Woolacombe - The Boardwalk Bar and Restaurant

This looks like the classiest establishment in the village, and it certainly didn't disappoint. We arrived to the Boardwalk approx 15 mins before opening (despite walking along the road above it for about 10 minutes, confused as we had seen it from the beach but couldn't find it along from the apartment... Just look down... Duh!) and they were more than happy to accommodate. If you have a pushchair (which we did) be aware of the steep hill up to it, but easy enough!

We had seen the boardwalk as soon as we arrived in Woolacombe, and agreed we should try it. So before D and I headed home, we did exactly that. It did not disappoint. The staff were extremely friendly, the atmosphere was good, turnaround was quick and they had a great menu, including an excellent kids menu. The only thing I would say is the portions are large, and save room for dessert! 

We were the only people in the restaurant for most of our meal, which meant, in a good way we had all of the staff fussing over us. D is currently obsessed with Camembert (and I must say I'm rather partial), so between the 4 of us, plus H who is probably the youngest person to enjoy a classy starter of Camembert, we shared two portions. Once again, eyes bigger than my belly next time I would be happy with 1 between 4, but it was delicious, and the chutney (though I'm not a lover) was just as everybody liked it. There was a good sized portion of bread, and it was crisp and light so as not to fill your stomach too quickly.  

I feel like I am becoming a burger connoisseur, but once again I went for a burger (cheese and bacon). It was perfectly cooked, crumbly and meaty and quite clearly homemade (in a good way). Although I've been informed they're not allowed to offer you burgers cooked to different levels these days, it was beautifully pink in the middle with lots of flavour and juices. The chips were lovely and crisp, and I just loved the little basket they came in, great presentation! (Are you getting used to the idea that I always want to steal kitchen accessories). 

Despite how unbelievably full I was after all this food, I couldn't resist a brownie. I never thought it would happen, but I actually managed to eat the whole thing. It was so good, gooey and squidgy in the middle and chewy and crispy on the edge, just how brownies should be. It came with thick clotted cream, and although it wasn't quite as good as my stepmums birthday, it was a close second. There was even a little crisp honeycomb scattered on top, which was a great touch. 

We had a great evening, and although we were going home that evening I'm pretty certain the others planned to go back. Everything they did was right, staff, food and atmosphere was all perfect, and of all of the places we tried in Woolacombe it was by far #1.

£15-£20 for mains

10/10

Time for bed,

SD

Paigey

Xx

Woolacombe - Woolacombe Bay Pizza Company

Okay, this is an assumption. On the Sunday evening, the boys went to get fish and chips. Naturally, being a Sunday, all fish and chip shops were shut. So they turned to pizza, and considering there are 36 restaurants in Woolacombe, and this seems to be the only pizza one, I'm assuming it's where they got it from ( I may have had a wine too many at this point to decidedly know where it came from). 

Anyhow, the pizza we got from this place made for a great night. Mainly for the company and games we played, but it was a good pizza all the same. We had a great evening whilst away that weekend, when grow ups became children, and we bought board games! Originally, the plan was to go out. But the sea air and long walks knackered us out, and we decided to stay in at the guys apartment, and get a takeaway. Sadly, I don't have a picture of the pizza, but they came home with a couple of varieties, and they were great. Not too greasy, with a good thick crust and lots of ingredients. 

But honestly the best part of it all was that the boys came home with Jenga, and Kerplunk! (All be it a much more health and safety friendly game than what I remember!). 

We spent the evening playing games, including the aforementioned as well as heads up, which if you don't have as an app on your iPhone now I urge you to download. It was one of the funniest nights I've had in a while, and I give it 10/10 (indulge me please). 

Paigey xx

Woolacombe - The Woolacombe Bay Hotel

It almost felt as if it didn't fit in this beautiful little village, which shuts down completely for winter according to the locals. However, the Woolacombe Bay hotel provides so much for the village, from the rooms with stunning views, to the lively bar which was still in full swing late at night, and the restaurant which serves up the best breakfast I've had in a hotel. 

This place has everything. It looks stunning from the beach, and likewise when you look out the window there is a gorgeous sea view. We made the most of the hotel and tried out everything! 

Having eaten a big breakfast, we weren't hungry at lunchtime, and so headed over to the hotel for a coffee in the afternoon, once we were starting to feel a little peckish. We popped into the restaurant which was advertising cream teas, and after much debate decided to order one each. In hindsight, if I was to visit again (which is likely) we would probably share one between 2, as we got 2 scones each and a lot of jam and cream. But it was delicious, the scones were light and fluffy, the cream was thick and sweet, and the jam was fresh and flavourful. I was a big fan of the pots - if only I could have taken them home! 

That evening we stayed in a beautiful deluxe sea view room. It was huge, we had the choice of both a bath and a shower, and I purposely left the window open so we could hear the sea as we slept. It was bliss. One of the coolest parts of the hotel was the old fashioned lift, with manually closing doors. I felt like I was in Downton Abbey! The room had all the little luxuries, great freebies and All the small touches made it. The art was beautiful, and I wanted to take all of the furniture home with me! We checked out the facilities, went for a swim and a sauna. There were a lot of activities to do for the kids (and a lot of kids around), but I liked the fact that for an hour a day they shut the pool to adult only. The only bad part of that area was that the jacuzzi was not hot enough, and absolutely stank, there was not enough cleaning agent in it! Needless to stay we weren't in there long. 

We went down for breakfast in the hotel and decided that as we were on holiday we could just go for it, and try a bit of everything. That we did! I started with some juice, a pot of tea and toast, followed by a cooked breakfast (which was scrumptious, although it was cheap sausages which slightly dampened the meal but you can't have everything!), then pancake with lemon and sugar. As you know, I stay in a lot of hotels, so I am always excited by something you don't get everywhere else, and pancake was a delicious novelty. I was fit to burst at the end, but we didn't leave without taking a few pieces of fruit and pastries for the road! The perfection of it all was that once again, we were sat eating our breakfast looking out at the sea.  

In the morning the boys went bodyboarding, so C and I took H (who was around 9 months old at this point) for a swim in the hotel. He is a proper little water baby, and we spent the whole time giggling and trying to hold onto him, he was desperate to go and play with the big kids in the deep end and kept trying to leap over my shoulder. The changing rooms were far too hot, they backed onto the sauna and we ended up having to take him and get dressed outside, but other than that it was an incredibly fun morning. 

Whilst a little pricey, the hotel is well worth a look, and if you aren't planning to stay in an apartment, I would highly recommend the Woolacombe Bay Hotel. Staff would meet your every need, and you are staying in pure luxury. 

9/10

Paigey xx

Woolacombe - The Captain's Table

I would just like to apologise for the slowness of my posting lately, works been a bit crazy!! 

So a few weeks ago I went down to Woolacombe, along with D, our friends and their baby (who is D's godson) and their dog. It was our first little break away together, and whilst our friends were staying at a lovely little apartment for the week, we were only there for 1 night and stayed in the most beautiful hotel ever - the Woolacombe bay hotel. 

On driving into Woolacombe, I called C to tell her we were driving down the hill into the village, and get directions. She just said "keep driving I'm on the hill, I'll see you!" That's how small a place it is. Our hotel was literally a stones throw from their apartment, on the beach front, and was exactly what we needed for a mini break with lots of food and dog walking. 

We had left Cheltenham at 6.30am and so arrived just in time for breakfast - what more could you want by the sea than a greasy fry up and a milk chocolate. We headed off to "The Captain's Table" for exactly that. I ordered a chocolate milkshake, which always goes down incredibly fast. It was just what I wanted, although could have been thickened with a little more ice cream. The food was okay, the boys loved it but I found it a bit too salty, it left me really thirsty and was far too big to finish, not that that is a bad thing. The menu, and location are both great, lots of choice and as you would expect, you can see the sea. If I was I return to Woolacombe I would most likely go back there, but try something a little different. 

Price range £5-£10 for breakfast PP

6/10

I will continue to rate the other fabulous Venues in the next few posts :) 

Paigey xx

Savory or sweet?

Personally, I don't like it when savoury and sweet are mixed. Fruit in cheese, pineapple on pizza, even Nutella on toast is a little alien to me. 

But for some reason, there is just one thing that works... Bacon and maple syrup pancakes. America I commend you for this wonderful creation, that seems to satisfy every tastebud in my mouth. 

I took a friend for lunch at Boston Tea Party in Cheltenham the other day, and whilst it is a slightly stressful environment (due to the business, and the queue at the front to order) the food is lush. It's a relatively new addition to the hundreds of restaurants in Cheltenham, one that seems to have gone down impeccably well with the locals. I understand there are a few of them dotted around the country.

D and I had tried to go there for Sunday brunch a few weeks ago, but there was an hour wait for food and we were hungry! This occasion was no different, it appears that no matter what time you visit the establishment, it is busy and there will always be a wait. Thankfully half an hour is a bit more acceptable. 

There's a good variety of drinks, both hot and cold, and an interesting menu. Whilst the breakfast items (luckily, served all day) appeal to me, the rest of the menu is a little fancy for my liking, and we all know how picky I can be! Price wise, it's quite expensive for a breakfast, but that's to be expexted with dining out in Cheltenham. 

Having had bacon and maple syrup pancakes for the first time on a spa weekend a few months back (see my earlier blog about the malvern spa), I was exceptionally excited to see them on the menu. It was around 12pm, so I thought that perhaps it was a little late for pancakes, but when A decided to go for them it was an easy choice to make. 

They were a little faster than the 30 mins anticipated, and the pancakes were perfectly cooked, with a good amount of syrup and a little bit of crunch. The bacon was also cooked just how I like it, a little overdone with not too much crisp. It was, as hoped for, a meal that I thoroughly enjoyed. Great sized portion as well, it left me satisfied but not too full, as I all to often can be after a meal out. My only disappointment was the amount of bacon; the ratio of bacon to pancakes was too small (only 2 rashers of bacon and 5 pancakes), and, as somebody who likes a little bit of everything in every mouthful, I found myself having tiny pieces of bacon so as not to sell myself short towards the end of the dish. 

So my only advice to BTP would be to add an extra ration of bacon to the dish, or offer people the option to add it on as an extra when you order, and possibly to use table service at busy times to avoid the clutter of people around the till area. 

8/10

£10-£15 per head 

Signing off

Paigey x

Finally got round to eating... Chocolate!?

So I'm someone who loves chocolate. Don't we all?! But for some reason, it can sit in my cupboard for ages without me eating it. I get lots of easter eggs, but they sit in my cupboard until around summer, I have even found some at Christmas before! So I must firstly apologise to Choc O' Clock for taking so long to eat and review their delicious treat. They are the first people to have sent me something to review, and I was like a kid at Christmas when it arrived. 

I'm not somebody who is great at trying new things, in fact I would go as far to say that a few years ago I had a bit of a food phobia. So I feel like this blog is helping me get over those fears slowly. I hadn't tried an ice cream chocolate until today, and I was pleasantly surprised. 

A friend of mine had tried one over the summer, and told me that they were a bit weird, and just tasted like ice cream that was unfrozen. So I was apprehensive. 

Boy was she wrong. I loved it. Part of the fun of a cornetto is ripping off the wrapper, which I still got to do with this one. I love the fact that on the packaging it says 'no ice cream included', a clever advertising idea. 

The mini cone looked just like a cornetto from the outside, but with a thick layer of chocolate on top. Cornetto cones are better than any other cone, and this felt exactly the same. 

When I bit into the chocolate, it was not what I expected. The centre was made of a thick chocolate mousse. All of the textures together went beautifully. There was an initial bite of chocolate, which tasted just like the chocolate through a cone of an ice cream, then a smooth, rich chocolate mousse filling, followed by the perfect crunch of the cone. 

Chocolate was throughout the centre of the cone, and at the bottom, you got the best part. The thick dark chocolate which is exactly the same as the end of a cornetto, the pinpoint of the cone filled  with solid chocolate. 

So basically, the ice cream chocolate is up there with some of my favorites, when you want something a little bit fancy to brighten your day, it comes highly recommended.

And the best part? Choc O'Clock sent me 2, so having told you all how yummy the first one is, I can devour the 2nd! 

10/10

Paigey x

A celebratory dinner

On Saturday (yes, if you hadn't already worked out it was anther weekend of dinners out!) we helped D's brother and his girlfriend move into a new flat. It was a fun day, I helped unpack the kitchen mainly, which is my favorite room in the house, I love shopping for kitchenware! 

As a thank you, they took us, and D's dad out for dinner, to Café Rouge in Reigate. We had a great evening, the company was perfect and the service was impeccable. We had a small amount of tesco vouchers to use - and I must admit this is my favorite thing, every time D and I get our vouchers through the post we order Café Rouge vouchers for a little treat - they're worth 4 times your voucher value! 

I was in a bit of a tetchy mood if I'm honest, I wanted the food to be perfect... And sadly it didn't live up to expectations. 

To start, I had chorizo. I expected it to come like it would in a tapas bar - cooked and ready to eat. Instead, it was cold, fresh out the fridge. I still enjoyed it, but was slightly disappointed and it's not a course I would choose again visiting that restaurant. 

Steak, as you will know if you have read my profile, is one of my favorite things. Café Rouge is one of those places where I thoroughly enjoy steak, and therefore tend to float towards it as my dish of choice, and this occasion was no different. I went for a sirloin, with peppercorn sauce, and chips, cooked medium rare. The thing that frustrates me the most, is that restaurants never seem to be able to cook steak to the right level, so I always go for medium rare as inevitably it will be overcooked. I was not surprised, the dish was nice but overcooked, it was more medium-well than rare, and I was very glad I didn't go for medium (which is actually how I like it!) The peppercorn sauce was perfect, not too spicy, and nice and thick, and it tasted amazing covered over the chips. 

We, once again decided to go for a dessert. I really fancied the chocolate pancakes, which came with banana... I love fresh bananas, but am not really a fan of them in puddings. So just to confuse things, I asked for the pudding, without the banana, and with salted caramel ice cream instead of vanilla. It was the perfect pudding, a great combination of hot and cold, salty and smooth, rich and sweet, it was melt in your mouth heaven. And I wasn't the only one who ordered exactly that dish! (The thing on top is crumbled white chocolate - not cheese!) 

I must mention, once again, the incredible service received by the staff. I was being a bit picky, and fussy (which I always have been with food), and he pandered to our every need. If I was being a difficult food critic on purpose, he would have scored 10/10, so for that I thank you. Your staff are excellent.

7/10

Time for bed.

SD 

Paigey x