Three acres of lush, carefully tended grounds surround this genteel Georgian country house built on the site of a 13th-century convent by the banks of the river Nent – it’s a genuinely romantic
prospect, with lovely views and some excellent walking nearby. Dinner is the main event, and orders are taken in the drawing room – often by the roaring fire. Menus vary from day to day, so settle
into the comfortably smart, ever-so-traditional dining room for some gussied-up contemporary cooking with a few modish touches here and there – perhaps home-cured wild-boar bacon with pan-fried
thyme porridge, quail’s egg and tomato salsa or seared peppered tuna with confit Provençal vegetables, wilted baby spinach and basil oil. For afters, consider white chocolate and passion-fruit
marquise with a milk chocolate fritter. The food is complemented by carefully assembled 100-bin wine list.