A Sunday lunch.. with a twist! The Hotel Du Vin, Stratford-upon-Avon
Image ©️ Hotel Du Vin
When it’s a gloomy, rainy day in March and you’re full of cold, what could actually be better than someone offering to cook you a roast? I’ll tell you what…. someone offering to cook you and your family a roast at the a new hotel in Stratford-upon-Avon! The timing could not have been better frankly!
It’s months since I’ve been to beautiful Stratford Upon Avon, the last time we went was for our charity movie night at The Everyman Cinema.
My son was so excited he put on a shirt and tie for the occasion! I’m not sure if this is a poor reflection on how little I take them out for lunch or something I should be proud of, that he should be so excited to be having a treat that he wanted to dress in something special.
We are really lucky to live just a 20 minute drive from the historic town of Stratford-upon-Avon but I’m often ashamed to say how little I have visited, especially with the children. One thing this visit has reminded me is that I must make sure we do the sights this Summer, especially as our eldest daughter is learning Romeo & Juliet as we speak.
Aside from obviously being steeped in history, Stratford is home to a thriving high street which alongside some gorgeous shops which include Lush, Jo Malone, Mint Velvet and The White Company there are some stunning hotels, restaurants and cafes. To visit them all would be quite some feat … a challenge I’m personally willing to undertake for business/blogging purposes of course!
The Hotel Du Vin is perfectly nestled within the centre of Stratford-upon-Avon and since it was pouring with rain I was particularly pleased when I realised there was a car park right behind the building, which when you have Monica hair and two children in tow is a pleasant discovery.
The Hotel Du Vin’s building dates back to 1798 and has its own place in more recent history as it was the towns’ registry office. The current owners have developed it into something quite special where contemporary design meets historic architecture. They’ve maintained many of the original features, yet it manages to have the feel of a stylish boutique hotel from the moment you enter. I imagine many couples who were once wed in the space are delighted that they can now return to dine or even sleep in the building which holds fond memories of a special occasion for them.
I didn’t get a peek into any of the bedrooms, but a quick glance on their website makes me want to!! I spy Hague Blue! (if you know, you know).
Today we were invited to try out their Sunday lunch menu in the beautiful bistro, (a term that conjures up images of rustic French spaces with the smell of french onion soup in the air and waiters with authentic accents.) You can see that this bistro is a little removed from the one in my minds’ eye! It’s a truly stunning space, which, I can only imagine is even more stunning in the summer when the large doors can be opened up, giving way to a beautiful courtyard area adorned with outdoor tables and trees draped with lights.
It becomes quickly apparent that this won’t just be any Sunday lunch! This Sunday lunch is a standard FOUR courses! A starter, followed by your pick of any of the items from the simply stunning ‘French market table’. I mean… to be honest, I could have easily spent the afternoon grazing on the salami, fresh bread and pickled onions but in the interests of this review I thought I’d better move along!
The children can have the roast dinner in a smaller portion or they can order from the children’s menu which I have to say is a fantastic price at just £9.95 for three courses, which even includes a drink.
My starter was a curried butternut squash & lentil soup from the specials & it sounded so delicious that my husband also opted for this choice too!
After the market table buffet (feast) we both went for the roast dinner, I had chicken, he had beef. My daughter opted for the beef too which was just as generous as the adults portion to be fair! (Which is good, because she’s an actual gannet! Haha). My son went from the traditional Sunday…. macaroni and cheese! ?
I accidentally had some wine, that was rather lovely! I can highly recommended the Sauvignon blanc! Craig would like to highly recommend you some Malbec that went with his beef but he was the accidental nominated driver after my accidental Sauvignon so I’m afraid you’ll just have to find out for yourself.
I’m all too aware that these reviews can seem a little over the top with info, so I won’t go into the great detail of each dish, I’m sure you can tell from the photos that it was all absolutely delicious!
The children were obviously thrilled with their ice cream sundaes for dessert as was I with my Tarte Au Citron, even after one small person pinched my raspberry sorbet!
The staff were lovely and so warm with the children, it’s always such a relief when you know someone ‘gets it’, you know .. when your child asks if the orange juice has ‘bits’ and she’s assured that the waitress doesn’t like bits either and totally understands the reason for the question. These little things make all the difference, I think.
We were so impressed with our experience, we are already planning a return visit, I should probably try out that courtyard after all!
The four course adults Sunday lunch is a standard £26.95 for all four courses. And you can browse the Hotel Du Vin’s bistro menus here.
The Hotel Du Vin in Stratford-upon-Avon boasts 46 bedrooms & suites and the hotel is DOG FRIENDLY. Which makes me happy. Even though I don’t actually have a dog, if I did, I’d be happy I could take him, or her!
We’d like to thank The Hotel Du Vin in Stratford-upon-Avon for inviting us to try their Sunday lunch / feast! All opinions in this review are my own and I have not been paid to write this review nor asked to edit content. Basically, you can trust what I’m saying isn’t under the influence of anything. (The wine has now worn off, Promise!)
Visit the Hotel Du Vin’s Website here for more info.
