UK boutique hotels for food lovers

Best UK boutique hotels

The Beacon, Tunbridge Wells

Just an hour from London and 10 minutes outside Tunbridge Wells, The Beacon is a secluded bolthole, offering a pretty wedding venue alongside its restaurant with rooms.

There are six elegant rooms to choose from in the main house of the hotel (choose Yarrow for a round copper bathtub in a turret with views of the countryside). Our top pick is the seventh room that nestles below the main house, the Summer House, pictured below. A long, covered balcony offers 180-degree views of the countryside, with a two-way outdoor fireplace and large outdoor bathtub to enjoy. The thoughtful room design includes a king-sized bed, kitchenette, waterfall shower, Noble Isle toiletries and bifold doors to let the outside in and maximise those valley views. The radio, set to Classic FM as you walk in, sets the calming vibe. It's a secluded spot that would be idyllic all year round, offering a cosy hideaway in winter or peaceful sun trap in summer.

Warm muffins and homemade cordial greet you on arrival, or head up to the Garden Bar for cocktails with a view. The Beacon Restaurant serves locally sourced, seasonal dishes in the heart of the main country house. There are special cocktails and a generous wine list featuring plenty of English options, such as Rathfinny sparkling wine. The amuse-bouche are particularly memorable, taking a nod from the restaurant's Tea Garden Lane address with savoury twists on classic afternoon tea dishes. Choose two or three courses, or go for the 'Feed Me' tasting menu to try a little bit of everything. In the morning, enjoy breakfast al fresco on the terrace – opt for a full English or a bacon and egg bap. Footpaths at the top of the driveway offer walks through the forest, or all the way to the Pantiles and Tunbridge Wells.

Rooms start at £123 per night; check availability at thebeacon.co.uk or mrandmrssmith.com

The Maltings, Weybourne, North Norfolk

The focal point of this recently renovated hotel is The Grain Store, an impressive two- storey structure with lively open kitchen where chefs work their magic with local produce. Norfolk platters, for two or more to share, celebrate both the nearby coast and land, with trend-aware touches like saffron cockles and coal-roasted flatbread; rib of 50-day salt chamber aged beef; and rack of slow-roasted pork with harissa roasted carrots. Breakfast is equally loyal to the region, proudly offering kippers smoked at Cley; Brancaster Staithe smoked salmon eggs royale; cheese and Norfolk charcuterie, and the option to carve your own ham.

Design moves between classic in the bar with its studded leather chairs and wall sconce lighting to cosy in the games room with leaping deer Knight’s Tale wallpaper, to The Grain Store’s pared back bare walls with exposed beams, wildflower table arrangements and modern art. Bedrooms, in the main house and stable blocks, are simply decorated with botanic prints, vintage books and textured headboards adding interest. The on-site Bottle Shop is a welcome touch, offering a good selection of wine to enjoy in your room, over dinner for a small corkage or to take home.

Doubles from £200, check availability at booking.com or themaltingsweybourne.com/

No 42 Guesthouse, Margate

Margate’s recent reinvention has seen it become a popular destination for food lovers, with the opening of several independent restaurants such as Angela’s, Sète and Sargasso. Now this seaside hotel, part of the small Guesthouse group, also in Bath, York and Brighton, provides another reason to visit the Kent coastal resort – its Pearly Cow restaurant and rooftop terrace providing magnificent views across the channel.

Pearly Cow focusses on seafood platters, fish and grills. Whitstable oysters and salt cod tacos make a good sharing starter, salt-aged steaks are prepared in the open kitchen, with whipped bone marrow butter and beef fat chips – this is the kind of easy food, prepared simply, you want to enjoy on the coast. The reasonable wine list includes a decent house cava. Breakfast is similarly classic, with local Brogdale sausages in the full English, alongside a decent eggs royale and organic porridge with honey and pistachio. Make use of the communal pantry for early morning tea, coffee and pastries, or late-night snacks – huge jars of traditional sweet shop treats like lemon sherbets and chocolate bars.

Bedrooms are light and sunny, with neutral colours and fabrics, made contemporary with touches such as a record player and choice of vinyl, modern prints and beach-hut-shaped tea and coffee station. Bramley toiletries and power showers are very welcome after a day on the beach. In the lounge bar, Dreamland’s ferris wheel is referenced in its wall decorations, with raffia lightshades and touches of aqua adding beach house vibes.

B&B from £170 per night. Check availability at booking.com or mrandmrssmith.com

The Rectory, Cotswolds

This honey-stone Georgian property sits on the border of the Cotswolds and makes the perfect spot for a weekend break. With 18 bedrooms, the rectory is small and perfectly appointed, with striking contemporary interiors touches that elevate the building’s original features and give a cool edge to its Cotswold charm. The outdoor pool is just a short walk across the beautifully kept garden, where guests can enjoy the extensive cocktail menu, and the sister pub is just a short walk over the green.

The menu is filled with seasonal and local ingredients, with plenty of choice for those not eating meat. Hero ingredients are handled delicately to deliver elegant plates with real flair. We visited in early summer and enjoyed turbot terrine with tarragon mayonnaise and a lobster and scallop raviolo to start. Mains of nettle cappellacci with walnut sauce and Tamworth pork loin with bagna cauda were beautifully executed but almost eclipsed by an incredibly moreish side of courgettes with olives and marjoram.

Breakfast is a generous affair, served in the orangery where a large table is laden with everything you’d expect from pastries to poached fruit. A menu of cooked plates includes favourites like the classic breakfast and Omelette Arnold Bennett as well as house specials like buttermilk waffles with whipped mascarpone and berries. Again, plenty of options for those not eating meat and all delivered with a relaxed but attentive service.

Bed and breakfast from £170. Check availability on The Rectory website.

The Victoria, Holkham Estate, Norfolk

Countryside meets coast at The Vic. Perched on the edge of the grand Holkham Estate and a short stroll from the vast beauty of Holkham beach, you can explore the grounds on bike or foot, meet the resident deer, row a boat on the lake and take a guided tour of the hall. The Holkham Stories experience explains the estate’s history, current sustainable practices and its plans to be carbon neutral. The magnificent walled garden grows everything from grapes – which go to make wine at Burn Valley Vineyard – to herbs, fruit and veg which make their way into dishes at the hotel. Here the menu references its support for suppliers throughout the region, from hyper-local Arthur Howell butchers, Billy Ward’s lobster and Malt Coast Brewery in Wells-next-the-Sea to Fakenham’s Krusty Loaf bakery and Brancaster Bay shellfish. The dining room, with its forest-themed wallpaper, is a fitting setting for hearty dishes like Holkham venison curry and roasted pigeon with parmentier potatoes. The current family in residence’s healthy influence is seen in Lady Leicester’s superfood salad and healthy start breakfast, too. Rooms are reassuringly traditional, with classic striped fabrics, wooden dressing tables and chest of drawers, and Norfolk Natural Living toiletries.

Doubles from £200. Check availability at booking.com or holkham.co.uk

The Bell at Charlbury, Daylesford

The newest of its stable of pubs with rooms, The Bell has all the hallmarks of a Daylesford bolthole: a commitment to local suppliers, largely British menu and cute motif (see the bell on plates, menus and staff T-shirts). The 17th-century building is home to a dozen cosy bedrooms, with a contemporary barn at the rear.

There’s more to the pub than a smart market town boozer. Discreetly positioned behind the main building, The Barn serves weekend wood-fired feasting menus – rotisserie chicken, roasts, whole lobster. In summer there’s an additional dining space in The Bell’s acre of apple orchard. The pub’s small, welcoming dining room serves classics like a half pint of prawns, soups, salads, cheeseburger, fish pie, sticky toffee pudding and crumbles, with locally farmed ingredients. Daily specials range from the luxurious, including a chateaubriand for two or whole roasted brill, to a simple porchetta and apple sauce bap. Beers on tap are from family-owned Hook Norton and Jeremy Clarkson’s Hawkstone, Daylesford’s own cider, gins and English sparkling wine.

Exposed brick, embroidered bedspreads and reclaimed wooden furniture create a homely, rustic atmosphere. And four posters, red stripes, and crisp blue and white checks feel very British.

Rooms start at £194 per night, based on two adults sharing. Check availability on its website.

The Bath Priory, Bath

In a leafy part of Bath sits this impressive Georgian house, whose old-fashioned hospitality appeals to all generations. Behind the ivy-clad building is a vast, not-so-secret garden, featuring a spectacular cedar of Lebanon tree, croquet lawn, sunken pool and kitchen garden growing herbs, edible flowers, fruit and veg destined for the dining room. Reassuringly classic, bedrooms are designed for comfort and relaxation, with period furniture and florals and tartan adding warmth to neutral décor.

Chef Jauca Catalin’s imaginative menu celebrates seasonal, local produce with some surprising Asian touches: a crab starter is teamed with lime confit, mooli and chilli peanut caramel; wild turbot is a complex dish of scallop mousse, caviar and miso and kombu tea. Three courses at dinner can be matched with wines from Burgundy and California, and an exciting Château de L’Ou L’Ove Blanc from Roussillon. At breakfast there is a traditional approach with eggs royal, benedict and florentine, alongside the full English and a fluffy omelette Arnold Bennett.

Take a martini in front of the fire in the drawing room in colder months, or afternoon tea on the wisteria-covered terrace in spring for a quintessentially British experience in every season. You can also order a picnic hamper to enjoy in the gardens, with a bottle of English sparkling wine.

Rooms start at £275 per night including breakfast, based on two sharing. Check availability at booking.com or expedia.co.uk

Coworth Park, Berkshire

Contemporary meets classic in a charming mash-up of design that references the rural location. A four poster is fashioned to look like a tree, halls feature dressers filled with plant pots, and huge floral displays and indoor plants abound. Showers are powerful, and some suites feature free-standing copper baths. Fun horsey references – including two dramatic portraits that dominate the bar – are a firm nod to the hotel’s equestrian links. The renowned Guards Polo Club is here (guests can book lessons in advance) and horse riding is offered. Rooms are in the Stables or Mansion House, so there’s a real sense of being in the Berkshire countryside, even while less than an hour from London. Explore the grounds, where there are hidden lily ponds, fountains and sculptures, as well as champagne pods in the warmer months.

Woven by Adam Smith is all that’s good about modern, high-end British cooking – fiercely seasonal, celebrating homegrown ingredients, imaginative combinations, clever plating and a passionate, young team from Britain and beyond. Chefs, including Adam, are highly visible, prepping canapés in the restaurant’s anteroom – which doubles as cellar – and explaining each course at the table. Isle of Wight tomatoes, Devon eel and Cornish turbot speak to Adam’s careful sourcing, while A5 wagyu, oscietra, lobster and truffle add a luxurious touch. There’s also a strong focus on English wine.

Rooms start at £605 for bed and breakfast, check availability at booking.com or mrandmrssmith.com

The Royal Crescent Hotel, Bath

Few visitors to Bath see beyond the façade of the magnificent Royal Crescent, the city’s most impressive landmark. Fewer guess that No 16 extends into beautiful hotel gardens with lavender path, a haven for birds and butterflies where afternoon tea, cocktails and light lunches are taken. Chef Martin Blake balances simplicity with on-trend touches. Montagu’s Mews’ evening tasting menu starts with tiny canapés of Bath Blue cheese and avocado mousse with cucumber and borage. Then shokupan, a soft Japanese-style milk bread with Somerset’s Ivy Farm butter and smoked roe studded with salmon ikura. Hollandaise for beef tartare is spiked with Bath Ale and IP8 (beer) vinegar. A forced rhubarb dessert is softened with olive oil and vanilla. The comprehensive wine list includes confident choices such as a barrel-aged assyrtiko.

The hotel’s five-star spa includes a heated pool with sauna and steam, tranquil treatment rooms and a small garden where you can relax after a swim, still in your robe if you like. Rooms are built for comfort and luxury, some with terraces and views on to the gardens or over the sweeping lawns of the Crescent. Fireplaces in bedrooms may be filled with decorative pinecones, modern art sits alongside vintage portraits and busts, and everywhere the outside is brought in with plants and floral displays.

Rooms from £300 per night, check availability at booking.com or mrandmrssmith.com

Cowley Manor, Cotswolds

Experimental Group, the team behind some of the greatest bars, restaurants and hotels across the world, has teamed up with chef Jackson Boxer in this contemporary country hotel. Jackson can take an unfussy British cut like a Tamworth pork chop and elevate it with a French sauce charcutière (onions, wine, cornichons, mustard); pasta sounds simple but tastes superb (tagliolini with smoked butter and black pepper); and a tarte flambée on the lunch menu sees spelt flatbread topped with Rollright cheese and truffle.

The cocktail bar has a clubby feel, in which Experimental’s finest create the classics and their own concoctions, from gin and elderflower-based Saint Germain de Prés, a nod to the group’s French roots, to Horlicks Milk Punch which references a former owner of the manor’s malted drink business. Bar snacks include Old Spot croquettes and cheesy puffs made with local single gloucester, good with a glass of English sparkling, and caviar and crisps is a must order in these decadent surroundings.

It’s a curious and comfortable mix of 70s-style glamour, traditional wood panelling and striking bright lacquered furniture in a 17th-century manor, with a laid-back front of house team determined to make your stay cocktail-fuelled and cosy.

Rooms start at £329 per night for bed and breakfast, check availability at booking.com or mrandmrssmith.com

Glenmorangie House, Scotland

Boldly beautiful, this 17th century house looking out over the stunning Moray Firth has been given a maximalist makeover, with a creative Highlands menu to match.

With only six bedrooms and three cottages, and warmly attentive staff who’ll soon know how you take your tea, the stay here is designed to feel more house party than hotel. The dining room has one large table, cocktails are taken together before eating, and evening entertainment in the form of music, mixology or stargazing is arranged to make the most of the company. The interiors, by designer Russell Sage, tell the story of Glenmorangie whisky with maximalist styling, sensory interpretation and more than the occasional surprise.

Head chef John Wilson creates Glenmorangie food pairings, dishes that are enhanced by, and in turn enhance the flavours of, each whisky. There are all the Scottish treats you’d hope for, with rich haggis en croûte in a velvety whisky sauce. Surrounded by pristine Scottish waters you can expect fresh langoustine, lobsters and scallops, too. Your bacon, sausages and black pudding for breakfast travel just three miles from a local artisan, and some of the fruit, vegetables and herbs are picked outside the dining room window in the handsome walled garden.

Thanks to the carefully planned design and the eclectic collection of local arts and crafts, there are new details to discover wherever you turn. Seating in the snug mixes traditional tartan upholstery with bright plain seat pads, antique bud vases are displayed with different seed heads and lichen like prized blooms. For more Scotland inspiration, check out our full guide to the best Scottish hotels.

Rooms from £1,347 for three nights, check availability at booking.com or expedia.co.uk

The Gallivant, Camber Sands

Tucked away just behind the dunes of Camber Sands near Rye, The Gallivant is a cosy bolthole that offers a grown-up seaside break (the hotel is over-16s only) with a relaxed Hamptons beach-house vibe. The Luxury Garden rooms are airy and peaceful with muted beachy painted wood décor, soft throws and well-stocked book shelves. Doors open onto a coastal garden where you can enjoy coffee in the morning. Sign up for the Complete Gallivant and everything is taken care of, from all-day elevenses in the luxurious snug area to English wine at 5pm, a pre-dinner flask of freshly-shaken cocktails to drink in the dunes (or the bath if the weather is bad), a three-course dinner, sleepy tea delivery at bedtime, a morning yoga class and a generous breakfast spread to wake up to. Dinner showcases some of East Sussex's best seafood and meat, with sharing dishes such as Rye Bay brill with greens and caviar cream sauce, and ember-roasted Romney Marsh lamb chop, braised shoulder and green sauce. Puddings include Kent apple crumble and local cheeses, like Lord London soft cheese from Alsop & Walker. English wine is a big focus here, and the menu features local producers such as Charles Palmer Vineyards.

The Complete Gallivant (for 2) from £375 per night, check availability at booking.com or mrandmrssmith.com

The Rose, Deal

The Rose, an eight-bedroom hotel, is all that’s good about seaside weekends. It sits three minutes from a beautiful beach, and bang in the centre of a town that’s known for its cute vintage shops and, increasingly, decent food scene. Guests and locals come for well-made cocktails (tip: try Tommy’s smoky mezcal margarita), imaginative wines and local beers, served in a sheltered garden when the weather is good. A small menu of classics such as mac ’n’ cheese and schnitzel is offered alongside dishes that speak to the kitchen’s skill and knowledge. Try sourdough with churned yeast butter; smoked beef tartare with tarragon emulsion; roast saddle of hoggett with ancient grains; and Nuno’s olive oil cake, named after some-time collaborator, Portuguese chef Nuno Mendes.

There’s a vintage vibe throughout the place. Expect mismatched floral plates that remind you of your stylish granny, board games in the bar, pops of neon in the courtyard chairs and fabrics, and local art. Rooms are cosy and colourful, and stocked with books. Some also feature record players, antique sinks and roll-top baths. There’s help-yourself tea, coffee and whisky on the landing, too. Complimentary tea and cake for guests in the afternoon is a friendly touch, as is name-checking local suppliers such as Black Pig sausages on the breakfast menu.

From £167 for bed and breakfast, check availability at booking.com

South Lodge, Horsham

This Sussex countryside hotel with three restaurants is making its intention to attract food lovers clear, from the classic three courses at Camellia to the ambitious tasting menu at The Pass and relaxed vibes at Botanica. The latter, with huge, sunny deck overlooking a natural swimming pond, is housed in the modern spa with a plant-focussed menu, and is a window into the hotel’s commitment to sustainability. Brunch is a highlight and goes well beyond pancakes and prosecco. Try poached eggs with spiced green harissa; spanakopita parcels with mojo sauce and yogurt; and rhubarb bircher muesli with crisp ginger rice and stem ginger. Juices are blended in-house and include active botanical tinctures exclusive to the hotel for an extra energy boost. Natural interiors of rattan, wood and stoneware add to the soothing atmosphere. South Lodge also has wine credentials – its south-facing chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot meunier vineyards, planted in collaboration with Ridgeview, will produce high-quality English sparkling wines.

From £465 for bed, breakfast and spa access, check availability at booking.com or spabreaks.com

Boys Hall, Ashford

Only an hour's train ride from London, this revived Grade II listed Jacobean manor is home to a soaring oak-beamed restaurant and nine rooms kitted with antique finds. We stayed in Romney, one of the super-suites located in the eaves of the house and reachable via its own miniature staircase. The lofty space is enriched with dark sage walls, burnt orange cushions and bamboo furniture. The focal point – a freestanding roll-top bath – sits in front of the original stone mullion window and overlooks the front lawn. Rooms also feature super king beds, Dualit coffee pod machine and enviable toiletries from Pelegrims, made with grape extracts from nearby Westwell vineyard. TVs are swapped for Roberts radios; for entertainment, pick up a board game, weekend paper or magazine from the panelled lower sitting room.

If you’re feeling peckish, the honesty bar is stocked with treats such as Tunnock’s Caramels. For extra pampering, pre-book a massage in the comfort of your own bedroom on a pop-up massage bed – Swedish, sports or deep tissue massage, plus various facials, are all available. The dining room – crafted from reclaimed local green oak and stone – puts Kentish produce at the forefront. Expect a menu of luxury comfort food: smoked Ashmore and speck croquettes with saffron mayo; 30-day dry-aged rib eye steak; cookie dough with salted caramel ice cream. There is also homemade cakes, served with locally sourced teas and coffee, available in the cosy lounges, or retire to the wood-panelled pub serving Kentish ales and bar snacks.

From £190, check availability at mrandmrssmith.com or boys-hall.com

Fort Road Hotel, Margate

One of Margate’s iconic seafront buildings opposite Turner Contemporary gallery has been restored to its former life as a hotel. In a nod to its history, sepia photographs and postcards of the seaside town in its bathing holiday heyday line the burnt orange walls. Design is at the forefront throughout, with pieces from artists with Kentish ties and vintage Scandinavian furniture (Danish teak mirrors, beech chairs, rosewood tables) giving each room its own unique character. Bold-hued tiles adorn neat bathrooms, kitted out with seaweed-infused products from local spa Haeckels.

Local connections extend to the food and drink options, served in the smart, intimate ground-floor restaurant complete with flickering fire to warm up the colder months. Choose between a Kentish wine from the likes of Simpsons vineyard or a local gin (Greensand Ridge is herbaceous while Dockyard has notes of citrus and spice). Silky, thick-cut trout is lifted with Hinxden Farm Dairy crème fraîche. Crostini are topped with salty smoked anchovy slivers and tapenade or creamy garlic cannellini beans. A huge pork chop is sautéed in parsley mustard sauce, while skate wing comes bathed in beurre noisette and brown shrimp. Breakfast is a real treat, with bacon sarnies offering a satisfying crunch courtesy of hot baguettes from Oast Bakery down the road (that also bakes divine cinnamon buns).

Small touches take the hospitality to the next level. A brown paper bag of homemade cookies awaits in the room, best enjoyed with a sherry-laced hot chocolate on the rooftop while watching the sunset over the rugged coastline.

Doubles from £140, check availability at fortroadhotel.com or booking.com

Grace and Savour, Birmingham

A restaurant with rooms within the grounds of contemporary hotel Hampton Manor, Grace & Savour is a sustainability-first operation run by chef David and front-of-house Anette Taylor.

It has its own kitchen garden, a tour of which is offered on arrival. A handful of rooms within the walled garden have a pared-back Scandi sensibility and enticing views of chefs prepping dinner in the restaurant’s open kitchen.

Fifteen well-balanced courses reflect David’s commitment to seasonality, regenerative farming and animal welfare, all as beautiful as they are delicious. But spartan it is not. Jerusalem artichoke comes in its deep-fried skin, and tastes buttery – like the best baked potato you ever had – topped with small artichoke discs with pickled bay leaf gel adding extra interest. A one-bite venison tartare is served on the cutest, crisp base. Burnt leeks in a rich emulsion are given extra welly with beef garum. Caviar is in evidence. Chatting with the chefs from your counter seat or when they deliver dishes to the table is part of the fun, as is the wine pairing which focusses on lesser-known wines, many of which are made in small batches.

Breakfast overlooking the garden is three relaxed courses with juices and coffee: charcuterie, cheese and apples; yogurt and honey; sausage, spinach cooked in chicken fat and mustard, and a wonderful cinnamon bun.

The industrial-style steel-framed panelled windows and corrugated tables and headboards are softened by muted tones of clay and earth to give each bedroom a soothing feel. A huge bathtub and a generous bowl of bath salts demands to be used. Walk-in showers feature Birmingham-based Harvest Skincare. In the restaurant, tableware by a local ceramicist is made from clay sourced from the estate.

From £350 for dinner, bed and breakfast; hamptonmanor.com/grace-savour

The Fox at Oddington

Daylesford's pared-back aesthetic is tempered here with a light-hearted foxy theme on everything from topiary to tableware. Its airy bar and Saddle Room is built around a lively open kitchen where chefs knock out the kind of relaxed, seasonal food we could eat every day. Sustainability is built into all Daylesford does, most visibly in the pub’s living roof, planted with wildflowers and herbs, and acting as a nectar source for bees.

Chef Alan Gleeson’s menu of modern classics encourages sharing, from a half-pint of prawns and some Daylesford cheese to the full three courses. Small plates including tuna tartare with soy and ginger, and heritage tomatoes teamed with feta and mint are a promising start. A decent, tender pork chop comes with greens and apple; a simple plaice with seaweed butter and Ratte potatoes. Flatbread with lardo, anchovy and salsa verde is a must-try, as is Korean fried chicken. There’s usually a fruit tart and a dark chocolate mousse with pistachio biscotti. At breakfast, The Fox is flooded with light. Oversized plants and artfully placed saddles all echo the Gloucestershire location. Omelette Arnold Bennett, a rich haddock and cheese concoction, is served with hollandaise in a mini skillet; french toast with poached apricots is equally luxurious, as are breakfast brioche rolls.

Wood-beamed rooms are decorated with hunting scenes and local wildlife from local artists. Sheepskins, woollen rugs and quilted blankets add a cosy touch to crisp white bedding. Some rooms include a free-standing bath, showers are powerful and fragrant with sage and geranium Bamford botanical products.

B&B from £225 per night. thefoxatoddington.com

Leonardslee, West Sussex

Where else can you take a walk though woodlands, join feeding time for baby wallabies, enjoy a vineyard picnic, follow a sculpture trail and then settle in for an evening of imaginative food and wine pairings? At Leonardslee House, part of Leonardslee Lakes & Gardens on which the UK’s first pinotage vineyard is planted, you can be as active or as laid back as you like. Inspired by the South African owner’s appreciation of Cape Winelands experiences, it’s a grown-up playground centred around the very best food and wine.

Restaurant Interlude offers a tasting menu featuring ingredients from the estate. Each dish is presented with a card showing a map of where it was grown, foraged or raised. Chef Jean Delport’s technical skill makes for a unique experience with playfully named dishes such as “rabbit eats carrot” and the visually arresting “chef’s pasture raised egg with crispy (chicken) foot”. There are 18 well-paced courses, a clever balance of South African-inspired dishes and the more local, including honey from Leonardslee’s beehives with salted caramel. Dishes can be paired with wines, notably those from the owner’s estate near Cape Town.

Book in advance for a wine tasting to try wines from family-run Benguela Cove Lagoon in Hermanus. You can also take a tour of the pinotage vineyards, which will produce their first wine next year. With input from interior designers including Nina Campbell and Sanderson, bedrooms have muted, tranquil tones with feature wallpapers and textiles, giving a contemporary feel to a classic English country house.

Rooms from £444, check availability at booking.com

The Double Red Duke, Cotswolds

This restaurant with rooms in the Cotswolds village of Clanfield is committed to cocktails, conviviality and the restoration of calm. From the jolly, red-striped canopies on its terrace to the promise of gin recovery kits in its 19 bedrooms, The Double Red Duke exudes a delightful sense of playfulness.

Start with a Barbecue Pineapple cocktail in the bar: a zesty blend of mezcal, pineapple and lime. In the airy Garden Room share starters of apple-glazed bacon ribs with fennel slaw; charred squid; and smoky flatbreads. Larger plates include piri-piri chicken, with nostalgic desserts of sticky toffee and treacle tart to finish. Book at the chef’s counter for ringside seats as your seafood or steaks are prepared over coals, on the spit or in the clay-fired oven. In the morning, this becomes a breakfast buffet with cinnamon buns and pastries from local bakery Blake’s, along with sourdough, marmalade, honey, cheese and cold meats. The chefs will also prepare overnight oats and a much-Instagramed breakfast muffin with Ogleshield cheese, egg, bacon and sausage.

Co-owner Georgie Pearlman has put her heart and soul into creating an atmosphere that’s soothing and inspiring. There are modern takes on traditional bathroom floor tiles, oversized patterns on textured wallpapers and simple floral displays. Ask the Duke’s team about local walks – wellies provided. Visit the converted shepherd’s hut to enjoy a beauty treatment or massage, and if you loved the Marmite and cheese breakfast rolls, take a three-minute stroll over to Blake’s to buy some to take home.

Rooms from £230 per night; check availability at booking.com or mrandmrssmith.com

Artist Residence, Bristol

The unstoppable Artist Residence team has restored a Georgian townhouse, previously an old boot factory and organised squat, right by Bristol’s eclectic city centre. Plenty of the building’s original features remain intact, including wooden beams, pretty cornicing and a dramatic skylight. As with the group's existing properties, the hotel puts the spotlight on local artists, with pieces in all colours, shapes and sizes turning the dilapidated walls into contemporary galleries.

Rooms range from compact but charming, thanks to original arch windows and ensuite bathrooms with Bramley products and rainfall showers, to larger feature rooms. In The Lookout, a spiral staircase connects the bedroom to a cosy sitting area and large wrap around balcony with views of colourful terraced houses in Montpelier and beyond. When the star-studded guest list comes to visit, they tend to stay in the two suites, both boasting quirky seating areas, spacious bathrooms with rolltop baths and five large sash windows that look out onto leafy Portland Square.

The Boot Factory is open all day, every day, with plenty of cosy corners, a brick-wall backed bar and a small terrace strung with light bulbs. For breakfast, order colour-themed smoothies alongside sweetcorn fritters, Turkish eggs or indulgent banana bread French toast. Later in the day, pick from the pizza menu or a selection of tapas-style dishes such as chargrilled watermelon and feta, salt and pepper squid with saffron aïoli and roast carrots with carrot purée and hazelnuts.

Treat yourself to a pastry or two from Farro, a popular bakery round the corner. Silky, bourbon-laced Colombian panela tart, raisin-studded babka swirls and famous soft serve topped with crunchy croissant honey crisps. Mooch up to colourful Picton Street, stopping on the way to spot Banksy's murals, for Italian ingredient treasure trove C&T Licata & Son, local coffee hang out The Bristolian and neighbourhood trattoria Bianchis. Discover more Bristol food and drinks picks here.

Doubles from £140, check availability at booking.com or mrandmrssmith.com

The Eastbury, Sherbourne

Slow down, de-stress and be cosseted at this character-packed hotel in the Dorset market town. Guests can stay in the main Georgian townhouse, Potting Shed rooms in the walled garden or in Eastbury Cottage, with each accommodation offering laid-back vibes and a homely atmosphere. The hotel’s small but deluxe garden spa comes with hot tubs and a steam room for fully-fledged relaxing, or guests can venture outside the grounds to explore the town’s food and craft markets and Sherborne Castle (and sample The Castle’s wines in the Eastbury’s bar for good measure).

On the menu, Chef Matthew Street works with local suppliers and some further afield to ensure his menus offer the best ingredients: Devon crab from Paignton is served with a chilled cucumber and wasabi soup for starters, followed by indulgent and satisfying mains including Japanese braised pork belly with miso broth and burrata and ricotto agnolotti with parmesan crisp. Alternatively, for a more intimate evening there’s the option to book the garden pod, a unique glass snug looking out across the lawn, furnished with plump cushions, soft blankets and ambient lighting.

Interior designer Kathleen Fraser balances muted tones of pale blue and green with colourful prints and interesting textures. The new Eastbury Cottage adjacent to the hotel boasts three delightfully cosy bedrooms, one with a free-standing bath as well as a separate modern shower room. Standout features include the inglenook fireplace, low beams, a very well-equipped kitchen, and sunny private garden with hot tub and dining area.

Doubles from £195, check availability at booking.com

Heckfield Place, Heckfield

The lines between inside and out are beautifully blurred at this Hampshire estate, where guests can bask in the natural surroundings and enjoy food from the hotel’s biodynamic, organic farm and orchards. Saddleback pigs and chickens lead a happy life here, and a micro-dairy provides the house with milk, cream, yogurt and butter from Guernsey cows.

The menu is overseen by culinary director Skye Gyngell (chef-patron at Spring at Somerset House) with two restaurants serving what’s good to eat right now from what’s grown on the estate and Fern Varrow, a biodynamic farm. At Marle you’ll find simple, seasonal dishes such as lamb shoulder with anchovy, and stuffed farm courgettes. During summer, meals are served on the Italian terrace overlooking the gardens and woodlands, with fire pits and sheepskins to keep you cosy on chillier nights. Imaginative breakfasts include bircher muesli and roasted rhubarb, bubble and squeak with fried eggs, and buckwheat crêpes with honey butter. Hearth, open for dinner and lunch on Saturday, focusses on fire cooking with lobster, sirloin or grilled farm veg. In line with Heckfield’s biodynamic ethos, cocktails in the Moon Bar are influenced by the lunar phases and made with unique tinctures and bitters. Try turmeric jingle (chamomile gin, millet, lemon and cardoon liquor, turmeric bitters) or cherry moon (sour cherry spirit, lapsang souchong bitters, egg, lemon and lime). Rooms are both luxurious and plastic-free, with headboards made by local craftspeople. Interiors focus on muted shades and natural materials such as rush matting, while dried flowers and plants bring the outdoors in.

Doubles from £650, check availability at mrandmrssmith.com

Beaverbrook, Surrey

A curiously brilliant mix of traditional British and modern Japanese makes this character-packed Surrey hotel a playground for food lovers. Once the home of Winston Churchill’s Minister of Aircraft Production, newspaper magnate Lord Beaverbrook, the hotel’s aviation theme is evident, from the Spitfire at the entrance, to vintage photos and artworks throughout the house.

Japanese Grill serves exquisite sushi, sashimi and Josper-grilled specialities, including charcoaled wagyu. The eight-course tasting menu includes popcorn shrimp with ponzu mayo, scallop ceviche, nigiri topped with Kentish ants (which add a wonderful citrussy kick), black cod and beef tenderloin, and a chocolate flowerpot with nasturtium – a nod to Beaverbrook’s commitment to growing its own. The estate’s relaxed The Garden House restaurant is a short stroll from the main house, reached via the kitchen garden, where chefs harvest leaves, veg and herbs. The menu here is British with Italian influences, such as pici with Cornish crab and crispy polenta squid. Nearby Albury Vineyard produces the house English sparkling wine, which is best enjoyed on the terrace overlooking the gardens and Surrey Hills countryside.

Each of the luxurious bedrooms in the main house are named for Beaverbrook’s illustrious guests – Churchill, the Kennedys and Liz Taylor, to name a few – and decorated in an appropriate style, from muted masculine tones and bold stripes and graphic tiling, to delicate floral fabrics. In The Garden House, wicker and wood provide a neutral backdrop for bright glasses and cruet sets, and the botanical prints and patterned plates that line the walls.

Doubles from £545, check availability at mrandmrssmith.com or beaverbrook.co.uk

Bingham Riverhouse, Richmond

Escape the city at this riverside bolthole, converted from two Georgian townhouses with a literary history. Though compact, the hotel has plenty of nooks to enjoy a peaceful moment. French windows open onto a pretty terrace for afternoon tea, and the country-style drawing room is a beautiful spot to sip a mezcal jalapeño negroni. Breakfast is taken in the library, where squishy teal blue banquettes sweep beneath shelves lines with hundreds of Penguin paperbacks.

The 15 rooms, each named after a Michael Field’s poem (the pseudonym for the literary couple who previously lived in the building), are decorated in luxurious mid-century style, with touches including Hebridean wool throws, stacks of vintage books tied up with string, sensual LA-EVA toiletries in the marble bathrooms, and artisan crystals for well-being. Book a river room for views of the Thames, eye-catching Catchpole & Rye copper bath tubs and to avoid traffic noise from the roadside options.

Doubles from £194, check availability at booking.com or mrandmrssmith.com

House of Joro, Sheffield

At this boutique Nordic-inspired nook, with just four luxurious rooms, enjoy expertly curated tasting plates with access to a communal kitchen space and lounge where you can fix a pre-dinner drink at the ‘honesty bar’. We recommend a seasonal G&T featuring Joro’s own Natural Gin made with foraged botanicals. Later, relax into a plush king-sized bed or slide into a bubble bath in your freestanding tub.

Joro’s restaurant is a 5-minute walk away in Kelham Island, once the heart Sheffield’s steel industry, now a buzzing food and drink hub inside a series of upcycled shipping containers. Trendy dark walls and low lighting create a relaxed atmosphere where you can experience mouth-watering bites like a Montgomery cheddar & onion croustade, moving onto a beautifully umami mushroom porridge, then a whipped white chocolate and blackberry dessert. For more flavour exploration, try the paired drinks menu, featuring exciting wines from across the globe and a mixture of ciders, spirits and beers.

The next morning, your three-tiered trolley breakfast will be delivered to your room, so save some room for fresh croissants, smoked salmon on sourdough and muesli with fresh berries. If you need a dose of caffeine, brew a cafetière of the complimentary Forge Coffee, roasted in Sheffield. Book an eight-course dinner bed & breakfast stay, Wednesday-Saturday, from £225 for two people for a double room. This includes a half-bottle of Nyetimber sparkling wine to toast your arrival.

Doubles from £225, check availability at jororestaurant.co.uk

The Mitre Hampton Court, Surrey

Located directly opposite Hampton Court itself, The Mitre Hotel couldn’t be better placed for a historical weekend away. The hotel’s main restaurant is 1665, a cleverly designed moody brasserie where every table offers river views. The menu features generous portions of British and Italian classics, including burrata and chicken Milanese, plus surprisingly standout crispy cauliflower popcorn for a starting snack. Cocktails are top-notch: try the G&T with unique Big Smoke Rhubarb & Pink Lemonade gin. Alongside 1665, the hotel’s Coppernose is a buzzy bar for evening cocktails and breakfast the next day. The short breakfast menu covers all bases, from a tropical smoothie bowl and sweetcorn fritters to a full English complete with wild boar sausages. For more interesting foodie experiences, try afternoon tea served in the airy Orangery or spend a sunny evening on the waterfront terrace, with the Whispering Angel bar to keep you topped up with bubbly as you watch the sunset over Hampton Court Bridge. In summer, The Mitre can prepare a picnic hamper for you to take on a boat or stroll downriver.

Each of the 36 stylish rooms are individually and colourfully designed (don’t miss the cosy library complete with a jukebox). For a true treat, the luxurious Catherine Parr suite has a four-poster bed and freestanding roll-top copper bath in the bedroom (although it does face the road). Extra touches like complimentary wine and freshly baked shortbread hanging on your door add to the luxurious hideaway feel.

Rooms start from £200, check availability at booking.com or expedia.co.uk

The Pig at Bridge Place, Kent

Just three miles from Canterbury sits this carefully converted Jacobean mansion. Style-wise, it ticks every Pig box: a focus on the kitchen garden, a relaxed restaurant and homely but luxurious bedrooms. The Grade II-listed building at the hotel’s heart, once bright pink in places (it was a popular nightclub in its heyday, hosting the likes of Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd), was expertly restored during a £5.5million makeover. An imposing elm staircase takes centre-stage, while cosy snugs are great places to sit and ponder, with huge open fireplaces, gnarled wooden panelling and Persian rugs. The bar, refreshingly bedecked with female portraits, is all mahogany and maroon and, as with all Pig bars, is generously stocked with multi-coloured cocktail glasses that shimmer on window shelves.

Some bedrooms benefit from original doors, four poster beds and freestanding baths, though all have mini bars stuffed with Kentish treats (grab a bag of crisps, made with Canterbury’s very own Ashmore farmhouse cheese). You can also stay in a hop pickers’ hut – a romantic log cabin for two, set on stilts in the water meadows near the kitchen garden – or a family-friendly two-bedroom lodge, complete with kitchen.

Pigs don’t stand on ceremony – there are no white tablecloths or leather-bound menus here. Instead, expect cheery waiting staff and a dining room that wouldn’t look out of place at a posh garden centre. The restaurant’s biggest commitment is to locality: what can’t be grown in the kitchen garden, which you can see from your table, is mainly sourced from within a 25-mile radius, including Kentish Pip apples and wild meat from Mallards Farm. Breakfast is a feast: try dairy-free banana bread, stewed home-grown rhubarb, and nut-free muesli with coconut yogurt. Or, indulge in The Full Pig-Out, made special by the addition of zero-mile mushrooms and poached eggs from the hotel’s hens (they keep quails, too).

Doubles from £210. Check availability at mrandmrssmith.com or thepighotel.com

Babington House, Somerset

The original cool country house hotel, Babington, was one of the very first Soho House Group properties to open. Tucked away down an avenue of trees outside Frome (check out our foodie guide to the best places to eat and drink in Frome here), in the Somerset countryside, the honey-stone 18^th century manor house is part members’ club, part hotel (it’s open to all but there are reduced rates for members). All of the hotel’s 33 rooms are atmospheric and beautifully, if femininely, styled. For groups of friends, the old gatekeeper’s lodge, at the end of the main drive, is a self-contained, three-bedroom cottage. In all the rooms, the detail is the impressive thing: full-length mirrors come as standard,, chargers are provided for laptops and phones, hot water bottles are supplied for chillier nights, full-size Cowshed toiletries in the bathrooms and homemade chocolate chip cookies in the minibar.

Entertainment is in plentiful supply. Within the extensive grounds, you’ll find a gym, two swimming pools (one indoors, under a beautiful timber-trussed ceiling, the other a sleek outdoor number fringed by a giant L-shaped green-and-white striped lounger), tennis courts, a football pitch, croquet lawn, cricket pitch, beautiful sage-green, leather-seated bikes to borrow, a cinema and a sauna, hammam and steam rooms. Overlooking the extensive kitchen garden there’s also a full-service Cowshed spa (book a marhalika massage, an intense but deeply relaxing and unusual treatment that blends Swedish and Thai methods – think sports massage mixed with acupressure). For dinner, book a window table in the main restaurant, the Orangery, and enjoy sweeping views of the lawn and the lake through towering Georgian windows while you eat. If you want a more casual supper, head to the bar to snack on spiced cauliflower fritters and Scotch eggs or sit down to imaginative salads (Castlemead chicken with spiced chickpeas and harissa yoghurt), wood-fired pizzas and pub favourites. The sprawling breakfast buffet is not to be missed, and nor is the complimentary afternoon tea spread out in the deli each afternoon – impossible to resist.

Check rates and availability at mrandmrssmith.com

More hotel guides

Best country house hotels in the UK
Best health and wellness retreats
Best hotels in London
Best UK boutique hotels
Best hotels in the Cotswolds
Best Cornwall hotels
Best hotels in the Lake District
Best London hotel bars to visit
Best romantic hotels in the UK
European hidden gems: hotels off the beaten track
Best Paris hotels
Best Spanish hotels
Best Italian hotels
Best restaurants with rooms in the UK
Best Amsterdam hotels