I had googled it before we left and found a couple of raving reviews so was really pleased when my husband spotted it down a little lane. What a find, the breakfast was delicious, homely, hot and much needed after a morning of retail therapy. The staff were friendly and efficient on both occassions, however the breakfast took a little longer on the second visit...and it wasn't even busy, the boss wasn't anywhere to be seen either.
The cakes all look homemade and utterly delicious so our next visit will be for cake and coffee. The homity pie looks interesting and is made onsite too, so maybe we need to make it a lunch date instead!
The only down side to this place was the leaky teapots and beware of the ladies toilet door, it opens outwards!!!

Staff Christmas at the Farmers Arms

Farmers Arms - Lower Apperley


I have been here a couple of times now...3 times for a Christmas Dinner and Disco party with the staff from work and a couple of times for sunday lunch with the family.
The food is always good, service is polite, friendly and the owner is a real old fashioned chap who goes out of his way to please. The wine choice is second to none. I love chablis* and there is always one in the fridge....like its just waiting for me to drink it!! This year was no exception, wine, food, service....shame it will be my last Christmas party. I will have to make a special effort to visit with some friends, I really should share this place in the countryside.

BRIE WEDGE WITH RED CURRANT JELLY - Excellent!
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ROAST PRIME RUMP OF BEEF & YORKSHIRE PUDDING*Coated in Red Wine, Mushrooms and Shallot Sauce - Beef was out of this world, served medium rare it was very tasty but could have done with a little more sauce. The Yorkshire pud was a little well done for my liking too :-(
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HAZEL NUT & PEAR CHARLOTTE - This place is well known for their excellent desserts and this was no exception...a wonderul end to the meal.

The disco kicked off as soon as the coffee and mints were being served...the DJ was the same one as they used last year. He is soooo bad it's good!!! The dance floor is full and he changes tempo...it clears...he then changes again...it fills up. Hey it gave us oldies a rest! :-D

*Chablis Le Manior £16.50 per bottle

A family Sunday Lunch for 26 at Hatton Court Hotel

Hatton Court

On the 9th December we all gathered in the bar of this eminently comfortable hotel. We had booked a private dining room to celebrate my father-in-laws 80th Birthday.
The hotel is tucked away on the edge of the Cotswolds and is slowly becoming a favourite in our house. I have been here on several occasions, and just pulling up in the car park brings back so many wonderful memories.
On this occasion I chose:-

Deep Fried Tomato Risotto Balls, Rocket and Balsamic Mayonnaise
Chicken Saltimbocca with Parmentiere Potatoes and Braised Red Cabbage *
Warm Chocolate Brownie with Raspberry Sauce *
Tiramisu
Coffee and Mints


The dinning room is elegant warm with friendly and efficient staff. One of them was obviously under 18 as he was unable to serve us with alcohol but was polite and helpful at all times. The food as always was prepared with care and the menu choices were more than sufficient for the 26 people who were invited.
My choices were tasty, of good size and thoroughly enjoyable…except that is, for the dessert. I had originally ordered the tiramisu which turned out to be all I thought it would be…yum...unfortunately my youngest daughter had ordered the brownies which unbeknown to her had walnuts in….which she is allergic to…guess who ended up with the brownies? They were over cooked, dry and pretty tasteless unless you smothered them with the raspberry sauce they came with but I didn’t complain as everything else was spot on.
We all had a fantastic time and will defiantly go there again for our large family gatherings, they coped with the large number wonderfully…most other places struggle to seat us on one table and serve us all together (the stories I could tell you). All this for £14.95 per person plus £95 for the private room hire, it was worth every penny.

The wines we chose were
MERLOT CABERNET DEL VENETO2003, ITALY at £14.25

SAUVIGNON BLANC 2002. RAOUL JOHNSON, BORDEAUX at £16.50

A big thank you goes out to Debbie Green who worked closely with me to organise the occassion with as little fuss as possible.

Eric the Geordie

We went out with Paul’s old mentor from way back when he was an apprentice. We went here and the food was amazing and I don’t get to say that often. We have been lots of times before as it is the in laws favourite place to eat. I have always found it boring…over priced and over rated, and the food very very average. Last night was the complete opposite. They have a new French chef and he has worked wonders with the place. I had a chicken pate starter which was lovely and fresh tasting, not too smooth not too course, the red onion chutney wasn’t as nice as mine, but hey you can’t have everything. For main course I had fillet steak cooked medium rare with a dolcelatte sauce, it was out of this world…amazing!!! For dessert I had vanilla crème brulée which was good. All in all we had a fantastic meal from the scallops in a pernod sauce that Granddad had to the Italian chicken that two of them had for their mains, right through to Paul’s banoffee pie, which was a light and modern version of a traditionally heavy going pud!

I concentrated on the company more than the food...

..which is a first for me. I can’t even remember what I had on the Saturday, but it was quite nice, none of us had any real complaints about the food.

I do remember the service was rubbish though, but seen as we were all too busy talking and catching up it didn’t really matter. Service was also very inconsistent, we order two rounds of coffee, first one arrived in big coffee cups, the second round arrived in big mugs when asked if we could have cups again(some of our party have ideas above their station) they brought tea cups!!!! With a staff of teenagers and a very shouty supervisor what can you expect? Atmosphere was good and they didn’t mind that we sat there for absolutely ages.

Sporting Lodge Inn

26th August 07

Spent some of the summer in Cornwall...

Rick Steins for lunch was full booked, so tried somewhere else, which was awful! I refused to pay for it all and offered them half, which they accepted…too right too I have never tasted such rubbish and the wine was terrible. The polish waiter was very helpful and very apologetic, unfortunately the duty manager (looked about 19 yrs old) didn’t want to know, hid in the back until we had gone (we could tell he was hiding as he could be seen in the mirror!!) …yellow bellied coward! I’m not that scary (am I?)



I'd love to tell you where it is, but I can't find it on the net and I can't remember the name. It did have two entrances if that helps...looked really ole worlde from the back entrance but was all cheap and nasty at the front.

A Family Reunion

The ancient Saxon village of Winchcombe, near Cheltenham, is home to one of the best restaurants around. I visited 5 North Street on a Sunday lunch time and you must pre-book as it was full by 12:30pm

There was 8 of us for lunch that day and the only complaint was that the August heat was unbearably hot as we sat at the table by the window.

First we were offered an amazing aperitif of Welsh rarebit. This was followed by asparagus soup served with a mini homemade walnut loaf. The starters and main courses were delicately balanced, everything designed to enhance the eating experience. This wonderful meal was rounded off by a gorgeous selection of desserts. Exceptional service making for a fantastic experience and the bill was more than reasonable for the quality of food & service on offer. I am looking forward to the next visit already.

June 4th 2007

The Plough

The Plough, located in the beautiful Kent village of Eynsford, is a stylish, warm country pub + eating house full of fresh food and a modern flavour. Located on the picturesque Riverside, the Plough’s menu is simple and contemporary with emphasis on quality.
We met up with Bryan and Lin for dinner as this is not far from where they live.

I had Moroccan lamb cutlets with chorizo, new potatoes in a spicy jus, to follow I had a mango pavlova which wasn’t all it was expected to be ...too much Pav not enough lova!!!

The quality of service was outstanding, attentive without bieng over the top.