We recently took a romantic weekend break. It’s the perfect time of year for a trip into the countryside, the weather was neither too cold or too hot and all around us, stunning autumnal colours adorned the trees. We were invited to stay at the Maytime Inn and enjoy all they had to offer. It was picture perfect. Nestled in the quaint chocolate box village of Asthall in the Oxfordshire Cotswolds, this place was lovely, homely and peaceful.
A small bar and restaurant fill the space with split level seating areas and open fireplaces. At the back, there is a pretty garden (and outside bar for the summer months) and in a modern extension, 6 boutique rooms all decorated in a country chic style. We stayed in the Farriers room and loved the soft green walls and wooden units. Personal touches such as fresh milk in little Kilner jugs and homemade cookies plus cowshed smells all added a special touch. The bathroom was super stylish too, with a big walk-in shower (although sadly not as powerful as I’d hoped).
Dinner
After a couple of glasses of wine in the bar area, we headed across to the informal dining area for dinner. The menu is well balanced but with a classic British feel. The owner Dom explained to us that a lot of the hotels and restaurants around that area are fighting against each other for rosettes and other accolades for their food and actually, as a result, there are lots of options for fine dining but not so many for really good homemade pub grub.
To start, we had the pork & black pudding scotch egg & homemade brown sauce and the Parma ham, blue cheese & figs on rye with balsamic glaze. The scotch egg passed the test- runny yolk, crispy outer. It was delicious! The other starter was very nice too. Even though it didn’t really demonstrate skill, as a combination it worked well. The quality of the ingredients used was clearly high.
For our mains, we both chose from the ‘mains’ section although there was a second ‘classics’ section with more main course dishes on it. I had the braised shin of beef, potato & celeriac mash, savoy cabbage & chantenay carrots. The beef was soft and tender and well, I love cabbage. Eating this dish made me feel all warm and homely – a good autumn to winter dish! Dave had the pheasant breast, puy lentils butternut squash, leeks & jus. We both agreed that the lentil and squash mixture was lovely. As for the pheasant – the texture was soft and flavour delicate but unfortunately, we both felt it was overcooked and dry. If the pheasant had been in the sauce, it would have been just right.
For pud, we shared (I always fill up on the savoury end of the meal and just ask for a second spoon to steal mouthfuls from my fellow diners pudding!). We had the blackberry parfait with honeycomb & apple sponge. Dave loves honeycomb and devoured it all quick sharp. I managed a couple of mouthfuls and everything was lovely and fresh tasting.
Before heading to bed, we sampled a couple of the gins from the extensive gin menu (apparently 39 at the last count). As you know, I am a big gin fan and was excited to try two I’d never heard of – Jinzu, a Japanese gin served with tonic & an apple slice and Larios, a Spanish gin served with orange and Mediterranean tonic. They came in big wine glasses and it reminded me of how they serve G&Ts in Spain! Lovely.
Breakfast
After a very comfortable night’s sleep and the novelty of waving at each other from opposite sides of the king size bed, we headed back into the main building for breakfast. I, of course, went for my usual eggs benedict. Dave had the full English, toast, cereal, yoghurt.. etc.. (i.e. everything on the menu. Andy, the Assistant Manager, remembered us from the night before and was the perfect host.
Once breakfast was done, we spent some time getting to know Alfie (the Maytime Inn pub dog) and chatting with the owner Dom. Such a lovely guy and a fantastic team, everyone was helpful, chatty but also professional. We then enjoyed a quick five minutes sitting on the giant chair in the gardens before saying farewell to the Maytime Inn. What a lovely find, we really enjoyed ourselves and would definitely like to head back in the summer months. If you want to stay, their rooms start at around £85 a night for bed and breakfast. Dinner was reasonably priced. Around £25-£30 a head for three courses and wine.
Before going home, we headed off into the autumnal sunshine for a big walk. We downloaded a 6.5-mile circular walk (see it here) which takes in some of the pretty villages, parts of the National Trust Sherborne estate and the River Windrush, all very near to the Maytime Inn. Unfortunately, despite being a girl guide and a scout in our youth, we were (as it turns out) useless at map reading. We got lost several times. We ended up walking 10 miles in the end but eventually found our way home, via afternoon tea in the very pretty Bourton on the Water.
Before going home, we headed off into the autumnal sunshine for a big walk. We downloaded a 6.5-mile circular walk (see it here) which takes in some of the pretty villages, parts of the National Trust Sherborne estate and the River Windrush, all very near to the Maytime Inn. Unfortunately, despite being a girl guide and a scout in our youth, we were (as it turns out) useless at map reading. We got lost several times. We ended up walking 10 miles in the end but eventually found our way home, via afternoon tea in the very pretty Bourton on the Water.
Want to know more?
The Maytime Inn is online here and on Facebook here. Call them on 01993 822068
The Maytime Inn,
Asthall,
Burford,
OX18 4HW,
United Kingdom
I like the dog and your man friend looks okay but he's not as appealing as that Vicky girl you sometimes (very occasionally) spend quality time with.
What a lovely looking hotel. Little things like the cookies and the milk make such a difference. I tend to stay in chain hotels just for the price but a hotel like this would be nice for a special occasion. x
Hehehehe… you're still my number one GB companion and the time spent is of such a high quality that it's required only once in a while 🙂
Thanks for reading Rhian! It was a lovely spot and I'd love to go back again soon!