Andrew Casey's Qype profile

A picturesque hidden gem hidden from the beaten track perched ready to feast diners with views of the Chilterns as well as with generous portions of well appointed dishes.

We heard of this place via word of mouth and unless you read the Michelin guide this may be your only chance to hear about the establishment due to its secluded location. This is by no means a detractor and they do not suffer from a lack of custom, perhaps a clue to repeat custom and high recommendations. Booking is almost a must at peak times but can be done well in advance online or last minute by phone.

The facilities are numerous and highly child friendly in a relaxed but disciplined surrounding. The website is thorough and well presented, you do not suffer information overload or left wanting for finer points, everything has been thought of down to the Lat/Long for sat navs.

If you are a young family in need of a Sunday lunch which reminds you of that time before children when all was elegant and silent, this maybe the closest one can get without hiring a nanny. Long suffering families need never consider the indignity of a low rent chain pub ever again.

I was indecisive on four or five stars but my wife swung the vote by saying that she had the best Sunday Roast she had ever tasted whilst in a restaurant when we departed.

I shalll be returning.

Unlikely to win any awards but this is not what a Pizza Hut is there for, they stand for quick calorific food served with a Peroni more elegance than a fast food vendor but a wine choice less than a Pizza Express.

In Scarborough you will be hard pressed to find any of the more noteworthy establishments open for a lunch time service. This of course plays into Pizza Hut’s hands. Although exceedingly busy the staff are well motivated and tick all the boxes.

I choose four stars because the staff although swamped with custom have a sense of urgency whilst maintaing a slight personal touch. This is more than less family orientated Italian chains such as ASK can claim and for such a location you can forgive easily any waiting you may endure.

I would like to see more competition in the high street in this town to really show a comparison.

Not the ordinary holiday rental, the cosy Coble Cottage (one of a small complex of rentals) easily competes with their plentiful local contemporaries and even the hotels.

When dealing with the proprietors they were very accommodating, courteous and highly flexible be it by phone, e-mail or face to face. Although they almost lost our business initially when someone not of the business answered and we had the impression it was a wrong number, a minor oversight and probably a one off issue. From then onwards they provided a travel cot and high chair at our request and kept in contact as to better tailor our needs. Not many places would be so amenable and purchase extra facilities.

A finer touch was for the property to have been decorated festively for our stay over the Christmas period with Cava and two boxes of chocolates upon arrival.

Coble Cottage is the smallest of the properties but you wouldn’t notice, it is ample for a couple and a child and workable for two couples.

The main living area is open plan and beautifully flooded with natural light from many windows. Together with the contemporary decoration the natural light gives a very light and relaxed mood to the area. A two seater and single seater surround a sizeable TV above a Wii and various books and games. Although the kitchen has a washer there is no where to dry ones clothes other than the heated towel rails but this is okay for underwear and baby bibs for example. A stone floor does mean cold feet so if you are likely affected by such an issue bring slippers.

The master bedroom features a Juliet balcony and two sizeable windows, again a small room is brought to life although the access to the bed itself is leg room only. The wardrobe comes fitted with plenty of good quality hangers and was a pleasant surprise.

The second bedroom although small is ample if one is of a tidy disposition. The single bed hides another slide out bed underneath so although having the capacity for two couples it could become stressful without a little tidy up each day. I would suggest groups of more than three choose one of the larger properties unless staying only a short while.

The ablution facilities are a selling point indeed with a downstairs lavatory featuring with it’s own sink with neat storage. The towel rails are constantly heated which makes drying your towels almost instantaneous. The main bathroom features a luxuriously deep and long bath (it will cover you), and the hot water is all but instant and without end. Bring your own towelling robes unless you feel at ease with your body image as there are one or two small windows are not able to be covered potentially exposing you in a dash downstairs for a midnight snack.

The parking is ample during the off peak season but within 21 Mar – 30 Sep the parking restrictions are in force drastically limiting your options. There is a small area to pull into and offload your car leading into the central courtyard though.

To summarise, Coast 2 Coast Holidays have created a well appointed contemporary living solution which in itself is likely in short supply locally. They offer tremendous value for what you receive which may tempt you into extending if possible.

I gave five stars even with the potential on-peak parking issue due to the comparison to their contemporaries. Only minor issues could be looked into such as:

(a) The main door lock being stiff to use.
(b) A small handheld vacuum to get people through the longer stays.

Even though this establishment is a chain restaurant there is nothing standardised and unfortunately falls far far short of average.

We were lulled into choosing this restaurant because it was not too busy from first appearances. It turns out the staff can not cope with even a modestly full restaurant. Multiple staff waited us in an erratic manner with no sense of urgency even with a baby sat waiting.

The food was mainly bland aside from the starters which were adequate. Drinks once served were incorrect on occasion.

The layout is too busy with no room for wheelchair or pram access. When these instances arose the staff did not respond, leaving the kindness of other patrons to take up the slack.

Finally the bill was vastly overpriced especially for it’s location. Queue for other restaurants instead of enter this one.

For the location you might expect more and because of this a full star is dropped.

The seating is cramped rather than intimate but the staff tick all the standard boxes. Aside from the basic questions and routine the staff although Italian seem less passionate and enthusiastic for my liking.

The only Birra is Moretti but the wine by the glass selection is extensive for such a small restaurant.

The food was underwhelming, if an Italian can not make and serve a fair attempt at a pannacotta then they need to ask some questions. The saving grace was perhaps the simple starter of Caprese, very fresh mozzarella served with peeled cherry tomatoes in an olive oil and herb drizzle. It is for this dish we halt at selecting one star.

Distinctly average in a location which demands quality.

Not the ordinary B&B, Athol House easily competes with their contemporaries and larger hotelier establishments in the local area.

The proprietors supply a professional and warm welcome and are always at hand for any of your needs even if it is just a friendly chat.

Athol House has five generously spaced rooms (one larger family room) and decorated to an elegantly high standard with plenty of storage and hangers. The standard facilities of TV and tea & coffee facility’s avail themselves as well as a heated towel rail, travel cot, high chair and ironing equipment at request. I also found a BT OpenZone WiFi hub and 3G connectivity for the more online traveller.

Breakfast is an area for a B&B to win or lose repeat clientele but there is very little chance of you coming away anything less than impressed and contented.

Various cereals and fresh fruits avail themselves whilst you await your cooked meal. The plates served are always picture perfect and you can tell that the cook has an eye for perfection. Not to miss, the scrambled eggs are a cut above.

Athol House can hold its head up high, I’ve had worse nights staying in four star business hotel chains and certainly worse breakfasts.

A suitably well populated restaurant of an evening, even mid-week. The music was a little too contemporary Asian sub-continent for a relaxing atmosphere, they should stay traditional.

The service is very customer led and this may be the first time I've had the option to say no to the usually complimentary finger food of poppadums. The drinks are cheap and rather well stocked for the size of restaurant.

The starters where well presented and not greasy and the obligatory side salad was fresh and crisp.

I at first mistook a subtlety of flavours to be more complex cooking but the main confirmed that there was very little in the way of heat or spices used in the dishes.

I would suggest that if you are from a large city that you may want to ask for a higher level of heat.

My main was very mild when usually medium. However, with less heat one is able to taste the nuances of the dish.

All the dishes were presented well and the waiters ticked all the standard protocol boxes for dining out.