Eat, Sleep, Rest & Play at Ingleside House & Téatro Restaurant

Encompassing an area across six counties, most notably Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire, the Cotswolds includes many beautiful towns & villages such as Cirencester, known as, The capital of the Cotswolds. Despite its rich Roman past, it is often overlooked by its noisy neighbour Cheltenham, but it has remained a traditional & beautiful Cotswolds market town.

It was a Monday when I visited, so I headed straight for the central square because one of the towns regular twice weekly charter markets was taking place, the other is on a Friday! The square was buzzing, full of traditional market stalls selling a wide variety of goods from local traders including quality fresh foodstuffs such as jams, chutneys & cheeses, the work of local artists & photographers, a profusion of plants, local craftwork, clothing, luxury jewellery items, touristy keepsakes & much, much more. The spacious, centrally located Market Place is the perfect place for the market which is one of the oldest Charter Markets in the country, having been recorded as far back as 1086 in the Domesday Book. There is also a very popular Farmers’ Market which takes place on the 2nd & 4th Saturday of each month highlighting produce and goods from local traders within a 30-mile radius of the town. From locally brewed beer, pies, chocolate brownies, game meat plus seasonal fruit & vegetables such as asparagus, apples, strawberries & herbs.

St. John the Baptist, one of the largest parish churches in England & one of the great wool churches of the Cotswolds looks out over the market square. The south porch which borders the market place was built around 1500 as an office for the abbey & much later became the town hall! Cirencester was a delightful place to take a leisurely stroll, full of fine – looking golden stone buildings and a large number of independent shops, restaurants, cafes & inviting food shops. Cirencester is a foodie’s paradise particularly the area around the historic Kings Head Hotel. The Corn Hall Deli for instance was simply amazing with an assortment of Cotswolds produce including wine, gin, olive oils, ales, bread, cheeses, handmade pies, pastries, cakes, Scotch eggs and some enormous sausage rolls!

I could have spent more time exploring this fascinating town, I will certainly be returning, but I was staying at the unique Ingleside House Hotel housed in a historic grade II-listed building, next door to the two hundred seat Barn Theatre so I had an appointment to keep! The hotel has a restaurant, bar, and its own theatre/cinema on site and is just a 4 minute walk into Cirencester. There is a pay car park directly opposite the hotel at just £2.70 for 24 hours!

From checking in to checking out my visit to Ingleside, I was made to feel very welcome. Ingleside House is like no other Hotel I have ever stayed in. It has been described in some literature I have read as Gatsby-esque after the stylish, & fashionable novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald. My room was certainly, cultured, sophisticated, and chic, reflective of the American “Roaring 20s” & the “Jazz Age.” I was told that the rooms had been named after the staff at the Hotel, which I thought was a lovely touch, if true! I think my room was called Wesley, if memory serves me correctly!

I was fortunate to be staying in a spacious Deluxe Super King room which included an iconic, free-standing roll top bath with Molten Brown bath salts to encourage further relaxation! There were also a number of flameless candles provided around the edges of the bath to add maximum luxury & comfort! Tall green leaved potted plants, elegant glass chandelier, huge green art deco headboard, wide short striped roman window blinds, smart body length dress mirrors, the British design icon Roberts retro radio playing popular music from the bedside table all contributed to create a room of sharp sophistication & panache.

My Super King bed, cloaked with a fashionable collection of pillows & cushions, was enormous & extremely comfortable yet there was still plenty of space within the room. The colour scheme in my room was bold & courageous with bands of bright greens & subtle pinks sitting comfortably alongside each other.

The shower room continued the theme of elegance, style & sophistication with light green tiles & sharp black lines surrounding the glass shower frame, mirror & bathroom cabinet giving a strong clean edge to the fixtures & fittings. There is free Wi-Fi throughout the Hotel & Restaurant and there is plenty of outside seating in the large garden & patio seating terrace. There is also a very smart & comfortable residents lounge with a diverse collection of theatrical books, a nod to nearby neighbours the Barn Theatre, and a number of quirky artistic prints & curious ornaments on and around the walls. It looked absolutely stunning, very different from the predictable format & configuration which many chain hotels follow! We retreated to the lounge after our meal in the award-winning Téatro Restaurant.

The staff at reception, serving at our dining table in the Teatro Restaurant were all very professional, polite & friendly, engaging my wife & I in genuine bouts of conversation. On arrival my wife & I were taken up to our room and check in was swift. In the restaurant we were seated quickly & the table service was first class, attentive but not obtrusive! The food was excellent, with fresh quality produce and excellent value. It was very special. The décor is very unusual with striking design throughout the restaurant. If you like flamingos, parrots & pineapples this is the place for you!

I was dining on a Monday evening, but the restaurant was still very busy with a number of hotel guests eating and other diners coming in off the street through a separate entrance to the hotel. The Téatro Restaurant offers a carefully created menu offering a modern impression on the British classics & universal favourites using only the highest quality local ingredients. To compliment the flavours of the dishes & customers preferences, there is also a finely crafted menu of drinks, from fine international wines & daring craft ales to hand – crafted gins & cocktails.

Starters:

Cotswold Charcuterie – Cured & Cooked Meats, Pickles, Leaves, Sourdough

I was not expecting so much food for my starter. There was a lot of sourdough! The hot chorizo balls were sensational, so I just had to eat all of them!

Baked Camembert (V) – Camembert, Roast Garlic, Chutney, Toasted Sourdough

The warm camembert was perfect for dipping the sourdough

A whole roasted garlic which my wife at first thought was a mushroom!

Mains:

Market Fish of the Day (Cod), Sea Vegetables & Beurre Noisette

The Beurre Noisette warm sauce added an incredible toasted, nutty flavour to the dish.

Primavera Tagliatelle, Pecorino & Wild Garlic Pesto

There was a lot of spring vegetables, beans, wild garlic & olive oil sprinkled with pecorino.

Desserts:

‘Sticky Toffee Mess’, Clotted Cream, Honeycomb

Rhubarb, Lemon Curd & Meringue

Wine: Malbec Bodegas Caro Aruma (Argentina) – A pure fruit-filled red wine which delivers hints of black fruit & spice.

Breakfast: Did not disappoint. It was well worth getting up for! There was plenty of choice on the breakfast menu from Homemade granola, Yoghurt, Seasonal Compote, Baked Apple & Cinnamon Porridge. Maple & Citrus salad, Pomegranate & Coconut to the Teatro Full English and more!

We opted for.

Baked Apple & Cinnamon Porridge

Smoked Salmon Omelette, Watercress & Chilli Jam

Danish Pastries

Toast & Strawberry Jam

Tea & Coffee

The food dishes at the Téatro Restaurant were simply amazing and so much of it! All of the food was exceptional. If you are looking for a friendly but professional fine dining restaurant then look no further that Teatro Cirencester. We enjoyed a fantastic dining experience! A beautiful, colourful & sophisticated setting with efficient and professional table service. It was a dining experience to remember I would fully recommend a visit to the Ingleside House Hotel & Téatro Restaurant for a short stopover or longer stay if visiting Cirencester or touring the Cotswolds.

I had a fantastic time & I am already looking forward to returning to Cirencester!

Pets are not allowed – Parking is available across the road – £2.70 for 24 hours – 24-hour front desk

Disclosure: My visit to Ingleside House & the Téatro Restaurant was courtesy of the management and for bridgetstottpr.co.uk. The views and comments expressed are as usual my own.