THE LOWDOWN

Occupying a fine Georgian red-brick building a stone’s throw from the busy High Street, Winchester’s Hotel du Vin is the ultimate trendsetter. One of 19 Hotel du Vin properties around the UK, it was the first in what is now a popular UK-wide Hotel du Vin group.

Opened in 1994 by big-hitter hotelier Robin Hutson (who went on to launch Lime Wood in the New Forest and THE PIG hotels) together with sommelier Gerard Bassett, who he’d worked with at Chewton Glen, Hotel du Vin Winchester landed well above a B&B for comfort and luxury but ditched the formality and price tag of the more highbrow hotels.

In doing so, it laid a blueprint for boutique hotels that’s been replicated across the hospitality industry around the UK and well beyond. (Fun fact – this was also where TV chef James Martin got his first gig as Head Chef, at the tender age of 22).

If the steady stream of fellow guests checking in alongside us is anything to go by, almost three decades on, this ground-breaking boutique hotel is just as popular as ever.

THE VIBE

The courtyard at Hotel du Vin Winchester

Step up from the street or book ahead for a parking spot (there’s 25 spots here reserved by name – very VIP). The welcome at Hotel du Vin Winchester’s reception is as warm as the fire blazing in the cosy period fireplace – friendly and attentive.

Stylishly understated, the beautiful heritage townhouse has stripped wood floors with the odd creak as you walk along them. But modern touches and quirky features like the vino-titled bedrooms, Greek Madonna-esque back-lit bust in the hallway and the stag’s head overlooking the modern ground-floor bar help overcome the potential stately home feel.

Outside in the pretty lantern-lit courtyard, koi carp splash around in the fountain. One of few hotel or restaurant gardens in the city, cocktails and afternoon tea here are a real summer treat.

PILLOW TALK

Courvoisier suite room Hotel du Vin Winchester

Refurbed throughout just a few years ago, Hotel du Vin Winchester has 24 bedrooms all with robes, minibars, Nespresso machines, monsoon showers and L’Occitane toiletries, including a slumber-inducing pillow spray. Elegantly, there are no numbers – each room has its own wine themed name and tasteful, individually-designed soft furnishings and décor.

We check into one of the best rooms in the house, the Courvoisier suite. Perfect for a couples weekender, the romance vibes here are strong. There’s a super comfy sink-into-it king size bed with Egyptian cotton sheets, floor-to-ceiling sash windows facing out to the courtyard and a deep roll top bath at the foot of the bed with a separate walk-in shower room.

Somewhat regretfully, we’d had to pack our little one, Miss Six. She, however, fully made the most of it, joyfully plonking herself on the camp bed and demanding a big bubbly bath before changing into her sparkliest dress and shoes for dinner.

SCOFF & QUAFF

Hotel du Vin Winchester’s bistro restaurant no longer competes for the city’s fine dining crown, but there’s all the right ingredient for a splendid meal here, from the cosy, romantic vibe, to the à la carte menu of French classics and the friendly, prompt service. If you’re dining midweek (Sunday – Thursday) there’s also a three-course set menu, priced at an absolute bargain £24.95.

French onion soup Hotel du Vin Winchester

All in for a full three courses, we start with a very cheesy French onion soup, which hits all the umami sweet spots. The tomato, olive and parmesan tart tastes super fresh but we’re not totally convinced by the slightly dense pizza-style puff pastry base.

Always forgetting how filling it is, I order a pumpkin and sage gnocchi, a classic combo and well executed here. Mr. Muddy has a weekend blowout with a satisfying sirloin steak and frites, cooked ‘more-medium-than-rare’ medium-rare, exactly as he’d ordered (and hoped for).

This being the Hotel of Wine, there’s loads of well-priced wines by the glass and bottle (and if you’re a proper oenophile, plenty of dessert wines and port, too). Venturing slightly further afield than France, I plump for a very quaffable Spanish Verdejo. A glass of Argentinian Malbec paired with Mr. Muddy’s steak also hits the mark.

French desserts canele florentine madeleine cafe gourmand coffee Hotel du Vin Winchester

Mr. Muddy couldn’t manage dessert but I can pretty much always be persuaded, opting for a Café Gourmand chef’s choice of sweets and a cappuccino. Somewhat bigger than the bite-sized bits I’d expected, the chocolate canelé and soft, freshly-baked madeleine literally go down a treat. But when it came to the hefty florentine, I was finally forced to admit defeat.

OUT & ABOUT

Just off the high street, the city-centre location is spot on for shopping at brilliant independent boutiques like Sass & Edge and H&B Style, as well as the sprawling bookshops and the many pubs, bars and cultural attractions in Winchester. The Great Hall with its legendary Round Table and Winchester Cathedral are a five-minute stroll away. And a similar distance along Jury Street there’s regular free art exhibitions at The Arc city library and arts space and a varied lineup of productions at the Theatre Royal Winchester. There’s also an Everyman cinema, just three minutes’ away. If you’ve never been, pop in and see the river Itchen woosh through the National Trust’s Winchester City Mill (above) and grab coffee and cake in the cosy café.

DISABILITY ACCESS

One of the garden suites is adapted for disabled guests.

CHILDREN

Kids can stay in most rooms for a supplement but won’t fit in the more bijou doubles. There’s a good kid’s menu with heftily portioned favourites like sausage and chips and even steak for mini gourmands.

PET-FRIENDLY

Yes – dogs are welcome in all rooms with advance notice, at a £20 – £30 supplement. They aren’t allowed in the bar or restaurant.

THE MUDDY VERDICT

GOOD FOR: Romantic weekend getaways, dinner dates with old friends and spoil-yourself city stopovers that are surprisingly good value for the location.

NOT FOR: Littlies and bigger broods. Hotel du Vin Winchester is child-friendly but rooms will be a squeeze for larger families – and the vibe is a bit grown-up for very young children.

THE DAMAGE: Less than you’d think – and very well-priced for Winchester. Starters are £8-12, mains £12 – £33 and puds cost £7-£9. Kids main courses are around £7-£10 (for a steak!). Rooms start at around £110 per night. A glass of wine starts at £5.50 and there’s a huge selection to choose from.

Hotel du Vin Winchester, Southgate Street, Winchester SO23 9EF, England. Tel. 01962 896329; hotelduvin.com/locations/winchester.

Review: Hotel du Vin, Winchester

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