Paschoe House well and truly spoiled both me and the two dogs over my birthday weekend!
Mother Nature also chose to spoil us with the most beautiful, warm September weekend too. It truly could not have been planned any better!
We kicked off the morning slowly with a breakfast in bed at home (thank you, Alex!), a quick visit to see my mum, and then a beautiful scenic drive through Dartmoor, taking our time to enjoy the landscape.
I love visiting Dartmoor as there are so many different types of landscape to explore there, from the moors to the rivers and woodlands, to large lakes and reservoirs, like this one pictured below.
We stopped off to eat a lunch picnic and walk around Fernworthy Reservoir on our way to the hotel, but I might save the rest of the general Dartmoor exploring photos for another post!
In the late afternoon, we found ourselves driving along the sprawling driveway of Paschoe House; a golden glow from the low September sun framing the grade II listed manor house perfectly for our arrival.
We were greeted at reception and shown to our room at the top of the hotel, leading the dogs up with us.
Yes, we brought the dogs on our adventure too!
Paschoe House sits on a twenty five acre estate and has been awarded the South West Best Small Hotel of the Year in 2019/20 for its luxurious rooms, stunning grounds and restaurant.
They’re also extremely dog friendly!
From the moment we arrived, the dogs were treated as distinguished guests, with their own food and water bowls, plenty of treats, and plush dog bed in our room. There were even a pair of (really high quality and durable) toys for Pepper and Maisey waiting for us in our room – a really thoughtful touch.
As you can see, Maisey made herself right at home on the dog bed, while Pepper got to work destroying her way through her new octopus toy.
Paschoe House is home to its own 3 AA Rosette Restaurant; an experience we definitely couldn’t pass up on trying for ourselves! The restaurant offers an a la carte menu or an 8 course tasting menu, as well as a casual dining menu that is available in the ‘Morning & Library room’ for those with dogs (who aren’t allowed in the main restaurant).
However, don’t worry if you have dogs with you but are keen to try the Tasting menu! The hotel offers a dog-sitting service, where they will take care of your pups for you while you enjoy the evening in the main restaurant for as long as you like. There is an extra charge for this, but such a good idea and so worth it for a truly relaxing evening tasting the best the restaurant has to offer.
We kicked off our Tasting menu experience with a glass of champagne each and some canapés by the bar, before heading into the main restaurant to begin our culinary journey!
First up was pan-fried scallops – which are making my stomach rumble as I write this. Scallops are my favourite, especially done like this with a delicious sauce too.
Next, we had the cured salmon with pickled ginger, honey & soy and wasabi. A dish we both loved as we’re both obsessed with Asian flavours, especially after our trip to Japan earlier this year.
Then we had pan-roasted quail, with quail egg, followed by cod fillet with a crab salad on top. Each of these dishes were beautifully presented, and just the right amount considering we had 8 courses to go through!
We finished off the savoury dishes with a deliciously tender lamb rump, before our first dessert arrived looking like a piece of artwork…
… followed shortly by a sweet, soft banana souffle (I’ve never had a sweet souffle before and it was delicious!) and a plate of candies and treats wishing me happy birthday to finish!
Completely full of amazing food (and tasty wine too – thanks Alex!), we picked up the dogs from Tabitha (founder of Paschoe House hotel) who sounded like she had thoroughly enjoyed playing with them both while we ate, and headed up to our room for the night.
The next morning was just as beautiful as the last, and I got up early to take the dogs out and have a walk around the grounds as the sun rose. There are plenty of gardens to get lost in exploring, especially on a day like this.
We then went down for breakfast in the Morning Room, and as well as ordering a hot dish (full English for Alex, pancakes for me), we were also served this rather amazing tower of continental breakfast options too. Such a great idea; almost like an afternoon tea style presentation, but for breakfast!
After breakfast, we packed up our things and bid farewell to the hotel – not leaving without a goody bag for our trip home, complete with a bottle of water, dog treats, and an (incredibly tasty!) lemon and chocolate muffin inside! Again, a really lovely touch and just one of the ways Paschoe House really spoil you and create that luxury feel.
We finished off our weekend back in Dartmoor to find a woodland walk and somewhere for a wild swim, which we found (after getting a bit lost), and then made a visit to my grandma who lives in the area on our way home.
Overall, I couldn’t have wished for a better birthday weekend! It was perfect, and the dogs were so well behaved (and well cared for), which always makes me extra happy too.
To find out more about Paschoe House and their restaurant, take a look at their website.
* Disclaimer: our stay at Paschoe House was gifted in exchange for a review. But all opinions are honest and my own.
I just love that destination. Thanks Man!!!