The Hideaway at Windermere

Hands-on owners Richard and Lisa Gornall gave their handsome 19th-century Lakeland house a top-to-toe revamp in January 2010, blending Victorian elegance with clean-cut contemporary style, and Sam Toft artwork for a bit of fun. Two airy, well-lit rooms with Moorish-style arched windows make up the dining areas, while Richard puts local ingredients at the heart of his unfussy modern British cooking. Contemporary trends are duly observed, starting perhaps with line-caught mackerel served three ways - rillettes, seared and soused - with beetroot, potato and horseradish; next up, fashionably rustic Herdwick hogget could arrive in the form of seared loin and leg, braised shoulder and crisp belly, with shallot purée, spinach and fondant potato. Desserts are along the lines of coconut and white chocolate pannacotta with mango, pineapple and passionfruit sorbet.