Rutland, British, Modern Restaurant Guide

“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.