Summer Lodge Country House Hotel

A country-house spa hotel in the heart of tranquil Dorset, Summer Lodge feels a little like one of those well-kept secrets. Once a dower house, and partly designed by Wessex author Thomas Hardy, it has been decorated with an air of English pastoral, with the green and reddish-pink hues of a garden in summer predominating in the main dining room. A conservatory extension affords views of the real thing. The welcome level of informality in the service reassures us that we're all on the same side, and the cooking, while firmly in the country-house idiom, nonetheless encompasses some appealing creative touches. A quartet of seared scallops on a swipe of parsley sauce is accompanied by a new take on choucroute, lightly pickled white cabbage and caraway seeds, adding contrast. Sweetly tender Creedy Carver duck makes a majestic main course, served alongside a vol-au-vent of spring vegetables in a glossy jus studded with golden raisins. Dessert might be an intense banana parfait crunchy with hazelnuts, topped with sharp lemon sorbet, sauced with swirls of caramel. Extras such as the foie gras 'crème brûlée' appetiser and fine breads add value to the whole package.