The Vicarage (Cheshire), Reviewed

The Vicarage, a part of the Flat Cap Hotels group, promises all the things we love in a destination. Great food, style, comfort and a welcoming feel. Does it successfully tick all of these boxes – most certainly!

If you haven’t heard of Flat Cap Hotels, we hope that this piece gives you enough incentive to give them thorough consideration this Summer.  This innovative hotel brand champions food-led destinations with a unique style and beautiful hotel accommodation. As a family driven group, they promise a “home away from home” with high end food.

The Vicarage is positioned in an idyllic country Cheshire Setting, 5 minute’s walk from the village of Holmes Chapel. Plus, it is ideally linked to Crewe, Manchester and Manchester Airport. 

Sleep in comfort and style

The Vicarage is home to 20 comfy bedrooms and 6 Signature Double rooms. We were lucky enough stay in a Signature room, which featured a restful king sized, with artisan tea & coffee facilities, a Nespresso machine, large desks, classic books for you to dip into, free Wi-Fi and a plasma TV. In the bathroom were treated to a Rainmaker shower and (one of our favourite things in any hotel room) a classic roll top bath. Beautiful.

The overall style was homely, yet it was also sophisticated and in-keeping with the property. We really appreciated extra touches such as the exposed brickwork, the sheer expansiveness of the bathroom and the bed was finished with a stunning headboard.  As you would expect, the room was super clean and spotless too.

Dining with finesse and elegance

The dining area at the Vicarage is split into two distinct areas. One, a dark, elegant dining space with many visual treats and surprises. From the uniquely designed deer mount art work to the various pieces of artwork across the ceiling, there was a lot to talk about and to admire. The second space is a light, open and airy conservatory (below) space with subtle décor and a fresh atmosphere. Overall, the dining area and the conservatory style areas provided a pleasant back drop to our stay. The benefit of having two distinct spaces is that you can have the option of which setting you wish to indulge your taste buds in.

We understand that The Vicarage describes itself as a “destination food-led venue” on its own website. Here at Lussorian, we agree – dining is a real treat! Food at The Vicarage really takes centre stage and shines.

Embarking on our meal, we were instantly impressed by the salt and pepper squid, with pickled fennel and tenderstem broccoli slaw and finished with a curry mayonnaise (£7.95). The balance between the squid and the slaw was bang on. Plus, the curry mayonnaise elevated the flavour further, rather than overpowering.

However, the real star of the meal came in a cod fillet with sumptuous sweet potato dauphinoise, buttered kale and confit chorizo. The cooking of the cod was perfect and the addition of the confit chorizo worked to enhance the fish. This really was one of the best cod dishes we have had for a while! Classic combinations executed brilliantly. My partner opted for the 8oz Sirloin Welsh steak, which was also superb.

For a decadent finish we opted for the “Waffle” and “Chocolate Brownie”. Both came drizzled in toffee sauce with fresh strawberries and a honeycomb ice cream. Once again, we were impressed!

The Vicarage has a range of gins and other spirits on offer therefore making it quite exciting if you are a connoisseur (or aspiring connoisseur like myself!). A Forest Gin & tonic being a particular highlight here. If trying new spirits is up your street, then The Vicarage certainly has this covered. 

Each member of staff was professional and attentive but they also took care to engage with customers where appropriate. Perfect! We couldn’t ask for anything more.

As you can tell, our dining experience was on the whole pretty faultless. Overall presentation of the food was modern and elegant. Plus, the menu choice was eclectic enough to please almost everyone, yet it was not overly expansive so as to overwhelm.

Carrying on from the success of dinner, the breakfast was also a hit in terms of choice and execution. For me, the smoked salmon with scrambled eggs and chive was light, seasoned perfectly and just the sort of start any day should have. Similarly, the Vicarage Full English was also top notch.

Final thoughts…

We left The Vicarage with nothing but positive things to say. Everything from the atmosphere, to the décor, to the comfortable rooms and to the dining were superb. Certainly a destination we look forward to visiting again. Prices start from £140 per room per night with a full English breakfast the following morning. The hotel is also dog-friendly, with a £10 surcharge per dog per night. Find out more here.