NUMBER 16 Church Street is one of Stratford’s most recognisable buildings. It has a long and rich history but is now very much the home of the newly renamed boutique hotel The Townhouse – formerly The Church Street Townhouse – which Has just undergone a major refurbishment.
The distinctive three storey grade II listed building – with its 16th century rooms at the rear, and its 18th century castellated frontage – has sat opposite Shakespeare’s Schoolroom for some 400 years in various guises, starting life as a family home, and going on to house doctors, dentists, and accountants among others.
But hospitality is the name of the game now, and while there may be no shortage of places to stay and/or eat in Stratford, there is certainly room for an establishment of the quality of The Townhouse.
For overnighters it offers 12 luxurious en-suite bedrooms, which have all been revamped. Each is individually decorated and features new, super king sized beds by Feather & Black, luxury linens, geometric wallpapers by Cole & Son, high pressure rain showers, Nespresso machines and complementary WiFi.
Downstairs is the bustling bar and adjoining dining area, which have been overhauled with stylish attention to detail in a pared-back scheme of greens, blacks and whites.
It all adds to a wonderfully relaxed and warm welcoming atmosphere. It is clear the customer is the first priority from the moment they arrive to the moment they leave.
The Townhouse offers the best in modern hospitality coupled with a real understanding of tradition, complete with attentive, and importantly, knowledgeable staff.
Of course all this would count for little without a menu to match, and The Townhouse certainly has a kitchen team which knows and understands food.
Executive head chef Antony Ely has introduced a new, regularly changing, seasonal menu focusing on traditional, rustic dishes using local produce and available at breakfast, lunch, pre-theatre supper and dinner, and all available to non-residents.
Currently on the menu guests will find starters such as twice baked cheddar souffle and ham hock terrine with crispy quail’s egg; mains including roasted monk fish, Cotswold lamb rump and slow cooked ox cheek; and desserts such as apple and raspberry crumble, hot chocolate mousse, and a British cheese selection – the size of which needs to be seen to be believed.
The only difficulty guests encounter is deciding what to have.
There’s always something worth dropping in for at The Townhouse, from the superb value daily pre-theatre menu, to ‘Mussel Madness’ to ‘T-Bone Thursdays’, and a superb Sunday lunch.
And to wash it all down, The Townhouse serves its range of premium ales and lagers by Brakspear, plus craft beers, including Camden Hells, Punk IPA, Meantime London, Brooklyn lager and Sierra Nevada and a specially selected range of ten gins and three tonics.
Visit www.stratfordtownhouse.co.uk for further details.
