Bath Priory is home for a Michelin man

The Bath Priory is a large, golden-stone 19th-century house on the edge of Royal Victoria Park.

It was built as a private home in 1835 on land once owned by the Priory of Bath Abbey.

It is a hotel, restaurant and spa - but doesn't feel like it (in a good way). Large paintings hang in public spaces, from early 20th century to modern, offset by antiques, chandeliers, comfy chairs and a log fire in a marble fireplace.

Now is the right time to visit such a cosy establishment. If you want to curl up with a book by the fire, there are plenty to choose from: well-thumbed works by Thackeray and the Encyclopedia Britannica sit next to Wilbur Smith novels.

Just 27 rooms are named after flowers. Our room was homely with bright primrose yellow walls, a writing desk with classy-cream stationery and a view on to the walled garden.

There is no mini-bar, which makes it feel more like a private home. Newly refurbished rooms are less chintz, more bling, with Bang & Olufsen televisions and modern bathrooms.

The Priory is the only Michelin-starred restaurant in Bath and earlier this year it appointed Michael Caines MBE as head chef.

He also runs the food side of the Abode hotel group and already held two Michelin stars at the Priory's sister hotel, Gidleigh Park in Devon.

And only this week the Priory's restaurant and spa was awarded Gold in the Small Hotel category at this year's South West Tourism Excellence Awards.

With this in mind, our expectations for dinner were high. Homemade breads and dipping olive oil were followed by white and green asparagus salad with a fried quail egg, while the scallops with veal sweetbreads were exquisite.

Roasted sea bass was perfectly cooked with juicy roasted langoustine, although the Neston Park lamb was a bit tough (the chef would probably blame this on the meat being well done). There is also a seven-course tasting menu.

The wine list runs to 33 pages, although they do offer half bottles and wine by the glass.

Rich food and wine bring on sleep like nothing else but our bed, worth a cool £14,000, must have helped. Hand-built locally, the beds don't have mattresses (crazy but true). It is too technical to go into but, needless to say, it made us feel good.