A theatre that still has drama: The Globe in Warwick has been reincarnated as a cosy contemporary bolthole
- The Globe, in Warwick, is a modern boutique restaurant-with-rooms
- It serves Mediterranean food from wood-fired pizzas to grilled Rosso prawns
- Angelina Villa Clarke checked into Room 9, which has a sleek four-poster bed
The Globe’s creaking stairs are the first giveaway. Then, once you’re in your room, sloping floors and period sash windows give a touch more insight into its past as an 18th Century coaching inn.
These days, this rambling, Grade II listed building has been reimagined as a modern boutique restaurant-with-rooms, courtesy of Oakman Inns, which has a scattering of character properties across the Midlands and Home Counties.
Sitting squarely in the historic centre of Warwick, it’s a great spot from which to explore. On the high street you’ll find the 14th Century, higgledy-piggledy Lord Leycester Hospital, one of the best preserved examples of medieval courtyard architecture and, of course, there’s the stunning moated beauty, Warwick Castle. Meanwhile, Stratford-upon-Avon is 20 minutes away.
Intriguing past: The Globe, which staged ‘bawdy plays’ in the 1800s, has been reimagined as a boutique restaurant-with-rooms
The Globe’s bar and dining room have cosy nooks and crannies, with booths for socially-distanced dining.
Heritage wall colours and stained-glass panels are in keeping with the age of the property, while nods to the theme of travel – vintage maps, aged leather suitcases and framed archive tickets – bring an element of fun. For warm days and balmy evenings, there’s a pretty courtyard dining area.
Oakman Inns was founded by entrepreneur Peter Borg-Neal, whose mission is to transform historic buildings and reinvent the ‘public house’.
Part of his ethos is focused on dining, with all of the group’s inns paying particular attention to provenance and responsibly sourced ingredients. At The Globe, this plays out with a modern, Mediterranean menu. A wood-fired oven takes pride of place in the restaurant – perfect for pizzas.
Dramatic: Room 9 has a four-poster bed, black panelling on the walls and crimson chairs
Upstairs, each of the 18 rooms has a different look and feel. Room 9, with its sleek, four-poster bed, black panelling on the walls and crimson chairs, is the most dramatic (perhaps in a nod to the inn’s brief detour in the early 1800s, when it became a theatre, hosting pantomimes and ‘bawdy’ plays). Room 12 is perfect for families, with its little ante-room and some Scandi-style furniture.
Set across three floors, The Globe may have been reincarnated as a contemporary bolthole, but its ancient charm manages to seep out of its Farrow & Ball-painted walls.
The USP: Age-old hospitality is given a cool vibe at this modern inn.
The rooms: Individually styled but each has comfy Hypnos mattresses, Noble Isle soaps and flatscreen TVs.
The food: Authentic pizzas, splendid choice of crowd-pleasers – from freshly baked flatbreads and Josper-grilled Rosso prawns to steak and frites (plus a great cocktail list).
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