Amazing interiors, delectable cuisine, exceptional service; we could find nothing to fault at The George Townhouse in Shipston-on-Stour, Warwickshire in the heart of the Cotswolds.
Location
The pub is located on the main high street in the charming Cotswolds town of Shipston-on-Stour. The beautiful town has plenty of charming independent boutiques and we spent a happy hour browsing the narrow alleyways. You are well placed to explore the Cotswolds, we stopped at Chipping Norton on our way from down south and at Cirencester and Stow-on-the-Wold on our way home, but if you’re coming from the north you could pass through Stratford-on-Avon too. There is a car park at the back of the pub and the nearest train station is Moreton-in-Marsh which is 7 miles away.
Style & Character
The building is a historic 4-storey townhouse which has a definite charm but it’s inside that the magic awaits. We were totally in love with the décor; sympathetic to the historic features with a gentle, stylish funky touch. The colour scheme of soft greys, deep blue and burnt orange creates a contemporary, elegant vibe which we fully intend to replicate in our bedroom at home now!
Service & Facilities
The pub is one of those places where you decide can’t decide where to sit as there are so many little nooks and crannies, each room has its own appeal and my Instagram was going crazy throughout our visit! The main bar is long and there are several tables in this room, there are two smaller bar areas and three different dining spaces as well as a private dining room and a garden room out the back with a large patio area. The service was special here and really made our stay; every single person who served us was exceptional and it’s rare you can say that. They were efficient, very friendly, seemed genuinely happy to be here and even remembered our preferences from dinner to breakfast! Unsurprisingly the pub was a major winner at this May’s National Pub & Bar Awards 2017 Awards, hosted by Pub & Bar magazine, winning both the Best Pub in the West Midlands and the Best Pub in Warwickshire.
Rooms
There are 16 rooms spread across 3 floors, we were lucky enough to be in room 16, the suite at the very top of the townhouse. A stunning, vast room with huge beams, tons of rustic charm and loads of wonderful design features – my personal favourite was the working grey and orange old-style telephone! The ensuite was something else – you enter from the bedroom via large double doors and a vast luxurious bathroom awaits, with a huge walk in rainfall shower (easily big enough for two!) and a gorgeous stand alone bath and a Temple Spa Discovery Selection Spa Retreat pack was provided so you could literally hole yourself up in the bathroom and relax for several hours, I did not want to leave! The king-sized bed was very comfortable, there’s a huge selection of teas, coffees, homemade biscuits, crisps and even a decanter for an in-room night cap; everything is thought of here.
Food & Drink
Their new summer menu has just landed! The Twice-Baked Cheddar Soufflé was sublime, I wanted to savour each bite! My husband thoroughly enjoyed his Tandoor Chicken Skewers too. Our mains of Roasted Vegetable Tart and Lemon & Garlic Chicken were easily as good as the starters, and we just about had room for Hot Belgium Chocolate Brownie and ‘Neatened’ Mess! The standard of food was very high, this is reasonably priced fine dining, beautifully presented with local produce featuring heavily. After dinner, I was delighted to discover they have a very descriptive gin menu, the perfect end to a fabulous meal. Breakfast the next morning was another treat; help yourself to cereals, pastries and homemade breads and order hot food. My Eggs Benedict was the nicest I have had in a long time and my husband was very impressed with his generous Full English too.
I wouldn’t hesitate to strongly recommend The George Townhouse; it’s the perfect Cotswolds bolthole; luxurious and eccentrically-English.
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