Leeds Castle in Kent was once said to have been described by a lord as “the loveliest castle in the world”, and indeed, it’s hard to disagree. The restaurant on the complex takes full advantage of the setting and overlooks the keep: floodlit at night, majestic in the day. Happily, the cooking has moved on from knightly medieval feasts, though the kitchen still relies on what’s available across the Kent countryside – lamb from the South Downs, locally grown vegetables and Solley’s Kentish ice creams, as well as cheeses from Canterbury to make dinner a truly British experience. Start with Kentish ham hock terrine, follow with locally caught grilled mackerel or a very superior shepherd’s pie and finish with Eton mess. The wine list travels further afield, but true to the restaurant’s principles, celebrations are marked with English Chapeldown rather than any of that French fizz.