Hare & Hounds Hotel

The Hare & Hounds has some pretty fancy neighbours in the form of the National Arboretum and the Beaufort Polo Club, but it is quite capable of making an impression on its own merits. The handsome Cotswold-stone house was built in 1928 and cuts quite a dash these days as a country-house hotel, with the Beaufort Restaurant really putting it on the map. The vaulted hammer-beamed ceiling and stone mullioned windows strike an elegant pose, whilst the well-designed chairs and smartly laid tables suggest this place is not stuck in the past. And so it proves on the menu. The well-crafted modern British dishes show adroit technical skills and impressive management of flavours. Start with a carrot velouté in a creative partnership with coconut pannacotta and a sweet and sour ginger relish, moving on to braised shoulder and loin of lamb with choucroute, confit garlic, baby carrots and potato crisp. Everything looks beautiful on the plate, not least desserts such as raspberry and basil vacherin with a lemon and basil parfait and raspberry gel.