The Oak Room at Great Fosters

Great Fosters is a jaw-droppingly beautiful mellow-brick Jacobean mansion in impressive grounds that include a knot garden. Subtle modernisation has updated the interior while retaining original features, so there's a plethora of panelling and elaborate plaster ceilings, while furniture is in the solid wooden Jacobean style. An ornate fireplace draws the eyes in the Oak Room restaurant, but they are equally drawn to the vaulted oak beams above, complemented by an unfussy décor highlighting fresh flowers, sparkling glassware and crisp napery. Simon Bolsover's dinner menu, sensibly limited to a handful of dishes per course, shows his commitment to top-notch produce, and he continues to impress with his technical skills. His is not a pretentious, rarefied style; rather, this is flavour-led cooking where each component adds to a satisfying whole. Satsuma marmalade and warm milk bread are teamed with foie gras and duck liver parfait, and a slow-cooked egg and roast salsify with caramelised onion tart. Roast beetroot adds piquancy to a main course of roast rump of lamb with braised shoulder, and a red wine reduction is a good foil for pan-fried sea bass with parmesan gnocchi. Fruit is often the centrepiece of dessert: perhaps roast pineapple with coconut pannacotta and sugared puff pastry.