There's no place like House

I have a confession: I'm not really an eat out in restaurants kind of gal. I generally prefer staying at home in my Disney jim jams with a takeaway and a bottle of prosecco. If I'm this wild at 27, who knows what the future holds.

That said, when I do decide to venture out of hibernation into the real world, I tend to go to places that have a bit of character. My favourite places include The Fourteas in Stratford Upon Avon and The Rainforest Cafe in Disneyland Paris. The former is a vintage tearoom that is themed around the 1940s (including the staff!) and the latter is exactly what it says on the tin - a restaurant/cafe that is set in the middle of a rainforest  (complete with mechanical apes and jungle sounds) and is located in one of the happiest places in the world.

I'll actively seek out places with an interesting theme. Rather than fly to Paris every night, I try to go a bit more local which brings me on to House in Leamington.

Leamington Spa, to me, is Stratford Upon Avon’s cooler, edgier cousin. Stratford may have Shakespeare, but Leamington has a bit more hustle and bustle, youth and, individuality. So it seems like the perfect setting for ‘House’ - a bar/eatery that is themed around an eccentric, weird and wonderful home.

It's on the main parade in Leamington and each room has a unique style - with a lounge, pump room, kitchen and dining room occupying the ground floor and a chic rooftop terrace occupying the first.

It's the kind of place that I could bring anyone to as it has everything to suit everyone's needs. Whether a first date that involves a fancy meal, a quick drink after work, cocktails with the girls or any other special occasion. Whilst I was there I saw all sorts of people enjoying the bars and restaurant - there were young twentysomethings enjoying a drink and a bite to eat upstairs on the roof terrace, a family downstairs were celebrating someone's birthday and a group of older men were enjoying a pint in the decadent lounge. I think it's rare to come across a place that appeals to such a varied clientele, but House has the edge. It's the right side of grand without being tacky or pompous, and the friendly staff only add to this.

It's the kind of place I could bring my mum and dad to, as well as my girlfriends. It's diverse and doesn't feel exclusive, which I feel can sometimes be the downside to trendy bars and clubs. It genuinely feels like everyone is welcome, and you can tell a lot of care has been taken and there has been obvious attention to detail. (Plus, anywhere with a wall covered with flamingos gets my vote.)

I didn't stay to eat, but I wish I had as the menu looked delicious. It has a restaurant area for fancy meals, and light bites are available if you'd prefer to go low-key and have a bag of donuts instead. Yes, really.

I'm known for having a sweet tooth so how I resisted donuts is anyone's guess (I blame slimming world.) I did however enjoy a cocktail from the bar. I ordered a Pornstar Martini - a passionfruit and vodka concoction that's absolutely delicious and very moreish. It's the perfect cocktail to have on a balmy summer evening, with the fruity flavours reminiscent of holidays abroad somewhere beautiful. This particular cocktail came with a shot of prosecco which was a nice touch - and it could either be drank separately or poured in with the cocktail to give it an extra edge. I opted to pour it in because more alcohol = double the fun.

I left House wanting to tell everyone about it and looking forward to going back at a later date to sample some more of the cocktails. (purely for blog purposes of course..and maybe just a few for fun. Just a few.)

So my verdict on House?

Well if Dorothy were real, she'd forget about Kansas and click those red shoes together with the mantra: there's no place like House.

HayleyHeartsxo

http://www.houseleamington.co.uk/
https://www.facebook.com/houseleamingtonspa
https://www.instagram.com/houseleamington/