First impressions count, and the woman who answered the phone at the Wild Duck
couldn’t have been more helpful — describing the bedrooms, reading the
dinner menu and telling me how easy it was to get a taxi from Kemble
station.
So far so good. When the taxi dropped me at this inn in the Cotswolds, the car
park was packed. “It’s always like this,” said the driver, “every night of
the week. A real popular gaff it is.”
It soon became clear why. The inn is picture-postcard pretty for a start,
built of mellow stone and with a huge clock on the front with panels that
light up one after the other to show a wild duck in flight. There is no
reception as such, just a small room with a log fire, an antique sofa and
piles of decent magazines.
The nice person on the phone, it turned out, was Natalie, who runs the Wild
Duck with her husband, Dino Mussell, and his mother. Natalie showed me to my
room, which had been recently refurbished in cream and gold in a Chinese
style, with a black lacquered four-poster and dressing tables, Buddha heads
and a smart white bathroom tiled floor-to-ceiling in black slate. Even the
lavatory seat was black.
Then it was down to dinner in the large dining room, lined with portraits,
antiques and Beatles memorabilia (Dino is a fan). Kings and queens have
popped in to the Wild Duck over the years on their way to London and it’s
still popular with royals, including Prince William and Prince Harry, who
drops by occasionally for scampi and chips. A large portrait of the Prince
of Wales, which overlooked Harry’s regular table, was moved after the young
Prince complained that he didn ’t like his father peering down at him while
he was eating. “He seemed a bit sheepish about asking,” says Dino.
Anyway, I didn’t care who was watching as I tucked into a vegetarian tapas
plate (£7.95) with a basket of bread. My sister had the Ardennes pâté with
tarragon pickles (£6.95). Both were excellent. Then we had fillet steaks
from the specials menu (£15.95), which were cooked to perfection. Our
sauvignon blanc (£15.95) was properly chilled and the service attentive, the
only jarring note being that the waitresses were distressingly blonde and
slim and made us feel like two Miss Piggys in the corner.
And so to bed. The four- poster, which was fitted with crisp linen and a
fake-fur throw, proved so large and comfortable that I overslept — but
Natalie kindly arranged a late continental breakfast on a tray in my room.
No wonder it’s such a popular gaff.
Bottom line: Mary Gold paid £150 for a B&B Chinese
suite. Sampling the fare: Dinner is about £30 a head for three courses.
What we think: Great food in a lovely setting.
Best thing: The food, and Harry, the resident, adorable Jack
Russell.
Worst thing: The bedroom doors are a bit flimsy.
Need to know: The Wild Duck Inn (01285 770310, www.thewildduckinn.co.uk),
Drakes Island, Ewen, Cirencester, Gloucestershire GL7 6BY.
Access all areas: Sorry, no.
Room: 8 out of 10.
Food: 8 out of 10.
Service: 9 out of 10.
I visited the wild duck inn and was disappointed: The bed was not comfortable and we did not get a good night sleep. I had a back ache from bed.The bathroom ceiling had mould on it. The hairdryer was very dangerous showing bare electrical cables.The croissants were very dry and the toast was averag
julie edwards, witney, uk