Brocco on the Park

Behind the solid exterior of an Edwardian park-side villa lies a Scandi-chic boutique hotel and popular drop-in restaurant. 'Someone has invested a lot of money here and with great attention to detail,' writes a reader. Picasso is said to have stayed in 1950, a visit celebrated in top-floor Dove room, with grey-blue palette, a balcony affording views across the treetops towards Derbyshire. It has a freestanding copper bath, monsoon shower, espresso machine, fridge, smart TV, Roberts radio. Other rooms have a modern four-poster, and an egg-shaped bath for two. Ground-floor Nightjar’s Nest, with wet room, can accommodate an extra bed. A reader was impressed with the thoughtful chair in his room with a standard lamp behind it for reading, and ‘complimentary lime and coconut cake, a glass of fizz at 5.30 pm’. Food is served in the restaurant and on the terrace, from breakfast through brunch and afternoon tea, to a dinner of small plates – Jerusalem artichoke, artichoke purée, wild mushroom, truffle oil; charred squid, ink risotto, parmesan crisp. ‘We had an excellent meal and the advice from staff was most helpful.’