Grindleford, British, Modern Restaurant Guide

The future of this well-known Edwardian manor house seemed in doubt when it went onto the market in mid-2023, but instead longtime guardians Max & Susan Fischer (latterly handing the reins to son Neil) have leased two of their pubs – the Prince of Wales in Baslow, and Bulls Head at Foolow – to Nick & Jemma Beagrie of the Bakewell bakery, and refocused their interest on Fischer’s, so far kept afloat thanks to lucrative new deals with the likes of luxury giants LVMH, who will oversee a new summer champagne bar (part of their wider expansion plans). Given such exciting events, there was the odd blip this year, but the general tenor of reports was still upbeat (“never had a bad meal here”; “best meal of the year”).

This swish country house hotel, in one of the Peak District’s most picturesque villages, is transforming before visitors’ eyes as part of an ongoing, £1.1 million makeover. As we went to press, the more casual ‘Garden Room’ had already been reborn, with chef Adam Harper (ex-of the acclaimed nearby Fischer’s) overseeing a new menu with impeccable local sourcing such as Chatsworth beef; this, the more formal fine diner, will follow suit, but meanwhile won praise this year – well “on its way to a Michelin star” by some accounts. All reports acclaim the “brilliant food and ambience in all areas” and it’s also tipped for afternoon tea.

2022 Review: A collaboration between Sheffield cook Richard Smith, his restaurateur wife Victoria and the award-winning craft brewers Thornbridge; “creative fish dishes” feature alongside meats – all well-singed on the fancy Bertha indoor charcoal oven – and the “great location” (skirting the Peak District) makes it particularly “good for outdoor eating”.

A “very enjoyable and original menu of small and large plates is eaten with a great view of the countryside” (particularly from the conservatory, though you can also eat in the bar) at this “always superb” 12th-century inn – Visit England’s pub of the year in 2023, and – even more impressively – the fifth oldest pub in the land. PS – if you want to linger in the Peak District, they now have five luxury bedrooms as well as a stand-alone cottage, ‘The Barn’.