Smokey Phi Phi Thai Street Barbecue at The Railway Cheltenham

I think it's fair to say that Cheltenham's not short of a watering hole or two. There are pubs and bars aplenty, with cafes and coffee shops even offering some booze options now. But what about the food? Many places just seem to serve your average pub grub; there'll be claims of being the best burger in town (it's not), and most dishes come with chips (I'll let them have that - we all love chips). Essentially it's inexpensive (though not always value for money) stodge to soak up the few-too-many post-work pints. Or, if you're lucky, you might find somewhere with stone baked pizzas, 'cause that's a thing now.

The places which stand out are those which play it a little differently, and The Railway was one such place. A lovely pub, a little off the beaten track, down the lower end of the High Street… Behind Waitrose, darling! For years it had been known for it's Sausage Kitchen where you could choose from a variety of sausages, different mashes and a selection of gravies. They even did a sausage roast dinner on a Sunday, kind of like having pigs in blankets - sans blankets - all rear round.

Recently they made the decision to change. I was shocked, as were many, because they had their USP and they were doing it well. That's all we ask for. But then I though to myself, when was the last time that I actually went to The Railway for food?... Quite a few years ago it would seem... Bingo. We all knew it was there, we all knew what to expect, we all knew it was good, but at the same time we're all guilty of chasing the new, exciting places popping up elsewhere in town. Is this why they decided to shake things up a little? Most likely.

The Railway's new venture is Smokey Phi Phi's Thai Street Barbecue. Quite similar to The Vine that does stonkingly good Thai classics on the cheap (I'm guessing they're linked), but here we have hot, smoky, fragrant Thai street food. Think lots of finger foods, with dips and sauces galore, bigger sharing dishes and numerous sides. As with most small plate places, things come out of the kitchen as and when they're ready; it's all about sharing and eating the food when it's at its best.

Last month a whole host of local bloggers were invited to try some of the new dishes from Smokey Phi Phi's kitchen. The menu changes daily though, so what we had that night might not be what you'll be able to get on your visit - and you should visit!

Small plates (£2-6) included rice paper rolls packed full of fresh herbs, veg, noodles and tofu, with a sesame soy dipping sauce. Charred and smoked vegetables (they use applewood and oak), which whilst lovely, were covered in a super spicy sauce that was too hot for most people on our table. Little nuggets of crispy pork belly with chilli sauce, gone in seconds, and chilli chicken wings. Yeah, yeah, everyone has chicken wings on their menu now, but these aren't the Americanised Buffalo kind; they're sweet and salty thanks to that Thai fave, fish sauce. A good contender for best wings in town. The standout for me though was the grilled sriraja prawns with chilli and lime dip. Messy business peeling off those blackened shells, but oh man.

Whilst we all got carried away grazing at the small dishes, the large plates (up to £15) are not to be ignored. Smoked marinated pork shoulder steak, which was juicy enough on its own, but came with a tangy tamarind dipping sauce that made it even better. The whole crispy sea bass with an eastern herb salad looked awesome, but was surprisingly my least favourite. Crispy skin - tick - but the fish was a little over cooked with not enough sauce or salad to remedy it. Some tweaking and the bass will be back in the game.  

The smoked sirloin with lemongrass and chilli salad was breath-taking, literally. There's some serious spice in that one, but with such fresh, clean flavours coating every strip of steak I couldn't leave it alone. A dish to blow away the cobwebs *mops brow*. The winner of the night was without question the smoked pork belly rendang. A big piece of pork belly, which you have to portion up yourselves - crackling n'all - in a soul-soothing coconut based sauce. Not as punchy in the heat department, but rich, aromatic and oh so good.  Parcels of sticky rice and bowls of coconut rice were a good accompaniment - sides are £2-5 - but the rotis were where it's at. Perfect for scooping up the leftover rending sauce.

With no Thai Green Curry or Pad Thai in sight, The Railway has found its new niche. The food is interesting, and daily menu changes will keep it from going stale. I can see Smokey Phi Phi's Thai Street Barbecue being a hit... What sausages anyway?

The Peacock Oxhill

South Warwickshire is pretty far to go for a midweek meal, but a few weeks ago The Chap and I ventured out to see what all the fuss was about.

It seems like every local blogger under the sun has visited The Peacock in Oxhill over the past 6 months, but now it was our turn... Truth be told, I'd had one of those nightmare days; I woke up late, traffic was awful on my commute, I had a rubbish day at work where everything I touched seemed to go wrong, ending with my car failing its MOT having to stay in the garage overnight. Ugh. The last thing I wanted was a 50 minute drive for dinner, but seeing as we'd had it booked in for quite some time, off we went (in The Chap's white van no less).

With our phones as satnavs, teetering on the 10% low battery mode, we hastily arrived having not taken in any of our surroundings. Get there quick or risk getting lost. Though in typical Cotswold village fashion, street lights were few and far between, so we'd have been lucky to see much further than our headlights anyway. C'est la vie. What I do know is that The Peacock is a 15th century pub located somewhere between Banbury and Stratford, serving cask marque beers and local home-cooked food. A proper pub then - that's what we like.

Through the doors you'll find lots of stone, a fireplace, wooden beams, seating at the bar, and a resident dog called Henry, though he'll ignore all your efforts to get him over to you as he's rather deaf - poor thing. There's a separate 'restaurant' to the side of the bar, with a peacock feather feature wall (quite late 90's Lawrence Llewelyn-Bowen Changing Rooms). I'm not entirely sure what the difference is between the two areas, other than one might be quieter during prime boozing hours, but from our experience you're more likely to get better service in the bar down to the fact that the staff can see when you've finished your food and drinks.

Drinks are cheap - £3.50 a pint and just over a fiver for a large glass of wine, nothing fancy - and there's lots of choice on the menu for eats. Want steak and chips? You've got two cuts to choose from. A beefy burger? It's topped with cheese, bacon and onion rings. Something saintly? There's a superfood quinoa salad. Something fancy? How about homemade crab ravioli with langoustine bisque?  It's all good value too; most mains are £13/14 with the most expensive being £23 for the rib eye, and starters/desserts are around the £7 mark.

After thrusting some pictures of the quail scotch egg with piccalilli, aioli, pork scratching and granny smith apple (£7.50) at The Chap the night before, he wanted nothing else. He's a die-hard pork product fan, and no one should get in the way of him and his piggy treats… I know my place. The diddy yolk was still runny - hurrah - and the meat seasoned and herbed. It looked good, tasted good, and had lots of little accompaniments to keep it from just being a scotch egg on a plate.

I was chuffed with my choice; homemade fishcake with wilted spinach, poached egg and hollandaise (£7). Made with salmon, smoked haddock and crab, it was more-fish-less-potato and much appreciated for that fact. There was another tick on the runny yolk front - phew - and whilst the hollandaise was beautifully buttery, it had enough acidity to stop the dish from being overly rich.

I bagsied the chargrilled 10oz pork chop for main course, served with melt in the mouth boulangère potatoes, confit red cabbage, pork bon bons and a thyme jus (£13). What a looker. The meat was tender, juicy, and not cooked within an inch of it's life as too many pubs do with chops, though as a result, some of the fat hadn't rendered down quite enough. No sweat, the salty pulled pork bon bons were a bonus and I loved the sweet-sour shift with the red cabbage - a little nod to Christmas. Oh, and I'm happy to report that there was enough jus to see me through (sorry not sorry).

The Chap was stuck for choice... Did he go for steak and chips (his beloved chippys!)? Or The Peacock's signature pie and mash? A little guidance from our waiter and he went hybrid; steak and red wine pie with hand cut chips (£13). There were some greens on the side too, but didn't get much of a look in. With the red wine jus on the side, the idea is to make a hole in the top of the pie and pour it in. The pot was only small so the worry was that the inside would be dry, but that wasn't the case. Jam packed with succulent beef, and that pastry...

Stuffed to the gills we probably should've skipped dessert, but thought we'd at least attempt one between us. The black forest mess was the lightest option, and in hindsight the one that they must make the most money on. £6 for some berries mixed through sweetened cream and crushed meringues. It was tasty - sure - but nothing I couldn't whip up in less than 5 minutes at home. Consider that a lesson learnt; I should've gone for the chocolate fondant like Sarah (Lewis Loves) recommended, though I'm not sure I'd have made it home.

Whilst I doubt I'd make the long drive to Oxhill again on whim, if I were in the area I'd certainly go back. The food coming from the kitchen is undeniably delicious and really good for the money - £65 for two courses each, two drinks each and a shared dessert. Never underestimate a village pub, especially one that stands proud like The Peacock.

A Taste of Worcester: The Crown Inn, Hallow

It's a rare occasion that I'll venture out of Gloucestershire for dinner (unless it's a jaunt to London or Bristol of course). You'd think I suffered with homesickness counting the number of times I've crossed the borders, but trust me that's not the case. A) I can barely keep up with all the latest openings in the town I bloody live in, and B) I really like wine. Sadly, as much as wine and food go together hand in hand, wine and driving do not. Sigh.

Last month I was invited along to The Crown Inn in Hallow, Worcestershire, to try some of the new dishes from the new menu, created by new Head Chef Chris Monk. All the 'new's. I'd met Chris back when I worked behind the scenes at Le Champignon Sauvage - still one of the best things I've ever done - and having left the Michelin Star kitchen behind him, he's taken on quite a different role here in Hallow.

Admittedly, I'd never heard about The Crown Inn before my invitation; I guess why would I? But now that Chris has taken the reigns in the food department, it's time to take note. The gorgeous pub had a renovation earlier in the year, with new branding to match, and the focus is firmly on putting the highest quality seasonal fare on your plate. Pub grub traditionalists needn't worry too much about the change though, although there'll be plenty of fancy flairs, you'll still be able to grab a decent burger, fish and chips or a Sunday roast.

There was a special 5 course tasting menu on the night of our visit, crazily priced at £29.95 with an optional wine pairing at an extra £20 per person. Bingo. I drew the designated driver short straw, so just had a few sips of each wine, leaving The Chap double parked all evening.

We started with a glass of fizz alongside freshly baked focaccia (£3.50 on current menu - I'll include prices where applicable). Rosemary and sea salt would usually suffice, but when the bread's warm and there's creamy whipped butter at hand, slathering it on is the only option.

An amuse bouche of caramelised onion mousse with crispy chicken skin arrived at the table. The salty-savoury flavours were balanced by a sweet Sauternes jelly, and although caramelised onion isn't usually my thing, this was lovely. The Chap reckons he could happily have a bag of chicken skin 'crisps'... I don't doubt him. Actually, I'd probably join him.

There were two options for each course, so we did the usual thing of ordering one of each so we could try everything. My starter was truffled guinea fowl terrine with pickled mushrooms and roasted garlic. The light gamey flavour was pimped up with garlic, though it was the pickled mushrooms that totally made it. Some extra texture would've been welcomed, not just a scattering of pine nuts, but perhaps that's just me. This was paired with a Louis Latour White Burgundy Chardonnay, 2015. Just yes.

The Chap had scorched mackerel, beetroot and goats curd (£6.95); pretty large for a starter with a good amount of everything on the plate. Although the fish was beautifully cooked, it was sat on two big dollops of a beetroot-chutney-sort-of-thing, which felt rather overpowering. Less is more on this occasion. A 2016 Picpoul de Pinet was the match here; a classic fish friendly wine and happily guzzled down.

Confit escalope of sea reared trout, samphire, peas and fine herbs was my main course. It was a nice surprise to find giant bows of pasta in the dish, and they went so well with the silky confit trout. Greens kept each mouthful feeling fresh, and the citrusy sauce gave everything a bit of oomph. Oh so delicious, and possibly my favourite of the night. I had another Chardonnay to accompany this course (they clearly heard that I LOVE Chardonnays), but this time from Australia (Grant Burge 2016). More tropical fruit and less acidity than the French; I'm more of a Burgundy gal.

The Chap's dish felt comforting and gloriously autumnal. Ale braised beef cheek, smoked potatoes and charred onions. Again, quite a large plate in comparison to mine, but wowzas. So rich, dark and tender. The smoked potatoes were more like cylindrical croquettes, fluffy on the inside with a crisp chip-like casing. The perfect swooshing vessel to soak up every last drop of the ale sauce. A Beaujolais Villages (Louis Jadot 2016) came with this - maybe little too light - beef cheeks can definitely stand up to a fuller bodied wine.

A lemon curd and lime granita palate cleanser was next. It so reminded us of those Calippo Ice Shots we used to have when we were kids. Probably not the intention, but still...

There were absolutely no arguments over who would have which dessert. I'm not a soufflé lover, and The Chap hates coffee (I know - weird), so the dark chocolate tart with coffeé cream and mandarin was firmly on my side of the table. Great, because I didn't want to share anyway. The chocolate to pastry ratio was a chocaholics dream; so seductively shiny and not sickly sweet. I wasn't too sure how I felt about coffee and orange together, but it just worked, especially with the glass of orange blossom-y Floralis Moscatel I had.

The Bramley apple soufflé with salted caramel ice cream (£6.95) was a beast! Despite my differences, I did try a little, if only to help The Chap try and reach the bottom. I could just get that sweet baked apple flavour, but as showy as they may be, hot mousse-y eggs are not my bag. Hey ho. The salted caramel ice cream was just as tasty as it sounds, as was the Sauternes wine pairing; he was happy.

The evening finished with tea, coffee and glossy brown canelés; a little taste of Bordeaux before heading home. Though not before meeting Pershore Patty - you can read her review of the evening here.

All in all, I thought it was a great night showcasing Head Chef Chris Monk's skills in the kitchen to customers old and new. With the large portion sizes, I'd say it felt more like a three course meal with added extras rather than a tasting menu. That's fine, tasting menus aren't what they do; starter, main, dessert, and job done.

The glimmers of fine dining were there in the cooking techniques, the presentation, the fact that we had an amuse bouche, and so on. I just hope that they stay and flourish rather than changing to suit "Dave from down the road, who comes in every Wednesday for pie and mash". That said, I'm pretty sure Chris can make a really mean pie. I shouldn't worry, The Crown Inn is an awesome place and I'll be sure to visit again soon.

Under Counter goes Over Counter at The Tavern Cheltenham

I feel as though The Tavern has been a little lost lately. Since the fire it has never seemed as confident as it once was. First it came back with one big burger bang, then a few months later teased us with some secret menu offerings, and earlier this year the Sunday roasts made a reappearance. Slowly but surely it was as if they were reverting back to their pre-fire days (when they were fucking awesome), and HALLELUJAH! At the start of September it was confirmed. The under counter menu is now over counter and has a whole host of new delicious things under its belt. Happy days.

In my last post on The Tavern I raved about their under counter menu, clutching onto that little glimmer of what was one before. There's something about that style of relaxed and comforting food that doesn't seem to be anywhere else in Cheltenham. Maybe I'm wrong, but it always seemed as though The Tavern had the whole package - good food, good drinks, good prices, good vibes - and now it's back I can breathe a sigh of relief.

Photo Credit: The Lucky Onion

Ronnie Bonetti, previously of Soho House Group, and Head Chef James de Jong’s menu is made up of delicious taverna style food from Europe and far beyond. As always, there's the best local produce, pimped up with punchy flavours; old favourites still stand their ground, whilst some seductive new dishes vie for attention. Starters include Bavette tartare, Arlington egg yolk & toast (£9) and half a pint of prawns (£8), along with their classic salt 'n' pepper Squid with nuoc cham (£7.50). Then for mains, you have an abundance of choice!

Faithful Taverners will be glad to see that the French Dip is back on the menu, and there are still a selection of burgers, wings and fries to get stuck into if you're not bothered about change. As for the rest of us, there's Loch Duart salmon, shitake, ginger & Asian greens (£17.50), whole brown crab & mayonnaise (£19.50) and spatchcock poussin, preserved lemon, straw potatoes & aioli (£15.50), just to name a few. Oh and chargrilled steaks! You can't knock their steaks.

The build-your-own sundaes have been sacked off and replaced with a concise dessert list; lemon & cherry posset (£6) and a sticky toffee ice cream sandwich (£6) feature, though you can still get a simple scoop of ice cream for two quid.

In the week that the under counter went to over counter, The Chap and I were invited along to try out the new menu. Hells-frickin-yeah. Date night on a school night, and for a Tuesday the place was absolutely packed. Good sign methinks. Cocktails on order - a Sazerac for The Chap and The Last Word for me - it was heads down to try and decide what to have.

Predictably, The Chap picked the spicy pork & fennel meatballs (£8) to start. He hasn't stopped banging on about the ones that we had previously, and although these ones no longer have the nduja depth of flavour in the sauce, they were still stellar. It kept him quiet for a bit at least.

I had clams, Dunkerton’s cider & samphire (£9.50), which came with a healthy helping of toasted baguette. The clams were sweet with the samphire boosting that sea saltiness, and the sauce had a decent apple tang, freshened up with a scattering of dill. Get yourself a crisp glass of white wine with this one and you'll be winning.

Having tried some of the lamb chops at the over counter launch party, The Chap only had eyes for those, with lentils, rainbow chard & salsa rossa (£19.50). Two meaty chops sat atop simply cooked lentils and veg, and were kicked into gear with with that super salsa. The peppers and tomatoes offer a much sweeter flavour than it's green counterpart, and it marries so well to lamb. Once again, I barely heard a peep as he gnawed every morsel off those bones.

There was no hesitation for me either; I had to order the Hereford beef short rib, borlotti beans, girolles & salsa verde (£17). One huge wedge of beef is a carnivores dream. Beefy, juicy, rich and unctuous; it towered high above everything else, and the bone satisfyingly slipped out with ease. Comfort food at its best, and truly a dish which signifies Autumn is well under way. A steal at that price too, I'd say.

Almost at bursting point, we felt we should at least try to squeeze in dessert. We were told the favourite on the menu was the sticky toffee ice cream sandwich, and having seen it on Katie Charlotte Blogs' and Honeybourne Line's reviews, I'm certain it would have pushed me over the edge! Instead, I got suckered in by the chocolate & peanut butter tart with vanilla ice cream (£6)... PB 4 life. It wasn't as rich as it sounds, with just a thin laver of peanut butter on the bitter chocolate tart base. The chocolate filling was light, but perhaps a little fridge-cold as my fork didn't glide through like ganache, it almost crumbled. Still, it melted in the mouth ticking all the right boxes, so no complaints from me.

The Chap went for the most OTT option, The Queen of all banana splits (£6). Banana (obvs), chocolate, vanilla and strawberry ice cream, whipped cream, drizzly sauce, nuts, cherries, THE WORKS. Could've definitely shared between two, but we didn't, so with that we practically had to roll ourselves out of the door.

Like a cat that's gone astray, I've been pining over its absence, desperately willing for The Tavern to return to its original state. Now that it has, I couldn't be happier! With its varied menu, it's back to being that place you could go with anyone, for whatever occasion, at any time of day. See you there!

French Baking with Marianne Bradley at One Mile Bakery

There really is nothing more inviting than the smell of freshly baked goods. A crusty loaf, a flaky pastry, a buttery brioche. Mmm. Just a waft of it in the air sends my stomach rumbling, and romantically reminds me of sunnier times, queuing at Parisian boulangeries whilst on holiday, desperate to get my croissant fix for the day.

Luckily I don't have to hop over the channel every time I want some decent dough; we're surrounded by fantastic bakeries here in the Cotswolds too (Cheltenham's Baker & Graze do some mean almond croissants FYI). But how about learning some knew skills and making your own tasty treats?... Think of it; that delicious scent every weekend (if you're extra keen)... Meet One Mile Bakery.

In 2012, journalist turned baker Elisabeth Mahoney launched the first One Mile Bakery in Cardiff, delivering artisan bread, seasonal soups and delicious preserves by bike within a mile of her domestic kitchen, and teaching inspirational baking classes to more than 2000 people. Earlier this year, two new branches with exactly the same ethos were launched; one with rugby player Nick Macleod in Rhiwina, Cardiff, and the other right here in Cirencester with the super-talented Marianne Bradley.

Now, Marianne and I have been following each other on Instagram for quite some time. Me admiring her flour based wizardry (in between pictures of kids, dogs and foraged foods) and her liking photos of my utter gluttony and love of booze. Despite having never met, it felt like we knew each other's lives pretty well, so when she invited me along to the French Baking Class she was doing in August, I jumped at the chance.

Coffee in hand, and three other eager bakers by my side, Marianne welcomed us to her home - this ain't no poncey cookery school - introducing herself and her helper for the day (India). We'd learn laminating, try our hands at enriched dough, and bang out some baguettes. Oui oui! Somewhere along the way would be a French inspired lunch with a glass of French wine too. Now you're talking. Sadly I was sans breton and beret, but let's just pretend that's what I was wearing, yeah?

Croissants were first on the agenda seeing as they're the most laborious thing to make. Though let's just stop right here to say that if you don't wish to know how much butter goes into your breakfast bake, just go and buy them; ignorance is bliss. I've come to terms with the slightly obscene amount, but I've never been able to master the art of lamination - the process of folding butter into dough multiple times to create very thin alternating layers of butter and dough. Ten minutes of kneading, patience, a fridge and a rolling pin are required… And a couple of hours pottering about the house. Just going to the shop sounds more appealing now, doesn't it? But that self satisfaction and knowing exactly what's in what you're eating - no hidden nasties - more than makes up for it. You can totally taste the love that's gone into them too!

Whilst our soon-to-be-croissants were doing their thing, we moved onto an enriched dough, where butter, sugar, eggs and milk are mixed into the dough. It was sticky business with another ten minutes of kneading, and even when it looks like there's no hope of rescuing the pool of gloop you've created, with some persistence it will come together in the end. Trust.

We did a sped-up version to create the perfect brioche loaf in class, but there's the option to do an overnight prove to take the pressure off. And since we'd been working so hard (aka we had a bit of time to kill before the next step) we stopped for a little tea break with treats. On Saturdays, Marianne bakes buns for Rave Coffee in Ciren, and thankfully she'd saved us some back. A semi-sourdough roll, with a sugary cinnamon swirl is her signature - amazing - but she also had a seasonal damson offering too.  Sweet jammy layers, with a sharp electric pink icing that was made purely from a combination of damson purée and icing sugar. I gladly wolfed one down and snaffled one to take home. Winner.

In between croissant rolling and folding, we managed to whip up some bread dough (much more confidently than at the start of the class) and shape our brioche ready for it's second prove in the tin. Then LUNCH.

With One Mile Bakery's local values in mind, everything Marianne had made was sourced from Abbey Home Farm, an organic farm shop just down the road from her in Cirencester. We started with a classic vegetable soup mopped up with some of her sourdough baguette slathered in fresh butter. Then a three onion and cheese tart, with garlic roast potatoes and a gem lettuce salad. Simple and delicious.

With full bellies and extra energy, we baked our brioche loaves, rolled, slashed and baked our baguettes, then turned our attention back to the croissant dough. Once you've worked hard to create those laminated layers, it's all in the shaping darling, and Marianne showed us how to roll both a traditional croissant and a pain au chocolat. I was pretty chuffed with my efforts having only ever attempted to do them (a little unsuccessfully) once before. Gold star for me and in the oven they went.

The house smelt incredible as the kitchen table was being piled high with all our French goods. Dished out to each respective baker, we smugly left with heaving bags, and despite still being full from lunch, I had to scoff a warm croissant as soon as I got home. Had to.

"Nothing beats the feeling of baking your own beautiful bread and sharing it with people you love," One Mile Bakery says. I couldn't agree more. And with OMB's informal but informative classes, you can sharpen your skills to do just that.

Unfortunately Marianne's Cirencester branch is no longer running classes, but if you fancy tripping across the Severn Bridge, then she highly rates Nick's One Mile Bakery in Cardiff. Whether you're a newcomer to bread or not, there's something for everyone, and with the C-word in our sights, there are even Festive Baking classes to get stuck into. No shop bought mince pies for Santa this year!

Meanwhile, Marianne is pursuing another baking venture; Bun Mistress. When you want to cheat on your diet, come to the Bun Mistress... I can vouch for their tastiness. There are plans to run 'buns & bubbles' evenings, bun baking classes, and also to team up with her friend India, who owns Jua Kali - a mobile coffee bar in the back of an old Land Rover. A decent flat white and a sugary bun is exactly what you want at festivals, right? Definitely one to keep an eye out for. In the meantime, I know who to call when I'm sick of salads…

Bordeaux Wine Dinner at Hotel Du Vin Cheltenham

Hotel du Vin. The name says it all really; a hotel with a focus on wine. Sweet deal. So why is it that I never think of going there for a drink? It is because it's a hotel chain (usually a soulless affair)? Is it because it's slightly (hardly) off the beaten track? Is it because I have already found myself a really good local wine bar? Who knows, but after two years of frequenting other bars and restaurants, I returned to Cheltenham's Hotel du Vin with a booking for their Bordeaux Wine Dinner.

Everyone's heard of Bordeaux, right? You can definitely spend big bucks on a flashy bottle, whether it's worth it or not is another question, and you can easily get suckered into buying a bottle of plonk just because of the label saying where it's from. Wine can be a mine field, particularly this French region, but with a representative from Bibendum and HDV's sommelier, we were guided through some delicious wines paired to a three course dinner cooked by Head Chef Paul Motram.

Underneath the twinkling wine glass chandelier, we began our evening with a refreshing Lillet Blanc, honey and lemon cocktail alongside a selection of canapés. Our host dug out her wine-cyclopaedia, giving us a brief bio of Bordeaux; I think we were all dreaming of traveling around the southwest of France as we nibbled our paté toasts.

Rather than picking the wine to match the food, here the wine comes first, and we started with Château Carbonnieux White. A blend of 60:40 Sauvignon:Semillon, it's aged in used oak barrels for just under a year. The Semillon grapes tame down the zippiness of the Sauvignon by giving them roundness and volume on the palate, whilst the subtle oak adds richness. There's a grapefruit acidity in the first sip, which develops into ripe peaches and finishes with a creamy mouthfeel. An excellent partner to our starter; pan seared sea bass, cod brandade gratin, fennel purée and preserved lemon sauce. Admittedly not the prettiest of dishes - a sea of beige and brown should only be seen at your local bakery - but looks can be deceiving. Send more of that silky brandade my way, the super saltiness was well balanced with the wine, and all that was missing was the French sunshine.

To accompany our mains we had a Bordeaux battle; two reds from the same year, one left bank and one right bank. Château Langoa Barton 2005, Saint-Julien vs. Château de Fonbel 2005, Saint-Emilion. Recognisable appellations, sure, and most winos will have their preference, but before this I couldn't have told you which side I was on. Whist all Bordeauxs are blends, Cabernet Sauvignon is the dominant grape in the left bank, whilst Merlot takes the majority on the right. The Saint-Julien was jammy, with ripe blackberries and a touch of tobacco, whilst the Saint-Emilion was lighter in body and had a more concentrated berry flavour. Both beaut, but I've discovered I'm a Saint-Julien girl. 

Our main course was not your usual hotel restaurant fayre; beef fillet and braised short rib, almond croquette, tenderstem broccoli and confit tomato jus. Just a nudge with a knife and the short rib collapsed in its thick, glossy sauce, and that fillet… Rich, meaty, delicious. 'Nuff said. Could've done with a few more greens, but I don't go out to eat for health. Both wines were great with it, though the Julien still edged it for me.  

After seeing ile flotantes (floating islands) on various cooking shows throughout the years, HDV were the ones to pop my cherry. A large poached meringue marooned on a vanilla crème anglasie with caramel and toasted flaked almonds on top. It's both light and heavy at the same time - a little boggling - and I don't think anyone could finish their bowl - it really was massive - but it was so good with our final wine of the night; a chilled golden glass of Sauternes! Made from grapes affected by Noble Rot, it has a sweet nectar/honey flavour, but a lingering acidity that keeps it fresh and stops your mouth from being sugared out. Yu-um. Pass the bottle.

We left Hotel du Vin feeling full and a little sozzled, and on our walk home made an "executive decision" that the £70 per person it cost was actually a really good deal. Not only did we have a snazzy cocktail and lots of canapés to start, but three courses with four wines, all of which were generously poured and equally as generously topped up! It does sound like a lot to fork out all at once - I'd certainly wince - but for what you actually get (including the explanations from Bibendum and the sommelier) it's good value.

If you're into wine, or want to get into wine, this is a great starting place. Not only will you gain some knowledge, but you'll taste some new things and get fed with plenty of delicious foods. From now on I shall never underestimate Hotel du Vin; it's worth a visit.

The next Wine Dinner is Friday 20th October at 7pm focussing on the Rhone (£80), or Friday 24th November with Portuguese wines (£65). Treat yourselves and book now!