Sisters Dine Out

 This week’s update and proposed timeline from Boris has bought about a lot of excitement for everyone in the UK. It feels like we are finally able to see the light at the end of the tunnel and we can start thinking about how to enjoy summer...if all goes to plan. As you know, back in October we were lucky enough to squeeze in a visit to the Salcombe Harbour Hotel & Spa for my 30 th birthday and we’ve had so many people private messaging us to ask about our stay and if we would recommend the hotel. So with a new lease of life after the announcement on Monday and the hope that summer getaways will go ahead, here it is, our review of the Salcombe Harbour Hotel & Spa. This was only my second visit to Salcombe and it had been well over a decade since my last visit. I had really fond memories of the town and was so excited to be able to get away from home for a few nights. When booking, we opted for the flexible room rate with breakfast and dinner, meaning that our breakfast ...

On Saturday 29th Feb, we spent our leap day having afternoon tea at Gravetye Manor. The afternoon tea was held in a beautiful wooden clad room and had the most incredible fireplace, which was lit when we went in. The room was so cosy and had a very chilled vibe as there are only a handful of tables per sitting. We could have quite happily sat in there all afternoon drinking tea and keeping warm by the fire. (Source :  https://www.gravetyemanor.co.uk/the-manor/photo-gallery/#tab_the-manor )  As a group of 4, we were a fussy bunch in terms of food and out of the 4 of us, 3 had special food requirements. Even though we let know before we arrived, I was extremely impressed with how each person was catered on the day. Two of us upgraded to the Champagne Afternoon Tea for an extra £15 which meant we also had a glass of Taittinger with our tea. Standard Afternoon Tea is £30 per head and you can also opt for the 'Ridgeview Afternoon Tea' which is £42 per head and includes a...

Some people think ice cream is just for summer, however, we disagree. This time of year is a perfect time to enjoy festive flavours such as sloe gin, after eight, Black Forrest Gateau and chocolate orange, all of which are on offer at Latchetts this side of Christmas. As it was lunch time, we decided to treat ourselves to crepes and ice cream. On the menu for us, the chocolate heaven crepe and chocolate smoors crepe. We were also given the cutest little Christmas pudding truffle with our coffee. The Chocolate heaven crepe had chocolate ice cream, brownies and chocolate sauce. The smoors crepe had clotted cream ice cream, marshmallows and chocolate. I opted to swap my clotted cream ice cream for chocolate orange, although I did manage to have a little taste of the clotted cream too. Both were incredible, although I definitely had a chocolate overload. In a way, I wish I had stuck with the recommended clotted cream as it would have made the dish a little bit ligh...

Last weekend we celebrated my birthday a little early and headed  to Cheltenham for the weekend. As part of my birthday weekend, we visited the Sibling Gin Distillery based just outside the centre of Cheltenham. I was so excited to be going to this gin tour as I love Sibling Gin. I first remember trying their gin around 4.5 years ago when they were at the Cheltenham Food Festival. As I discovered while on the tour, this was when the company was still very much in its prime. Since then, they have moved locations twice (all within the area) and are now settled in their newest location, which is where we attended the tour. When we first arrived, we were greeted with a G&T and given the brief overview of their story. As their parents are brewers (they brew beer) it made sense to the siblings (all 4 of them) to go into business together, which given how young  they all were, is very brave. One thing that really stood out to me was the respect they have for each other. ...

I really like a good backstory and the story of Pho is a great one. The owners decided to set up Pho while travelling Vietnam after they feel in love with the food. The chain has been running sine 2005 and at present, 29 locations. If you are based in or around Southampton, your nearest Pho in Portsmouth at Gunwharf Quays (pronounced 'fuh' encase you were wondering). I first stumbled across Pho at their Kingston restaurant. Cast you mind back to the beginning of last year when we had that terrible snow around March time. I know it's hard to think of snowy weather in the middle of summer, but here we are. I was staying away on a work trip and I fancied something tasty and easy for my dinner. It has been a long day and I was tired and just wanted to eat and get to bed. That's when I saw Pho's neon light shining bring through the snow. I know, sounds romantic right? But from that first trip, I was hooked...so I guess you could say it was love at first sight? The fi...

Just north of Haywards Heath on the edge of the beautiful West Sussex countryside, is a little village called Lindfield. Picturesque and quaint, the high street is predominately made up of local business, Limes Restaurant, being one of them. As well as serving food, Limes offers visitors the ability to book into their two guests apartments located above the restaurant. For our trip, we popped in for a spot of brunch last Sunday morning. The restaurant is very functional in terms of it's decor, nothing too over the top. Comfortable, practical and clean are the words that come to mind. They also have a number of Certificates of Excellence from TripAdvisor, which is nice to see. (Source :  https://www.instagram.com/p/Br8KDzHAuJD/ Limes Instagram) The sleepy village seems to spring to life around 10.30am on a Sunday and Limes is no exception. And let me tell you why. Offering a vast range of breakfast delights, the menu caters to guests looking for either a sweet or savour...

On a rather drizzly day last month, we popped into Bath for the afternoon and stumbled across The Oven. On cold and rainy days, it's nice to warm the soul with some comfort food, and what better comfort food to eat than pizza? Melted cheese on a carb base, the only thing that beats cheese and carbs is chocolate and carbs haha! The Oven is an independent pizzeria located on Saw Close in Bath (BA1 1EY). It has won a number of awards including Pizza Chef of the year in 2016. The pizzeria prides itself on using the highly regarded Italian stone-ground 'petra' flour for it's tasty base. This, in combination with being baked in a traditional wood-fire oven, gives the pizza their beautiful crust filled with flavour. The restaurant itself has a lovely warm and cosy feel, just what we needed on our visit. However, they also have offer alfresco dining, perfect on a summers day or evening. (source : theovenpizzeria Instagram)  We opted for the Goats Cheese, caramelised...

I always love a good country pub. You can't beat a beer garden in the summer and warm fire in the winter. We were lucky enough to have warm weather, so we decided to take advantage of the garden at The New Inn in Baschurch. The pub is located opposite the most beautiful church, which can be admired from the pub garden. I was so pleased to see one of my favourite gin's on offer at the bar, Blue Bottle Gin. Usually you can only find this Gin in Guernsey (where it is made) or Gin Bars. A little country pub in Shropshire was the last place I was planning on seeing it, such a treat. My starter was the Gin Cured Salmon. The cucumber with a few pieces of soda bread made the dish light and full of flavour and texture. It was the perfect size portion to start the meal. Gin Cured Salmon  with compressed cucumber, tonic gel, dill mayonnaise, soda bread crumb The Smoked Newport 'quiche' was an interesting twist on a British classic. And when I say interes...

Set in the picturesque village of Nether Westcote, the Feathered Nest Country Inn is perched beautifully within the Cotswolds hills. With perfect views on sunny day, it is the ideal location for a chilled glass of wine with friends or a lavish lunch. We decided both of these options sounded good, so at the end of September we met with some friends to take in the views and the food on offer. The first thing you notice as you enter the bar is the 'unusual' choice of bar stools. Rather than your standard (boring) stool, you are instead greeted by a saddle! A rather interesting and unique idea, I love that they have added a little playfulness to the room. The wine list on offer is vast, but their sommelier is on hand to guide you if, like me, you are a little overwhelmed by the impressive collection. After selecting a tasty red, we headed outside to enjoy the views and ponder over the lunch menu. If you are wondering, the wine we were recommended was ...

A few weeks ago we were lucky enough to enjoy this gorgeous sunny weather with a little breakaway in Cornwall with family. Lucky for us we had some insider local knowledge that we had to try Kota restaurant in Porthleven for a family celebration dinner. Sat at a table with a full view of the harbour, the service at Kota was fantastic from start to finish and all the staff know their dishes well. I started with Crab Raviolo, presented so beautifully and showing off the flavour of local seafood. The crab starter was followed by Roast Five Spiced Cornish duck breast which again was a piece of art in itself and tasted as good as it looked. I finished with a cheeky dessert (well we were celebrating!) of the Rhubarb and Custard Millefeuille with a ginger sorbet. I have a real sweet tooth and this did not disappoint. Looking around the table I think I could have eaten any of the meals that came out, and the chef was very flexible when it came to vegetarian and vegan re...