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I've just returned from a gorgeous week of sunshine and relaxation in Egypt, but strangely one of the best bits of the holiday was the airport hotel! Steve and I booked a night at Redhill Hotel (formerly Plush Hotel) in Bristol, just a 10 minute taxi ride from the airport the night before our flight. It didn't even occur to me at the time to tell them I was gluten free, but when I realised in an after thought I emailed them and they told me I could be catered for. All was good.
But it got better. We arrived at this beautiful hotel in the late afternoon and despite missing the very obvious turning (the big sign was probably a give away) and having to unload the car in the rain, first impressions were good. We received a friendly welcome and were shown to our beautiful room - with an amazingly comfortable bed, flat screen television, tea and coffee making facilities, lovely decor and a sumptuous wet room.
The afternoon was spent enjoying the hotel's indoor pool and jacuzzi - which was completely ours as there were no other guests using it. It made us feel like the rich and famous with our own private pool, and reclining in the jacuzzi while the rain was pouring outside was a great way to kick off that holiday feeling in style.
Post-swim, it was finally time to get stuck into business: dinner time. The menu in the funky looking and cosy restaurant was full of fresh cooked options, from pasta and steak to burgers. However, after reminding them I was gluten free, the chef (who also happened to be the one who had welcomed us on our arrival) came out and reeled off a list of dishes he could make for me. The menus became unnecessary as he fired options at me - it was amazing! I opted for mushrooms with Gorgonzola for my starter, and gluten free pasta with salmon and vodka for my main.
Words cannot describe how amazing this food was!! I cannot actually remember the last time I ate so much good food I thought I might explode from being so full up! The starter was so tasty - beautifully presented, amazing flavours and a generous portion. Steve had a prawn cocktail with avocado which was also delicious, when I managed to steal a bit off him!
The main courses were perfection. The chef even professed he was not an expert at knowing when gluten free pasta was cooked but this was beautiful. The sauce was creamy and simply, with flaky salmon, the tang of fresh tomatoes and a slight hint of the vodka. Such simple but elegant food - I was very sad when it was all over! The meal was also served with bread - freshly baked rolls for Steve and lightly toasted gluten free bread for me. Steve had set his heart on steak and despite there being none on the menu, the chef managed to conjure one up for him with some lightly steamed vegetables at his request!
The following morning (after an extremely good sleep on a very full belly) we woke early to catch our flight and enjoyed the continental breakfast of toast, meats, cheeses, cereal and fruit juice. I was pleased to find gluten free bread on offer again, and a box of gluten free cornflakes. I'm not good when I'm running on empty so I was very pleased to be able to eat a proper meal before we jetted off.
Everything about our stay, from the friendly and welcoming staff to the beautiful views, luxurious rooms, amazing pool and the best gluten free food ever, was perfect. It really set our holiday off to the perfect start and next time I may even book more than one night pre-flight here! We also parked our car here for the week while we were away, it's a secure little car park and I had no worries leaving it there before. Thank you to everyone at Redhill Hotel for making our stay so amazing!
For more information on Redhill Hotel visit their website here.
Next time I'm in Bristol I'm going there! Wow!
When it's unexpected it's so much better :0).