Cooper’s Landing Inn and Traveler’s Tavern
by
Terry Sullivan
Summary: Cooper’s Landing Inn and Traveler’s Tavern provides a comfortable base for exploring the Southern Virginia wine and spirits region. The cuisine at the inn is an added bonus. The comfortable rooms are quiet and each room has a different theme making return visits a must.
This Colonial/Greek Revival-style original home was built in 1830, and several original buildings are also on the spacious property. Nicol and Les Cooper opened the inn and traveler’s tavern on Mother’s Day 2004.
Rooms in the Inn
The Inn has six rooms for lodging in the house, three rooms accessible from a stairway adjacent to the dining rooms, while the other lodging rooms are accessed by a stairway outside the entrance to the tavern. The inn also includes three private jacuzzi cottages. The tavern (pictured left) has a wood fireplace and bar. There are two sitting areas. From the tavern, the kitchen area is in the back of the inn, while the dining areas are in the front of the house.
Two dining rooms are on the ground floor in the front of the inn. The blue wall-covered room has six table settings. Table settings range from tables for couples to a table for six. At the time of our February visit, decorations reflected a Valentine’s Day theme. Center to one wall is the fireplace with the mantle festively decorated. The other dining room has a yellow-textured wall, with six table settings for two to eight. Off this room is a private dining room with one table for six.
The Serenity in Sage Room
We spent two restful nights in the Serenity in Sage Room. An outside stairway led to the back of the second floor of the house. Three guest rooms are in this section. Colored with light green walls and white window trim, the sage room provides a soothing atmosphere for overnight guests. A large Jacuzzi bath with shower was in one corner of the room, artfully enclosed with curtains. The queen-sized bed draws attention at the opposite corner of the room. Pillows arranged on the bed add to the elegance of the setting. An electric fireplace can take the chill off the room on cold days. A dresser with an attached mirror, offers plenty of room for those who do not want to live out of a suitcase. On top of the dresser is a decanter of port with glasses. A small buffet has a coffee maker and snacks. The bathroom is small and in a separate room. The room also has a flat panel television with satellite dish service. The wi-fi worked in the room.
A hallway connects the Sage Room with the Wisteria Room, a similar appointed room with light purple painted walls. At the end of the hallway there is a mini-refrigerator with water, juice and soft drinks. Above the refrigerator there is a microwave oven.
The Food
The inn is well known for its fantastic cuisine. For those staying the evening, breakfast is included. On our first morning at the inn, we chose the continental breakfast option since our first appointment was early. This was not a typical hotel continental breakfast. It was waiting for us in the mini-refrigerator in the hallway by our room. The breakfast included a quiche, fruit cup, croissant and jelly. I heated the quiche and enjoyed this delicious breakfast in our room. The second day we had breakfast in the blue dining room. It started with orange juice and a fruit cup of pineapple and strawberries. The entrée included flavorful fried potatoes and Eggs Benedict. Hollandaise sauce was served over the eggs and English muffin.
We also had dinner at the inn. The word “flavorful” may be overused, but it adequately describes all the dishes we had. Even the butter was flavored with cloves and honey. The winter salad was delicious. It included spinach, warm panko encrusted goat’s cheese medallion, roasted red peppers, marinated wild mushrooms with balsamic vinaigrette. The entrée was a fresh pan seared black grouper with a lemon, garlic balsamic brown butter sauce. It was served with sweet potato hash and green beans. It too was delicious.
On less busy days, diners can have their dinner in the tavern. On cold days the fire in the stove adds a romantic glow to the room.
Wine and Spirits Tourism
The inn is located in the small walkable town of Clarksville. Within Mecklenburg County, there is a distillery and three wineries, all less than an hour’s drive from the inn. In neighboring Halifax County there is a distillery and several wineries. Three of the wineries are within an hour’s drive of the inn while others are less than a ninety-minute drive. Traffic in this part of Virginia is very light, making the drive to wineries and distilleries enjoyable.
Cooper’s Landing Inn and Traveler’s Tavern
801 Virginia Avenue,
Clarksville, Virginia 23927
GPS: N36º 37.279' W78º 33.650’
Article written February 2017.
