Palatial stately homes don't comes more opulent than Hartwell House, a grandiose Buckinghamshire mansion with its ornate Jacobean and Georgian architecture and panoramic vistas of classically landscaped parkland, lawns and walks, a stone's throw from Aylesbury.

The principal dining room was designed in the style of eminent architect Sir John Soane and it makes an aristocratic, but relaxed setting for painstakingly crafted modern food. Carefully sourced ingredients (including lamb and beef from Sydenham Grange) are supplemented by organic vegetables from the hotel's kitchen garden, and the results are eye-catchingly effective.

You might begin in luxurious style with a mousse of Cotswold crayfish with creamed leeks, caviar and Champagne froth, before moving on to fillet of turbot on pea risotto with pea cress salad and pea velouté or open ravioli of Gressingham duck breast with crispy leg, summer vegetables and truffle oil. Desserts are exquisite offerings such as passion fruit soufflé with dark chocolate sauce, orange carpaccio and orange sorbet. The wine list is a monumental tome running to more than 400 bins.

For a more informal experience, try the Buttery in the Hartwell Spa, which offers a wide selection of food, plus afternoon tea and the prospect of al fresco relaxation on a sun-trap terrace.

Hartwell House is also featured in: Michelin Guide, Good Food Guide, AA Guide

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Modern European

Daniel Richardson

Breakfast: 7.30 - 9.30am (8.00 - 10.00am Sat & Sun)
Lunch: 12.30 - 1.45pm Wed-Sun
Dinner: 7.00 - 9.00pm

Visa, Master Card, American Express

• Alfresco dining
• Disabled access
• Private dining room
• Private parties
• Vegetarian menu
• 90 covers

Accomodation is available, (46 rooms)

Private parking is possible at a location nearby