Callow Hall Hotel

Callow Hall is family-run again after it changed hands just before Christmas 2011. Ownership is just about all that has changed though - after all, what's not to like about this quintessentially English Victorian country-house retreat in 44 acres of woodlands and gardens on the edge of the Peak District National Park, overlooking the Dove Valley and Bentley Brook? Its ivy-festooned walls enfold an old-school set up of antiques, opulent fabrics, fancy plasterwork and oak panels galore, and the vibe in the elegant dining room isn't about to rock that particular boat. A sure-footed kitchen team still does things the old way, smoking and curing meats and fish in-house and doing all of its own baking. The result is country-house cooking in the classic mould; dinner starts with a textbook lobster bisque served with crème fraîche and chives, and a little skewer of tiger prawns and scallops, then moves via an intermediate course - gilt head bream with tomato and black olive tapenade - to mains, perhaps boned roast quail with home-made sausage stuffing, kale, cranberry and apple and rich game jus. To close the show, warm raspberry and blueberry frangipane tart comes with an exemplary vanilla ice cream.