British, Modern Restaurants in Oundle
1. Hambleton Hall
British, Modern restaurant in Hambleton
“You can gaze at Rutland Water” and “sitting on the terrace before and after your meal is an experience in itself” at Tim & Steffa Hart’s “very traditional country-house hotel” (once owned by the Hoare banking dynasty, and long predating the 1970s reservoir that nowadays surrounds it). A scenic drive and the crunch of gravel as you pull up herald an “old-fashioned gastronomic delight” in the pretty dining room of this luxurious mansion, where service is “always impeccable”. Chef Aaron Patterson has been at the stoves for 34 years now and is the longest holder in the UK of a Michelin star. His classic cuisine “never fails to deliver top- quality food”: “even old favourites like roast beef have an added dimension”. “It is just so reliable and such a relaxing place”, if with a slight formality to the proceedings. It remains one of the top-25 most commented-on destinations in our annual diners’ poll outside London and inspired no words of criticism this year.
2. The Lake Isle
British, Modern restaurant in Uppingham
16 High Street East - LE15
This “small and friendly restaurant (with rooms)” occupies a small 17th-century building just a stone’s throw from the cute marketplace of this scenic Rutland town, and has been a feature of the area for decades. It serves a “fine seasonal menu” – “original without striving for effect” – and “the service is efficient, professional and pleasant”, adding to the joys of the “lively” atmosphere and “very reasonable” price tag. Those who have been coming for decades (“we held our wedding here in 1994 and visited last night to celebrate our Pearl anniversary!”) report that it’s “excellent still”, and after a visit “a walk around Rutland Water 15 minutes’ drive away is enjoyable”.
3. The Blue Bell
British, Modern restaurant in Glinton
10 High Street - PE6
“An ever-dependable gastropub in a delightful village north of Peterborough” – Will and Kelly Frankgate have run this attractively extended property for over 10 years now. It serves a menu of high-quality fare, supplemented by some “mostly Italian” dishes.
4. Tap & Kitchen
British, Modern restaurant in Oundle
Station Road - PE8
Celebrating its 10th year, this “very lively option with good cooking on Oundle Wharf” is “now a stalwart of the local dining scene”, with an “interesting menu that showcases local produce” – and “the beers are not too bad either, being brewed next door” at the Nene Valley brewery.
5. The Pheasant at Keyston
British, Modern restaurant in Keyston
Loop Rd - PE28
This “pleasant old thatched building – hardly a pub, mostly a restaurant”, reopened in autumn 2023 after a refurb and under new ownership – “and the standards have not dropped”. “It’s a nice place (handy for the A1) and the food is pretty good, as is the service”, so it remains “a go-to local restaurant” for many in the area.
6. The Chubby Castor
British, Modern restaurant in Castor
34 Peterborough Road - PE5
Adebola Adeshina (ex-Gordon Ramsay) left London to set up this restaurant in a Grade II-listed thatched pub. Fans say that this fine diner is “very romantic” and “superb all round” – while, for the odd critic, “dishes are picture perfect but tastes lack follow-through”. PS – Adeshina has now developed the open space behind the pub into a casual summer lunch spot, The Yard.
7. Finch’s Arms
British, Modern restaurant in Hambleton
Oakham Rd - LE15
“Always a favourite”, this 17th-century country inn is a “lovely old” place – “at least in the bar and older parts” (there being a “less lovely modern bit on the back built to take advantage of the location with fine views over Rutland Water”). The “food is pretty much standard gastropub fare”, but makes for handy refuelling before a walk round the reservoir.
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