Fischer's Baslow Hall

The gabled façade, mullioned leaded windows and porch entrance all say 17th-century manor house, but Baslow Hall, built on the edge of the Chatsworth Estate, is a masterly Edwardian repro job. A sweeping chestnut-lined drive sets the upmarket mood, and five magnificent acres of woodland and splendid gardens not only catch the eye, but also start to focus the mind on the business of eating, since the kitchen garden supplies the chefs with fresh, home-grown produce at the cost of zero food miles. Owners Max and Susan Fischer set themselves the task of creating a restaurant with rooms that steers clear of the identikit country-house schtick, and have pulled off an elegant and happily relaxed interior that feels akin to staying at a posh friend's place. The restaurant is an intimate venue with plush traditional décor and a fancy plasterwork ceiling, and service is discreet, unfussy and friendly. Head chef Rupert Rowley's cooking starts out from the eminently sound basis of sourcing high-quality raw materials and taking seasonality seriously; his cooking aims to beguile rather than befuddle with its creativity, putting the brakes on inventiveness before dishes become overworked. Classical French techniques underpin the modern European approach, as in a starter that combines a plump seared scallop with carrot purée, crispy confit duck, and sweet-and-sour sauce. Main courses bring local venison served in the form of roasted saddle and a suet pudding full of tender shredded shoulder meat, with parsnip purée and sloe gin sauce, while desserts can be as classic as prune and Armagnac soufflé with matching ice cream, or head off for the wilder shores of baked toffee rice pudding with poached ginger banana, roast peanut and popcorn crumble, and banana and crème fraîche sorbet.