Dormy House Hotel

Dormy House has come a long way since the 17th century, when it was a simple farmhouse in the heart of the Cotswolds. Fast forward to the modern world and the honey-stone hotel above Broadway is a class act, pulling off that elusive trick of being an elegant, smooth-running country house that nonetheless retains the human touch. A tasteful conversion has resulted in a luminous, romantic feel throughout, with high-backed chairs, blond-wood floors, down-lit artwork and sculptures and linen-swathed tables in the understated contemporary dining room. Menu descriptions sound refreshingly simple and display a keen eye to the seasons. The result is imaginative dishes in the contemporary country-house vein, kicking off with a pumpkin crème brûlée topped with a crunchy thyme-flavoured crust, followed by perfectly-judged medallions of venison served enterprisingly with Savoy cabbage and bacon, spinach-filled chocolate ravioli and parsnip crisps. Flavours and seasonings remain clear as a bell all the way through to a dessert line-up of chocolate fondant served with blood orange sorbet and a warm chocolate milkshake.