This was a gifted meal.

When you drive into Inglewood you can see the large house in the distance; at this time of year with the lights on it looks very welcoming. We had been invited to have dinner at Blandy’s Bistro at Inglewood House in Kintbury. I was really looking forward to it as I had been only a few weeks before and immensely enjoyed their afternoon tea. My expectations for dinner were pretty high.

Sometimes I’ll go to a restaurant and the choices on the menu will not be quite to my liking which leads me down a narrow path ending up at only one choice, not because it’s my favourite but because I’m not that keen on anything else. I had the opposite problem at Blandy’s; I wanted to try one of everything. So while I decided which one to try we munched on some warm bread with a hint of rosemary and onion, the butter was soft and ready to spread which I always think is a good sign. read more

This was a gifted meal.

The Dundas Arms in Kintbury had a bit of an overhaul a few years ago; a bit of redecoration, a spruce up in the garden and more. It has recently come under new management and I was invited to try out their dinner menu. I had been for lunch a few days before and I liked what they served (classic Ploughman’s and sandwiches) but I wasn’t prepared for the dinner menu (and food) to be quite as good as it was.

I was in one of those terrible dining situations where I was looking at the menu but as it all sounded so good I couldn’t possibly choose what to have. Then they came at me with the specials which threw a spanner in the works. I distracted myself by looking at the wine list; a good selection by the glass and an even better range by the bottle. Couple this with some local beers and slightly more unusual spirits this is a great pub for a drink. read more

This was a gifted meal. I remember hearing a while ago on the grape vine that Audley Inglewood would have a restaurant as part of the retirement complex so it was great when I was invited to try their new restaurant The Walmesley. They sent me a sneaky peak of their tasting menu and were more than happy to amend their plans to eliminate any fish and shellfish and I couldn’t wait to try it.

As you drive up to the building it’s very impressive and welcoming and it’s rather luxurious throughout the bar, restaurant and everywhere else we saw. I like that the restaurant is laid out in such a way that it feels busy but you can’t hear anyone else’s conversation and that a two person table is large enough to fit everything on comfortably without fear of dunking your elbow in your dinner.

I was very surprised at the wine list; the wines started at around £16 a bottle and there was a good selection over varied prices. Considering this is a fine dining restaurant the wines are much more varied and reasonable than some of the pubs around here. read more