Cowley Manor Experimental is a historic Grade-II listed property in the Cotswolds, home to 31 bedrooms, a spa, restaurant, cocktail lounge, library, mudroom and multiple living rooms.
Cowley Manor has played a big part in Great British history: it is built on the land Edward the Confessor exchanged for the land used to build Westminster Abbey, and the manor was also the inspiration for Alice in Wonderland and most definitely maintains its inspiring and fantastical atmosphere. The manor’s current interior design mixes authenticity with modern style, creating a busy, colourful environment for guests to enjoy their time in this historic setting.
British chef Jackson Boxer’s menu is a product of its environment and really reflects the local area with a nod to French cuisine. The restaurant is particularly proud of its rural Gloucestershire setting, sourcing local ingredients and shining a spotlight on the area’s finest produce. The restaurant has menus to cover all bases - breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner. Dishes on the lunch and dinner menu at the time of writing include roasted cod with fennel butter and smoked tomatoes and a cote de boeuf to share for two.
The breakfast menu includes classics like eggs benedict, pancakes with bacon and maple syrup and, of course, a Full English breakfast. Afternoon tea is served every afternoon and comes with four options: cream, savoury, full (which includes sweet and savoury for those of you who can’t make up your mind!) and the Champagne afternoon tea.
There's also a cocktail bar tucked away inside the manor, which offers a range of small plates, such as Porthilly oysters with Champaigne mignonette or the tomato, rollright and mozzarella flatbread, to go alongside a seasonal cocktail menu, which showcases a mixture of the classics and in-house specials as well as some non-alcoholic options.