Articles by Daphne Colthard

About Daphne Colthard

After graduating at RADA but finding no roles Daphne went into magazine journalism with Good Housekeeping. Widely recognised as one of the country's leading restaurant and hotel reviewers, particularly by herself, Daphne is the author of "Bedded and Breakfasted", a light hearted chick novel and Grand Hotels DC: the Daffers Dictionary. Daphne lives in West London and is married to an investment banker Oliver. They have 2 boys Humphrey and Tarquin. More Posts

Sanctum on the Green

The Sanctum on the Green at Cookham Dean is on old favourite of mine. It’s situated in the delightful village of Cookham Dean, not far from Cookham by the Thames where Stanley Spencer painted much of his best work and there is gallery to exhibit and honour this. The Sanctum is a modern [...]

October 9, 2014 // 0 Comments

A la Colthard: Stanmer House

I am always suspicious of restaurants with fine views and settings as a complacency sets in that this is enough. Stanmer House is an exception, I might also say exceptional, as it combines reliable well cooked cuisine with fine views over Stanmer Park. I went there yesterday with a French [...]

September 8, 2014 // 0 Comments

A la Colthard: Riddle and Finns

Riddle and Finns vies with English’s as the seafood restaurant in Brighton. It took some persuading to shift Bob Tickler from his beloved table 91 on the terrace of English’s but I said I would treat him after his medical ordeal. The weather has been sunny and warm in Brighton so I [...]

September 4, 2014 // 0 Comments

A la Colthard: The Pig on the Beach

The Pig at Brockenhurst is one of my favourite restaurants. I could not wait to go the latest Hustin Pig on the beach at Studland. It’s had rave reviews. I went there with my Godson, his mother and her sister and husband, who lived nearby. The booking was made months ago as you cannot get in [...]

August 11, 2014 // 0 Comments

64 Degrees

64 Degrees in the Lanes in Brighton is attracting ecstatic reviews and a second one will be opening in Cambridge Street in Pimlico in September. I went there yesterday with Victoria, my regular dining companion, to check it out. At 11-30am there was a message on my mobile that due to loss of [...]

August 1, 2014 // 0 Comments

A la Colthard: Sam on the Beach: Polkerris

Whilst I am sure many of my readers have heard of Rick Stein – certainly if he had his way – few I suspect know Sam on the Beach. Yet if you gave me the option of the eating at either, I would go for Sam’s. To get there Melanie Gay and I had to walk along the coastal walk from [...]

July 15, 2014 // 0 Comments

A la Colthard: Seafood Restaurant Padstow

In my teens I would always enjoy a weekend away with the yachties in Rock Cornwall, when the expression “boom over” had a whole new meaning!! One evening a terribly dishy ex-boxer in the meat trade picked me up on the Upper Deck club and a bit of rough after an excess of hoorays was [...]

July 14, 2014 // 0 Comments

A la Colthard: English’s

English’s is Brighton’s best known restaurant . At first blush a clubby seafood restaurant is not my Hermes bag: my experience is that they are stuffy, business orientated and over expensive. I was the guest of dear old Robert Tickler who was in an expansive mood after the sale of one [...]

June 18, 2014 // 0 Comments

A la Colthard : Fischers

I was talking to Neil Rosen the other day about creativity. I had read his comment that Kubrick is forever experimenting but Scorsese plays safe. The same applies to restaurants. Some restauranteur stay within their name and brand. This is not necessarily to criticise. 28/50 is always reliable in [...]

June 13, 2014 // 0 Comments

a la Colthard: Stanmer House

I call Sussex the new Rust Belt. Robert Tickler has acquired a pile on the cliffs by Roedean School, Alan Tanner is more downmarket with a bungalow he has bought in Worthing, whilst Nancy Bright Thompson has been a resident of East Sussex for many years. We all convened for tea at Stanmer House, [...]

May 31, 2014 // 0 Comments

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The journey from hell

October 19, 2018 // 0 Comments

One of my favourite films is Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987), starring Steve Martin and John Candy. Steve Martin, an advertising executive, has to get back from New [...]
A tale of two crossings

October 19, 2018 // 0 Comments

Earlier this week on the same day I was involved in an incident – or rather two – at the traffic lights within 75 yards of my abode which may or may not sum up the way [...]
Eddie picks his squad

October 19, 2018 // 0 Comments

Yesterday England rugby union head coach Eddie Jones named his 36-man squad for the Northern Hemisphere autumn series of matches at Twickenham Stadium. For weeks now better [...]
A la Colthard / The Westbury and Goring Hotel

October 18, 2018 // 0 Comments

Over the years I have been contributing to the Rust I have often reviewed restaurants and sometimes hotels but never their bars so today’s piece is on the latter at two of [...]
My art week

October 17, 2018 // 0 Comments

There is always one in every class and we have our resident know-all in our British modernist course. He identified Hitler, Churchill and Daladier in Mark Gertler’s [...]