Calne, British, Modern Restaurant Guide

“‘Old school’ dining… perhaps a bit stuffy, but the food’s good” – the dining room of this well-known luxury spa hotel has had, since 2006, chef Hywel Jones at the stoves. You can eat à la carte for £110 per person for three courses, or there’s an eight-course tasting menu for £140 per person, and the deft cuisine won nothing but praise this year. “The wild and woody setting of The Estate and the slightly faded grandeur of The House just make it a rather special place to stay” and it’s also praised for a “delicious afternoon tea in beautiful, elegant surroundings”.

“One of Rick Stein’s smarter outposts” – this centrally located outpost of the celeb chef family’s empire occupies a period building on the high street, and is a useful option in this surprisingly thinly provided area, including for “a business chat with friends”. Limited but positive feedback this year on its cooking, although the indication is that it’s “very decent”.

2022 Review: The more informal dining option at this luxe Cotswolds country-house hotel, with an elegant grey colour scheme and a garden for summer months – the British-slanted menu offers “tasty food” in “good portions”, drawing on fresh produce from the kitchen garden.

Chef “Ricki (Weston) and the team do amazing work” at this Cotswolds country house hotel – “a lovely place to unwind”, which has been a gastronomic highlight of the area for two decades now. Those who visited during the previous tenure of chef Niall Keating report that the “food was amazing then, but Ricki has taken it further”, his “truly exceptional” tasting menu featuring some nicely performative touches too (“the whole experience of eating the first bites in the kitchen before being led into the Dining Room means the link between the chefs and the diners is well integrated”).

Australian Dan Bond’s unpretentious restaurant, which gained an outdoor marquee in covid times, is a real local hit; “you know everyone will like the food, you know it will be fair value” and “you know they’ll work their socks off to give you a good time”….“plus, Dan’s just a good bloke”, so “how could it not be everyone’s favourite?” Top Tip – “their occasional wine dinners are great fun too”.

2022 Review: Chef Rob Potter wins solid praise for the consistency of his cuisine at this plush Cotswolds five-star hotel with golf club. The style is “traditional rather than super-inventive” (“we didn’t experience stand-outs but good quality throughout”).

2023 Review: This “traditional market town coaching inn” is a “real delight” – offering “great service” and “tasty, inventive food” which makes good use of “excellent locally sourced meat and exceptional vegetables”. Top Tip – “top Sunday lunch”.