A few days by the sea, windswept Snapchats and the best hot chocolate

...and now the final of my posts on Bristol and Weston-Super-Mare! Those of you around for part one and part two will remember my local foodie recommendations for if you're ever in the area, and where I stayed. Never has a place given me such wallpaper envy. I came home wanting to white wash my lilac walls and paper over it all. It was the perfect, cosiest little B&B to rest our weary feet and warm up after a day out in the cold.

The moment when I heard the clippity clop of horse hooves and was really confused (it was the most unlikely road to be seeing horses on!)

During our stay we'd spent most of our time walking along the coast and exploring the pier. Weston-Super-Mare is a lovely little seaside town which had a nice feel about it. It wasn't crazy packed like Brighton is (which was refreshing). It was so nice to go to a new place, not have any preconceptions of it, and to just live it and explore it for yourself.

The pier was incredible. I have never seen one like it. Inside they had every game imaginable. Driving games, simulators, slot machines, first person shooters.... but set on different levels. It also had space for bigger forms of entertainment - such as a fun house, hall of mirrors, laser quest, and a multi level go-karting track which looked really fun.

After getting blown around like crazy on the pier and lots of interesting windswept Snapchats later, we wandered further into town to try and track down a candy store that had been recommended to us for the best seaside sticks of rock and honeycomb (the latter being my favourite which I tried making here). Sadly it wasn't the right season for this particular store and it was closed. So fingers crossed for next time!

Whilst I love playing crazy golf by the coast, it was too windy a day for it, so we went in search of a coffee shop to warm up our icy hands. We opted for Caffe Nero - somewhere I never hear raved about as much as the other coffee chains here in the UK, and wrongly so, because Caffe Nero does the best hot chocolate. Our table ordered a selection of hot and cold drinks, but the real show stoppers were Caffe Nero's standard hot chocolate topped with marshmallows and cream, and their Milano (the winner by far).

The Milano is like drinking a cup of melted chocolate. It's not as sweet as traditional hot chocolates that you may be used to, however it tastes of darker, better quality chocolate (fine by me!). It's hugely naughty and decadent (particularly if you go all out like me and top with cream and chocolate sprinkles!), but once you taste it, there's no going back to their standard hot chocolate. Or to hot chocolates from most other places, I must add. It's definitely the crème de la crème of hot chocolates on the high street right now. And if that isn't already exciting enough, let's talk about Caffe Nero's beautiful table tops... <3

Have you ever been to Bristol or Weston-Super-Mare?

A feast fit for a king at Michelangelo's, Weston-Super-Mare

Following on my last post where I talked about my stay in Weston-Super-Mare, Diane from the B&B where I stayed recommended a local Italian restaurant which was honestly the best Italian I've ever had and is worth a special mention.

Michelangelo's is located on the seafront of Weston-Super-Mare. Starters were when we were first blown away. The starters were so generously sized compared to anywhere I've ever been before, and everyone on our table was making very appreciative noises. My mozzarella, basil and tomato starter was beautifully presented on slate (I need some of these in my life!) and having hoped this would be a lighter option, was deceptively filling. Our table also tried the vegetable soup, garlic prawns, fish cakes and garlic mushrooms which was a mammoth portion presented in a huge filo basket. But hands down, the best garlic mushrooms I'd ever tasted. Slightly creamy (but not too creamy, much to my delight!), these were beautifully seasoned with herbs and wonderfully rich in garlic.

By the time our main courses appeared, we all felt a little defeated already. Particularly after two rounds of beers, plus wine. Again, everyone got stuck in, and testament to this restaurant's good food, continued to clear our plates despite being quite so full. I loved the artistic touches to the plates that were like little works of art

It was really difficult choosing just one main course - I saw so many amazing things I would have loved to try. However I was intrigued by the very special sounding mixed fish grill on the specials menu. I bit the bullet and ordered it, knowing full well that it was a "limited edition" dish and probably wouldn't be there should I visit again. And oh my goodness. I really under-estimated quite how big it would be...

No this wasn't a sharing platter. This was a one person meal. This consisted of; swordfish, salmon, sea bass. tuna steak, two scallops, langoustine, monkfish, and accompanying roasted potatoes and salad (the latter two I really couldn't do justice to!). My highlights; the sea bass (melted in your mouth), the swordfish (beautifully seasoned), the monkfish (wonderfully cooked) and the langoustine (had a lovely smoked, charred quality to it). I got through more of it then I thought I would, but had to leave the majority of my tuna and salmon, and a small bit of the swordfish. The staff did very kindly package the fish up for me in a takeaway container, so I could finish up the next day. I was too full for dessert, but everyone else had one (again, a testament to how good the food was!). We loved this quote on their dessert menu:

I sat and finished my wine, and then finished up on a hot drink whilst every waiter and waitress there gathered around to sing happy birthday to my sister who totally enjoyed being serenaded by all the lovely Italian men ;)

Atmosphere wise, Michaelangelo's was friendly, welcoming and we could hear each other talk (something very important to me when going out to eat!) We were placed on a table against a wall, this wall depicting part of the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. However being on one side of the room, our table sat alongside the part featuring a very large man with abs and nips that we couldn't take our eyes off of, and for some our party, their hands off as below!

In summary, I loved my first visit to Michaelangelo's and next time I'm in that neck of the woods, I'll definitely have to make a cheeky pit stop there! They received a Certificate of Excellence from TripAdvisor and I can fully understand why! If you're ever in Bristol or Weston-Super-Mare (or nearby to either of these places), do head on over for what will be a very special meal indeed.

Il Michaelangelo

50A Knightstone Road

Weston-super-Mare

BS23 2BE

This review was written of my own accord and isn't prompted by sponsorship or any form of incentive from the restaurant. Words and love of Italian food all my own!

My stay at the Rosita, Weston-Super-Mare

I'm sure I'm not alone, but TripAdvisor is my safety net when it comes to booking hotels. You can be set on the dreamiest of hotels, with your finger poised on the "book" button, but read a bad review on TripAdvisor? And that's it. That hotel suddenly loses it's magic and you start to look elsewhere. Recently I went to Bristol and Weston-Super-Mare for a long weekend. Family had recommended a B&B near to the coast in Weston-Super-Mare and after a curious little peek on TripAdvisor - where there were glowing reviews - the booking was made.

The Rosita is a guest house ideally placed just 30 minutes away from Bristol International airport, and a stone's throw away from Weston-Super-Mare seafront and pier, local shops, a Sea Life Centre and many, many wonderful restaurants. The Rosita has six rooms in total, set upon three different levels. A group of us had gone away to celebrate my sister's 21st so we were all split into different rooms. All were decorated with different themes and done to a high spec.

I've stayed in a fair few hotels in my time, but the Rosita was one of the best stocked I've ever been in. As well as complimentary tea and biscuits, and toiletries, there were also dressing gowns and slippers, chocolates left on our beds with artistically folded towels, complimentary drinks in each of our fridges and nice little extras I've never had before like a heat protective mat for curlers / straightners which were really handy when we were getting dolled up to go out!

I was in one of the rooms on the top floor, and the floor space was surpisingly generous (a rarity in hotels and B&Bs! To prove this point, we had a good ol' dance in there before we went out that night! The weather that evening wasn't the best (crazy gales, very angry looking waves, and rain aplenty!), but the Rosita had thought of everything and had an umbrella stand downstairs by the front door with plenty of big, robust umbrellas which we all huddled under on the way to dinner, and on the way back. We came back later that evening, stomachs full and satisfied from a local restaurant that Diane had recommended, and all feeling rather happy after quite literally some drinks. We all piled into one of the rooms and watched some comedy for the remainder of the night. Then we went our separate ways to our separate rooms, where I enjoyed use of the shower, got changed into my robe and slippers, and enjoyed a last cup of tea, whilst consulting the breakfast menu for the morning (because even when I'm crazily full, I'm still thinking of food!)

Breakfast is cooked to order and is served on the lowest floor of the guest house between 8.30 and 9.30am. Again, it was a really well decorated room (more wallpaper envy!), with beautiful details, and a breakfast table fully stocked with cereals, jams, spreads, fruits, yoghurt, juice and other refrigerated drinks. B&B rates include a cooked breakfast where you get a choice of small, medium or large. The information pack in our rooms did warn us that the large wasn't for the weak hearted and provided a photo of what it included....  it was huge! None of us were brave enough to chance one (all opting for mediums!), however the man on the table behind us did. Legend! Some of our party were vegetarian and Diane and her husband Rob were very accommodating, making special veggie cooked breakfasts (hash browns, veggie sausages, beans and eggs). If fry ups aren't your sort of thing, there are a variety of other cooked breakfast options available such as kippers, smoked salmon, scrambled eggs etc which are all listed inside the information pack in your room. However if you have any special food requests / dietary requirements (like my veggie sis!) just call Diane in advance of your stay.

It was a shame that our stay came to an end so soon, but I am so happy to have found such a gem of a place and will definitely revisit again in the future. Not only were the rooms wonderfully inspiring from an interior design perspective (that wallpaper though!), Diane and her husband were wonderfully attentive hosts and so welcoming.To find out more about the Rosita or to check prices and availability, please click here

FYI this is not sponsored content. I just had a lovely stay and wanted to spread the love!