Russell's Worcestershire

Set in the middle of the picture-postcard Cotswold village of Broadway, and serving delicious food in elegant surroundings, Russell's is a culinary gem that should not be missed.

Russell’s is, without doubt, one of the best restaurants with rooms to visit in the UK. The informal but highly professional restaurant seems to be permanently buzzing throughout the year, and the seven gorgeous rooms occupied by the lucky few that choose to stay as well as dine cannot be faulted for style and comfort.

Housed in the former showroom and offices of the furniture designer Gordon Russell (hence the name), Russell’s is one of the many honey-coloured Cotswold stone buildings that line the picture-postcard High Street of Broadway. At the front of the building is a flagstone terrace with tables, chairs and parasols. On entering through the etched glass interior porch, you will immediately be struck by the elegant style and contemporary nature of the interior of the restaurant. Interspersed with the exposed stone, modern art hangs on the white walls – including a Damien Hurst on my stay that was on loan from one of Broadway’s many art galleries. The bar doubles up as reception for guests, and you will be met with a cheery welcome before being shown to your room and given the lowdown on its many different gadgets. There are two dining rooms; one facing out onto the High Street, and the other onto a rear patio and decking – used for alfresco dining in the warmer times of year. And if it gets a tad chilly at night, fear not, as a box of pashminas is on hand to drape around your shoulders.

With over 50 years of hotel experience between them, much of it spent at Broadway’s Lighon Arms and the Broadway Hotel, owners Barry Hancox and Andrew Riley have created a hugely personable and confident establishment since opening in 2004. One of them is always on hand to greet and chat with diners and guests, and their young and enthusiastic staff, clad in stylish black uniforms, have a genuine desire to make their customers feel happy and comfortable.

Which Room? There are seven sumptuously decorated rooms at Russell’s. All are stylishly contemporary whilst including original features that retain a sense of the building’s history. Most have views over the High Street. If you can, throw caution to the wind and book Room 7, the only suite at Russell’s, although ‘apartment’ would be a more apt description. The combination of the high arching wood beams, latticed window overlooking the High Street and the bare Cotswold stone is very agreeable. Throw into the mix a large four-poster bed, a giant bathroom with two-person bath and large open rain shower and mod-cons including a Nespresso machine, CD player and i-pod dock and you’ll understand just what I mean.

What to Eat? Russell’s menu is a bold, assured and delicious interpretation of Modern British food with Spanish, Arabic and Asian influences featuring dishes such as filo baked goat’s cheese crottin, deep fried salt and pepper squid with seaweed, and corn-fed chicken breast with sweet potato purée. Side orders, such as roasted beetroot with maple syrup and rosemary are well worth sampling. The restaurant can get very busy, so do book a table, and bear in mind that the restaurant is closed on Sunday evenings (although a supper tray can be ordered).

What to do? First up on a tour of Broadway should be a trip to the recently opened Gordon Russell Museum on Russell Square, situated right behind the restaurant in the original and newly restored furniture workshops. The exhibition charts the development of Russell, his company and his modernist designs, which have influenced the likes of Sir Terence Conran. Broadway is a delightful village to walk in, full of independent shops and art galleries including the Richard Hagen gallery on High Street and Broadway Modern a few doors down from Russell’s. For fine art, head down High Street and visit the beautiful Trinity House and Haynes Fine Art of Broadway. Make sure also to visit nearby Broadway Deli, to pick up some European and locally produced delicacies. After your window shopping and retail therapy, you may feel in need of refreshment. Pop into Tisanes Tea Rooms on The Green for a super selection of teas served in bone china or, if something stronger is in order, head for Church Street and the old world charms and wonderful guest ales of the Crown & Trumpet. There are many great walks to be had in the surrounding countryside, but the ‘must do’ is the Broadway Tower walk that takes you across fields, past St Eadburgha’s Church, some of which dates back to the 11th century, and then up some rather steep sections of Broadway Hill to Broadway Tower, a folly built by the 6th Earl of Coventry for his wife in 1799. By climbing the tower you will reach the highest point in the Cotswolds, and from the roof on a clear day it is possible to see as far as Wales. This walk will take around 3 hours, so make a day of it and ask for one of Russell’s delicious picnic hampers. If you are less inclined to tackle the inclines to the tower, you can always drive.