East meets West this month. I've been travelling the breadth of the country the past few weeks and have come up with some fabulous foodie gems that are so hard to leave you dream of being snowed in. All of these places are festive treats in different ways, with warm and friendly service, comfortable and very cosy rooms and terrific food. I can recommend them all for a pre-Christmas blowout or a short break in the run-up to the festivities – or to recover from them afterwards. Santa himself couldn't do better!
Three Stars in the East
In search of the perfect oyster I found myself in Essex the other day, specifically the little town of West Mersea on Mersea Island, which you reach via the 'Strood': the only road route to the island. You need to get your timing right, though, as it's impassable twice a day at high tide. I drove over safely and on arrival enjoyed three very delectable Mersea oysters in the excellent White Hart Inn, plump and creamy and frankly gone in a flash. Then, after a quick amble along the beach, it was back over The Strood before the waves came in.
Perhaps my favourite Essex seafood joint is, however, the Alma Inn in Harwich, a splendid old harbourside pub run by the affable Nick May where they not only serve delicious local seafood but have also recently opened a handsome new restaurant next door, Lambard's Salthouse. They say this is where ‘fish meets fire’, and they serve a superb monthly menu that's perfect for dithery diners like me who can never decide what to have. The inn itself is an ancient spot in a historic town, and couldn't be more friendly – a proper locals' haunt but with the bonus of delicious food, within sight of the East of England's greatest natural harbour.
Talking of tasting menus, I was lucky enough to enjoy another one at the wonderful Talbooth House & Spa in Dedham last week. The Talbooth is a legendary restaurant and boutique country house hotel in the picturesque village of Dedham, on the border between Essex and Suffolk, and it makes a perfect spot for a pre-Christmas break. Its spa and outdoor heated swimming pool are a winter treat, the rooms lavish and luxurious, and the beamed riverside restaurant has been a fine dining staple for folk around here for decades. You should join them for the Talbooth's delicious December tasting menu, which is a festive treat!
Way Out West: Snow Baby Snow!
Heading west, The Painswick in Gloucestershire is another small country house that seems almost designed with Christmas in mind: auspicious yet cosy, grand yet extremely welcoming, where you it's easy to feel properly spoiled for a few days, not only in the hotel, which has a boutique charm, but in Painswick itself – which is a handsome old place even by Cotswolds standards. It's a place for winter walks, afternoon teas by the fire and indulgent dinners – and they also always celebrate New Year's Eve in style!
Down in Somerset,
The Cotley Inn is another cosy inn that springs to mind when the Christmas season comes around – if only because its location, tucked away in the rolling hills of Somerset, makes you think it would be a wonderful place to get snowed in over the festive period. Their simple and delicious menu is impeccably locally sourced – you can virtually choose your dinner from the fields around – and they have four self-contained and very warm and welcoming stable rooms, two of which welcome dogs. A brisk walk from their doorstep could be the perfect way to kick off 2025!
Cool Place of the Month: Dittisham Hideaway
One of the coolest places to stay in any month is
Dittisham Hideaway, whose stunning treehouses are real 'Grand Designs' territory – hugely spacious lodgings with their own private, wraparound deck and a wood-fired cedar hot tub. They were shortlisted for Glamping Business of the Year by Devon Tourism last year, and no wonder – but they are beyond glamping if I'm honest: extraordinary spaces that make for a stunning holiday, whether you're a family looking for something different over the New Year break or a couple just hoping to get away to somewhere cosy and romantic by the sea. Dogs are welcome too, and you're walking distance from a pub and shop and a short drive from the handsome and historic Harbourside town of Dartmouth.
Hot Deal of the Month: Aviator, Hampshire
Our friends at the extraordinary aircraft-themed and very comfortable
Aviator Hotel have come up with the quintessential winter getaway in Glow! For just £160 a night, you can enjoy Bed and Breakfast, two of their signature Golden Glow cocktails in the Sky Bar, festive in-room wellness gifts, a sweet treat on arrival and a late 1pm checkout. Valid Monday to Sunday, from December 1 till January 5, excluding blackout dates. It's easy to get to, and you will be very looked after – and if that's not enough, the hotel's nearby sister business, The Swan is transforming into an apres-ski lodge for the festive season, with private igloos to get you in the mood for the ski season!
Glorious Suffolk
Finally, I wrote a couple of pieces on Suffolk recently – one on
Woodbridge for the i newspaper to celebrate it being crowned as Britain's 'Happiest Place to Live' and another in the Telegraph last month on my
favourite Suffolk Villages. Give them a read - hopefully they will inspire you to take a trip to Suffolk. I promise you won't be disappointed by what I reckon to be England's most underrated county!
