Here are our favourite places to enjoy Michelin-starred cooking in historic surroundings. Call your lifestyle manager to book tables or rooms at any of the below, or for more suggestions on stately homes, historic hotels or notable restaurants across the country. We can also put together bespoke guides to restaurants in your area, whether you need tips on Russian food in Norfolk, curries in Newcastle or organic cooking in Devon.
The Manor House Hotel and Golf Club
Castle Combe, Wiltshire, SN14 7HR
This 14th-century Wiltshire manor, built from the same honey-coloured stone as the medieval village of Castle Combe that surrounds it, is connected to Sir John Fastolf. The English knight distinguished himself during the Hundred Years War but endured ignominy and accusations of cowardice following his defeat at the hands of Joan of Arc at the Battle of Patay in 1429. The battle received an unfavourable portrayal from Shakespeare in Henry VI, and the playwright would later adapt Fastolf's name for his greatest comic creation - the lily-livered, blustery Sir John Falstaff.
The Bybrook Restaurant at the Manor House has, however, fared better at the pens of writers than its ancestral lord, receiving mounting praise from critics. It offers both delicate modern European creations, such as foie gras ravioli, and hearty, traditional British fare including slow-cooked pork belly. Call us to book a table or a room at the hotel.
Inverlochy Castle Hotel
Torlundy, Fort William, PH33 6SN
'I never saw a lovelier or more romantic spot,' wrote Queen Victoria of this Highland retreat when, in September 1873, she spent a week at the estate sketching its surrounding mountains and lochs. Built in 1863, the hotel rests at the foot of Ben Nevis on the south bank of the River Lochy, near the skeletal ruins of the 13th-century Inverlochy Castle, long since sacked and abandoned. The royal history extends throughout the hotel, including the dining room, which is furnished with gifts from the King of Norway.
The menu is a showcase of Scotland's finest seasonal produce, such as pot-roast pheasant, Isle of Skye crab and saddle of rabbit with roast linnhe prawns, and it's sure to impress any monarch who stops by for some brisk Highland air.
The Black Swan
The Black Swan, Oldstead, York, YO61 4BL
The Black Swan pub at Oldstead is in a prime location to explore some of Yorkshire's great historic sites. It dates to the 1500s, and the stone floor, antique furniture and roaring fire of its cosy bar provide a warm welcome after a stroll to the 13th-century ruins of Byland Abbey, the vast chalk carving of the Kilburn White Horse, or Shandy Hall, the home of novelist Lawrence Sterne.
The equally welcoming restaurant serves unpretentious British country cooking with European touches, such as ham hock and foie gras terrine, chicken breast with sage gnocchi and shin of Aberdeen Angus beef with dauphinoise purée. Ask your lifestyle manager to arrange the tasting menu, which must be ordered in advance, or call us to book one of its rooms for a weekend exploring historic Yorkshire.
Ynyshir Hall
Eglwysfach, Machynlleth, Powys, Wales, SY20 8TA
Ynyshir Hall was another favourite of Queen Victoria, who bought the property and made extensive renovations to the gardens. But the area surrounding this estate on the Dyfi estuary is better known for its ties to a different ruler. Parts of the manor date to the 15th century, a time when the near-mythical Owain Glyndwr, Prince of Wales, led his ill-fated rebellion against the English from the surrounding mountains and established the first Welsh parliament at the nearby town of Machynlleth.
This area is now the source of much of the kitchen's produce, including salmon, pork and lamb, and the formal dining room is a romantic spot to watch the sunlight dwindle from the mountains. (pictured)
The Samling
Ambleside Road, Windermere, Cumbria, LA23 1LR
William Wordsworth is one of the greatest poets in the English language, a writer whose potent lyricism launched and embodied Britain's Romantic Age. But even romantic geniuses have to pay the rent, and when it was time to do so, Wordsworth would wander in his solitary, cloud-like fashion along the northern shore of Lake Windermere to the Samling, where landlord John Benson lived.
Retracing the two-hour walk (or ten-minute drive) to Dove Cottage, the poet's home, is a fine way to spend an afternoon before dinner at the Samling's restaurant, which serves up an innovative modern European menu, including red mullet with parmesan custard, venison with pinenut spatzle and scallops doused in curry foam. Call us to book a table or a room at the Samling, or its sister venue Seaham Hall, where Lord Byron - another great romantic - tied the knot.
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