Dinham Hall Hotel

A handsome Georgian house opposite the medieval castle, close to the River Teme, Dinham Hall has been carefully designed within to reflect the elegances expected of modern boutique hotels. Thus, a wood-floored restaurant with bare tables and an atrium roof makes a sympathetic, informal setting for Wayne Smith's carefully wrought renditions of the modern British repertoire. A starter of pigeon appears with roast baby beetroot in balsamic dressing, or there might be cured salmon with a lemongrass pannacotta and pickled cucumber. Mains offer one or two interesting game options in the season, perhaps grouse with Savoy cabbage in cep consommé, while fish is robustly handled, in the manner of monkfish with mussels, peas and Alsace bacon. The menus read tantalisingly simply, and yet there is a depth of opulent flavour on show in each dish, including desserts like dark chocolate and black cherry roulade with cherry sorbet.