Southport: A hole lot more than great golf

Dec 30 2009 By Christina Savvas

We spent the rest of the afternoon mooching around the shops including the Grade Two-listed Wayfarers Shopping Arcade, built in 1898 but given a fresh look after a £2 million revamp.

After a packed day enjoying the sights of Southport, we headed back to the hotel to make the most of the spa facilities. My only criticism would be it was so busy only one of us was able to get in for a massage.

In the evening, we headed out for dinner at the highly-recommended Cloisters Dining Rooms, tucked away just off Lord Street in what were once the stables of the adjacent Scarisbrick Hotel.

It’s a good job we had a reservation because it was very busy.

The restaurant offers a lovely, relaxed atmosphere and we had a cosy table in the corner.

We ordered fresh shrimps and crab meat and pan-fried scallops with sautéed wild mushrooms to start and for main I ordered the chicken linguine and my husband opted for the pan-fried rump of lamb. For dessert, we opted for a refreshing sorbet.

The food was exceptional and so was the service.

We took an after-dinner stroll and headed to the new five-star Vincent Hotel for cocktails in its ultra-cool bar named after fashion photographer Tony McGee.

The hotel is perhaps the biggest symbol of the town’s regeneration into a chic destination.

Sipping a cosmo, I declared the weekend in Southport had been a great success and we agreed it wouldn’t be too long before we returned.

* Travelfacts

For more info from Southport Tourism call 01704 533333 or visit www.visitsouthport.com. We stayed at Formby Hall Gold Resort and Spa. www.formbyhallgolfresort.co.uk