The Old Bridge Hotel & Riverside Restaurant, Huntingdon, for a lovely lunch and delightful decor

 This historic hotel is on the riverside and is run by a Master of Wine and has a wine shop on the premises.

River Ouse seen from the car park of the Old Bridge Hotel as you arrive. Photo by Angela Lansbury, copyright..

We booked a table and drove up from north London to one of our favourite restaurants. Now that the Harrow at Little Bedwyn has closed down, the Old Bridge looks likely becoming our favourite for a special meal out, out of home, and out of London.

The car park is beside the green tree-lined river. The hotel has greenery covering walls and patio tables.

The bightly lit restaurant has brick walls, big mirrors and blue-green banquettes.

Angela Lansbury in the restaurant of The Old Bridge, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire. Photo by Trevor Sharot.

Prosecco and cocktail with fresh mint. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

The sourdough bread and butter was tops, chewy bread, and tasty butter. 

I began with a glass of Prosecco. The shaped thin glass seemed slightly better than most glassware offered by restaurants.

Toilet Temptations

I dashed down to the ladies toilets beside the bar. The wallpaper features fish. 

Fish wallpaper. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

If you fancy the handwashing gel and/or the moisturizer, both are on sale in the shop. I don't understand why all hotels and restaurants don't do this. 

The gents toilet has different wallpaper. Bottle theme.

We chose from the set menu. 

Seriously Special Starters

Beetroot starter. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

My starter was a small deep bowl of deep beetroot purple colour. Yes, beetroot. Not the creamy Polish and Jewish style borscht. Certainly not the transparent Russian style borsht. Much thicker. With a Greek yogurt texture white blob submerged. Delightful. I used the last of my sourdough, French style, I mean in the fashion of diners in France, to sweep every last morsel. Compliments to the chef.

The grilled broccoli was tasty. Cooked just right. No alarming black.  

Broccoli starter. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

Main Course

We had a choice of three dishes on the set menu. Our main courses were different. Leaving out the vegetarian option, one was a pork pie, the other fish. 

Main course. Pork pie.

Dessert

Dessert, summer pudding, at The Old Bridge Hotel, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

My dessert option was summer pudding.

My husband chose cheese.

The coffee could be accompanied by breads. 

Coffee and biscuit at The Old Bridge Hotel. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

By the time we had finished lunch, the tea time crowd were enjoying three tier stands of sandwiches, what looked like scones and cakes. I was wondering whether I could sell my home and move into a hotel for a year. But I would double in size as there is no gym nor swimming pool.

Shopping For Souvenirs

Before leaving, we looked at the shop, which had wall to wall wines, a description of the owner, a Master Of Wine, and an Enoteca machine which allows you to buy a card and select tastes of different sizes, small, tiny or teeny of various drinks. for those not driving home. If you are driving, you might buy a bottle. Or look at the gifts, which are different seasonally and on my every visit. This year, this month, they had paper folding origami sets, tea towels.

Traditional tea and coffee. Brown and white sugar cubes. A milk jug in blue Willow pattern.

Useful Information and Websites

Old Bridge Hotel, 1 High Street, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire.

https://www.oldbridgehuntingdon.co.uk/

https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotel_Review-g209939-d313733-Reviews-The_Old_Bridge-Huntingdon_Cambridgeshire_England.html

https://www.google.com.my/travel/hotels/Cambridgeshire/entity/ChcIvq2puNqY8YseGgsvZy8xdGc2djY2YhAB?utm_campai

Please share links to your favourite posts.

Lovely Food In Elegant Surroundings at The Old Bridge Hotel Restaurant, Huntingdon, England

Problem
Where can you eat and park in Huntingdon?

The Old Bridge Hotel Restaurant
The creeper-clad Old Bridge Hotel is my favourite place.

The car park is free and large. Our favourite parking place is in the section where you can park facing the river. The derelict building opposite looks like a haunted house.

On our most recent visit we walked across the pedestrian bridge.

We found a new development. We were pleased to see the sign that plans are in hand for more development, so perhaps the derelict building will be refurbished or replaced.

Although the hotel car park is often nearly full, we have always found a space somewhere.

Answers
If you want a good meal, or a special meal, The Old Bridge Hotel restaurant is the place to go. Inside the hotel you have plenty of choice.

The Pub
The wooden-floored pub has traditional character combined with modern comforts.

The old-fashioned pub with a log fire and bar has charm, if that's your sort of thing. The bar stools have sensible high backs.

If you prefer, little tables for two. You can lean close. Talk intimately.


The Lounge

If you don't mind low tables, the cosy lounge with sofas is ideal for a quick coffee and cake for a business meeting.

It's also good for a girls' get together lunch. I met one group of former colleagues who gather here once a month.

We ate for the first time in the lounge, where I discovered the sandwiches. I still like the chicken and avocado sandwich.

The Restaurant
But my husband usually chooses a cooked meal. So now we go for the restaurant for more comfort and elegance.

Arrive early to get a window seat or better still book one. I think the window seats are the best. Nearer to the bar to catch somebody's eye for instant attention. Views over the garden. If you have your back to the outdoor, you still have sunshine from the outside.

If you miss out, never mind. You are likely to get more privacy at the back banquettes against the wall away from the windows. The overhead skylight, is pretty and pretty unusual.

Wine Shop
Afterwards the wine shop is always an entertainment. See the bathroom and kitchen hand gels at the doorway.

Read my post on wine souvenirs including candles, wooden candel holder and display, magnetic paper holder, kitchen ware.

Useful Websites
visitbritain.com
visitbritainshop.com

Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer.

Wine Theme Finds In The Wine Shop At The Old Bridge Hotel, Huntingdon

The Old Bridge Hotel and Wine Shop, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, England. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

Problem
Where do you find fun items on a wine theme for yourself or other wine lovers?

Answers
In the USA drive north of San Francisco and you will come to wine country where every few miles you will find vineyards and wine cellars with shops the size of supermarkets. They stock everything you could think of on a wine theme: diaries and tasting books, label printers and removers and albums for labels, tea towels, aprons, corkscrews in every shape, size, colour and design, imitation bottle lamps, barrel tables and chairs.

Over in Europe, in Spain in the city of Haro, capital of the Rioja vineyards region, the shops of Muga and others had a wonderful silk scarf with a bunch of grapes design. A few miles away in a wine museum I found silver bunches of grapes, and vine leaf napkin holders.

On Ebay I hunted for wine jewellery and found tee-shirts, grape theme fabrics made into clothes, aprons.

My bottle and glass ring bought from the internet.

Most wine shops offer one or two items. You just have to keep looking.

My latest find is the Wine Shop at The Bridge Hotel, Huntingdon. Their online wine shop sells their wines, but it's much more fun to visit the wine shop. Sometimes we have been lucky enough to speak the owner, who is a master of wine, other times we saw him wine tasting with a VIP seller or buyer. Other times he has been away on travels, probably wine buying.

At first sight there are not many gifts, but they are in four separate areas. On my last visit, some items were on the rack outside the shop, others by the counter, more in both of the windows.

Hand gels and lotions from the Wine Shop.

Fancy bags for bottles as gifts.

Here are my favourite items from The Wine Shop at The Bridge Hotel:

For sheer amusement, alligator shape bottle openers.

Corkers
Turn your old corks into animals with a kit made by Monkey Business.

Corkers turning corks into animals.

Wine Bottle Candles History.

Imitation Cork Candles

Origami Sets

Tea towels or glass clothes with pretty patterns, and wooden serving platters and te light holders.

Magnetic Animals which pull apart and hold notepaper.

 Bottle and Glass gift packs

Bottles Recycled As Storage Jars With Carved Wood Tops - Each One Individual

Bottle Openers

On the wine shop website I see only bottles of wine for sales, so I presume you have to go to the shop to buy the gifts. Visiting the shop also enables you to buy tastes of wine from the machine, which dispenses wine tastes in two sizes.

We enjoyed a very nice lunch at the Old Bridge Hotel, which we have visited several times. For the first time, prompted by the hotel and wine shop owner, we tried a wine called Grünerveltliner, which is the name of the grape, made by FX Pichler. This is a pricey wine for special occasions. We loved the aroma and taste and bought some from the shop to celebrate our wedding anniversary.

If you are looking for gifts for a birthday, wedding anniversary, Valentine's Day, Xmas, or for hosts at a dinner party, or to amuse your guests:
try these words:
bar accessories
barrel furniture
bottle gifts
bottle lamps
bottle openers
bottle stoppers
carafe
Coravin
corks
cork cutters
cork gifts
grape
Platypus
wine label gifts
wine label remover
wine accessories
wine bottle
wine gifts
wine glass markers
wine glasses
wine saver

Useful Websites
To visit the Old Bridge Hotel wine shop and restaurant and hotel:
http://www.huntsbridge.com
To buy their wine online:
http://www.oldbridgewine.co.uk
Other gadgets from other suppliers:
https://www.bottledandboxed.com/category/476/accessories
visitbritain.com

Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker. I have written other posts on The Old Bridge Hotel and Restaurant. Please share links to your favourite posts.

The Old Bridge Hotel Restaurant, Huntingdon

Creeper clad Old Bridge Hotel, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, England, is even more interesting inside. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

Problem
Where to eat driving north of London towards Cambridge, near Huntingdon and St Ives?

Answer
The Old Bridge Hotel. Perfect. Great food. Entertaining.

Stories
We had already eaten twice at the wonderful Old Bridge Hotel, so we scoured around the internet for something new. We found the pretty area of St Ives on the river. Was it the same river, the river Ouse? Oozing charm?

St Ives
After you have tried the Old Bridge Hotel, pretty St Ives is worth a look on a good sunny day. We tried booking lunch in St Ives online. We found the Amore restaurant by the riverside. We assumed we had a reservation. Alas no.

Worse still, we arrived in pouring rain at pretty St Ives, near Cambridge, north east of London, an hour and a quarter from Harrow in north west London.

(St Ives near Cambridge is not to be confused with the other St Ives, another pretty place in Cornwall. Your internet search may bring up the Cornish St Ives first.)

We saw signs saying the area had won an award for blooms. I spotted flowers in a boat.

St Ives is a pretty old place, with narrow streets, nooky shops and swans on the river.
















Swans on the river at St Ives, Cambridgeshire.

Flowers on the riverside at St Ives, Cambridgeshire.

Alas the Amore restaurant was closed on Tuesday. (That's the second time in the last two weeks that we have been caught out on Tuesday. The first time was in Romania where the ski lift doesn't operate in summer in Tuesdays - see previous posts on Romania.)

St Ives, in our experience, is not car friendly. We passed the pedestrian area entrance, the narrow old bridge, Poundland, and a museum which is being renovated. We drove round and around trying to get in and trying to get out. We tried to get back again, then tried to get out again. By now we had not found a parking place next to a nice restaurant. The driver and passenger were both unwilling to park miles away and trudge up and down pedestrian only streets in pouring rain looking for a restaurant.

What about the Old Bridge Hotel? That has lots of tables and lots of parking.

Great light and lighting in the restaurant at the Old Bridge Hotel, Huntingdon.

The modern restaurant. at The Old Bridge Hotel. I loved the mirrors.

Downstairs to the cosy old fireplace and red chairs.

In the other direction is the clean, well-kept bar.

The Old Bridge Hotel, Huntingdon
You have a choice of three seating areas. This time we chose to sit upstairs in the restaurant at proper tables.

You can also sit at low tables in a lounge area.

The third choice is the bar area which has tables for two and a fireplace. Or the bar, where the bar stools have proper high supportive backs.

The bread and butter is free. The still or sparkling water is also complimentary.

The Old Bridge Hotel has scarily high prices on the a la carte menu. If you want to book a birthday or special occasion as one group did you can order an expensive meal.

However, if you are careful you can have a very good meal at more moderate prices.

Drinks

Sweet white wine. Loads more choices. Prosecco. Rosé. Kir Royal.

Red wine by the glass

Wines are offered by the bottle and lots of wines by the glass. I could have had a Prosecco. I found several sweet wines on the dessert section.

Sandwiches
Take a look at the sandwich menu. I had chicken and avocado sandwich. I was offered a brown or white bread. You can also have your sandwich hot or cold. Mine came up with crisps and very elegant.

Chicken and avocado sandwich, comes with great crisps and salad.

Pork pie with hard Lord Of The Hundreds cheese.

Lord Of The Hundreds Cheese

The Lord of the Hundreds cheese is made in England. The cheese is made from ewes' milk. A ewe is a female sheep. Only females produce milk. Ewe's cheese is more frequently found in Italian, Spanish and Basque areas because sheep tolerate heat whereas cows don't like heat and are more rarely found in hot countries.

Afterwards we shared a dessert.

Finally coffee comes with a biscotti. (A hard, thick, crunchy Italian biscuit.)

Finally, what makes a classy, comfortable restaurant and hotel? A ladies toilet with matching bottles of hand wash gel and moisturiser so you come out with soft, sweet smelling hands. Really puts you in a good mood.

Tips
Look around the wine shop. They have an Enomatic machine which enables you to try small tastes of several wines for lower prices than for a full glass. Lots of wine bottles are stacked in clearly labelled in easy to find sections.

E n o m a t i c machine for tasting several wines in small quantities at reduced prices.

Cricket ball key fobs. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

The small number of novelties included cricket ball key fobs.

We chanced upon the hotel owner, John Hoskins, who is a master of wine. I had noticed a lot of well spoken people who I assumed were locals.

The English owner of The Old Bridge Hotel and Restaurant.

He told us that in addition many people stop at The Old Bridge Hotel, as they drive through. Why? Because Huntingdon is in the heart of England, at a crossroads. People stop as they drive east from Birmingham. Or north from London. Or south from the north of England to London.

The Old Bridge Hotel
1 High Street
Huntingdon
Cambridgeshire
PE29 3TQ
Tel: 01 480 424 300
Email: oldbridge@huntsbridge.co.uk
www.huntsbridge.com (For the restaurant and hotel.)
www.oldbridgewine.co.uk (For the wine shop.)

Photos by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.
Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker. Please share links to my posts.