Dining in Windsor and Eton

Windsor and Eton makes for an ideal home base for those looking to stay somewhere other than London. By staying in Windsor and Eton one has the luxury of experiencing a different side of England and still be near London. Windsor and Eton has two train stations within walking distance of one another allowing you to reach London by train within thirty to sixty minutes. Besides London, Windsor and Eton as a home base allows for visitors to reach other cities in the South West region of England. Places such as Bath, Oxford, Reading, Salisbury, and Winchester are close train rides away.

A few factors make staying in Windsor and Eton appealing to tourists. Neither town is too large, and you can easily get around both by foot. Although Windsor and Eton are separated by the River Thames a bridge connects the two towns. Windsor receives a fair number of tourists because of Windsor Castle. While Eton is busiest when their boys’ boarding school, Eton College, is in session. After the boys are in their dorms and the tourists have gone back to London, Windsor and Eton are quiet towns. The English charm of Windsor and Eton are not the only appeal to these towns. Several dining options are available, covering a wide variety of cuisines. Listed below are a few of the best restaurants in Windsor and Eton.

Castle Cod

Surrounding Windsor Castle are restaurants that reek of tourist traps. Castle Cod is smack dab in the middle of this row of restaurants but it’d be a mistake to lump it in the tourist trap category. If you’re craving traditional British fish and chips you won’t want to ignore this restaurant. Service is fast and efficient and the fish and chips are classic. The fish is tender with the batter as crispy as the fries. Castle Cod is family friendly and a great place for a quick meal after your tour of Windsor Castle.

Back side of Castle Cod

Fish and Chips at Castle Cod

Chocolate Theatre Cafe Bar

Chocolate Theatre Cafe Bar offers classic English cuisine in a charming setting. A must on any trip to England is to have scones and Chocolate Theatre Cafe Bar serves scrumptious scones. The scones are served with Windsor Cream Tea, strawberry jam, and fresh clotted cream. Chocolate Theatre Cafe Bar’s menu includes a traditional English breakfast. The traditional English breakfast is a hearty meal of two sausages, ham, scrambled eggs and toast. Another satisfying and filling meal is the Jacket potatoes, served with your choice of toppings. For those with a sweet tooth order one of their specialty hot chocolates. The drink is so decadent you won’t want to reach the last drop.

Full English breakfast at Chocolate Theatre Cafe Bar

Jacket potatoes at Chocolate Theatre Cafe Bar

Specialty hot chocolate at Chocolate Theatre Cafe Bar

Scones, strawberry jam, and clotted cream at Chocolate Theatre Cafe Bar

Cote Brasserie

For fine French dining head to Cote Brasserie. Cote Brasserie is ideal for couples as this restaurant exudes a romantic setting. The restaurant is in a two-story building next to the River Thames. You may sit inside or outside, with or without a view of the river. Begin your meal with a bowl of French Onion soup. Main courses include traditional dishes such as Beef Bourguignon, Breton Fish Stew, and Steak Frites. End your satisfying meal with dessert such as Crème Caramel, a silky smooth flan. If you are at Cote Brasserie for dinner enjoy the view of Windsor Castle lit up at night.

Cote Brasserie

French Onion Soup at Cote Brasserie

Flaming Cow

If you have a hankering for grub that will remind you of being back in America head to the restaurant Flaming Cow. The Flaming Cow cooks up mouth-watering hamburgers made with 6oz beef patties and various toppings. You can order hot dogs that are as large as the hamburgers and just as tasty. Compliment your meal with fries and a milkshake. The Flaming Cow’s relaxed atmosphere is magnified with a mural painting of a large cow scaling a building, a la King Kong, with planes buzzing around the cow.

Brunch Burger at Flaming Cow

Cuban Hot Dog at Flaming Cow

Viva L’Italia

A drawback to visiting Italy is that it ruins Italian food for you in your home country. Nothing compares to how Italian food is prepared and how it tastes in Italy. Viva L’Italia is an exception to the rule. When you eat at Viva L’Italia you might forget you’re in Windsor and think you’re in Rome. Viva L’Italia is a family run business and the staff make you feel at home the moment you enter the restaurant. For starters select one of the various pizza breads. The pizza bread is the size of a personal pizza and baked to perfection. Fans of pasta need to order the spaghetti alla Bolognese. The Bolognese is a homemade recipe that takes up to eight hours to prepare, but arrives at your table after you order it. Another delicious dish is the Penne al pesto alla Genovese. You won’t go wrong with any dish you order. In every mouthful you can tell that the chef uses the freshest ingredients to prepare the dishes.

Penne al pesto alla Genovese at Viva L’Italia

Spaghetti alla Bolognese at Viva L’Italia

Windsor and Eton Dining

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Castle Cod: 51.482139, -0.606466

Chocolate Theatre Cafe Bar: 51.485531, -0.607787

Cote Brasserie: 51.486554, -0.608648

Flaming Cow: 51.486169, -0.608652

Viva L\'Italia: 51.483463, -0.608641

	Castle Cod Dining in Windsor and Eton Church Street, Windsor, UK
	Chocolate Theatre Cafe Bar Dining in Windsor and Eton The Chocolate Theatre Co Ltd, Thames Street, Windsor, United Kingdom
	Cote Brasserie Dining in Windsor and Eton Côte Brasserie - Windsor, High Street, Windsor, United Kingdom
	Flaming Cow Dining in Windsor and Eton Flaming Cow, Eton, United Kingdom
	Viva L'Italia Dining in Windsor and Eton Viva L'Italia, Thames Street, Windsor, United Kingdom

An Italian Castle in Napa Valley

Castello di Amorosa

Before visiting Castello di Amorosa if you’d told me there was a castle in California I assumed you meant Hearst Castle in San Simeon. If you insisted there was a castle in Calistoga, built in the Italian tradition, I’d have called you crazy. My guess is that the man behind Castello di Amorosa, Dario Sattui, received his fair share of skepticism as well when he told them his plans. That dream of Dario’s, to build an authentic Tuscan castle in the middle of Napa Valley, has come true in a most amazing way.

In Napa Valley if one brings up the Sattui name most people will think of the winery, V. Sattui. Its large tasting room offers a variety of approachable wines, for the novice and expert tasters. V. Sattui’s market has foods to buy ranging from meats, breads, cheeses, and salads. The grounds offer benches or lawns perfect for picnicking. This leads to V. Sattui being a great stop when in Napa Valley.

Goats in front of Castello di Amorosa

Similar to V. Sattui Winery, Castello di Amorosa is a fantastic outing. In fact, it’s worth visiting the region just to see the castle. Where else besides Italy can you see an Italian castle? The moment you drive up to the parking lot for Castello di Amorosa you are mesmerized by the castle. Your mind rejects the possibility that someone took it upon himself to have a castle built in Napa Valley. Yet as you get out of your car you’re faced with the stark fact, Castello di Amorosa is real.

As you approach the castle by foot a welcoming committee of farm animals greets you. Dario Sattui didn’t stop at authenticity with the walls of the castle. This is a functioning castle so livestock is prudent. A flock of geese use the shade of trees to block out the sun. Sheep wander through vineyards and goats meander past the castle walls. Seeing the animals gives weight to the fact that every detail of this castle if genuine.

Pricing for tastings or tours at Castello di Amorosa

You will enter the castle itself through the main gate. To move further into the castle you will need to pay for either general admission or a guided tour. The photo to the right showcases the pricing in late 2014. Each entry fee includes a visit to the tasting room. Children may visit the castle and their entrance includes a tasting of grape juice. On our visit we opted for “General Admission with Premium Wine Tasting”, a cost of $20 a person. With general admission you may go ahead to the top of the tower, visit the great hall, see the courtyard, or descend to the tasting room.

We’d arrived in the morning and went to the tasting room first, in case it got crowded later. The number of people in the tasting room was minimal, which lent to a relaxed tasting session. There was no bumping of elbows or feeling rushed by others looking to snag your spot at the wine bar. Once in the tasting room it was easy to imagine that you were in Italy. There are no windows, which gives the tasting room a medieval, and romantic, vibe. The brick walls are soothing and lined with bottles of wine. The attendant serving us was an Italian gentleman, and that added to the entire experience. Were we in California or Italy? It didn’t matter as we drank the wines and soaked in the atmosphere.

Tasting Room in Castello di Amorosa

After tasting the wines we made our way back to the courtyard. There are tables and chairs in the courtyard that allow you to sit and take in this amazing structure. Next to the courtyard is the great hall that may be used for special events. The walls are painted with images of medieval times. There are portraits of jesters, knights, and royals, along with scenes of daily life. After you’ve had your fill of paintings its time to ascend the stairs to the castle walls and tower.

As you make your way up the stairs a sign reminds you of the hard work it took constructing Castello di Amorosa. The sign reads “our paths and stairways have all been constructed using hand-carved stone, hand-hewn wood, and centuries-old European bricks, to stay true to the building techniques used in the Middle Ages”. You can’t help being in awe as you look at the ground, the walls, the tower and even the rooftops. When you reach the top of the stairs you are rewarded with views of the surrounding hills and vineyards. Admire the scenery or pretend the castle in under siege and you the loan archer left to protect the stronghold.

Rooftop of Castello di Amorosa

As you make your way back to your vehicle it is hard not to be impressed by this castle. The attention to detail Dario Sattui put into having this castle built is evident throughout, from the moment you step onto the castle grounds until you leave. He is to be commended for making his dream a reality. We are lucky that he made Castello di Amorosa open to the public so we too may experience it.

For more information about Castello di Amorosa, including the history of the castle, visiting hours, and current pricing, please visit their website: http://www.castellodiamorosa.com/

Castello di Amorosa

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Castello di Amorosa 38.558418, -122.542602 An Italian Castle in Napa Valley

Tag Archives: Italy

Castle Cod

Chocolate Theatre Cafe Bar

Cote Brasserie

Flaming Cow

Viva L’Italia