Moor Hall

Chef-proprietor Mark Birchall came up through the ranks at L’Enclume and over the past decade has created his own forcefield here in Lancashire, cultivating a new generation of talent from across the UK and Europe. So, if you’re going to go all in on a gastronomic experience, Moor Hall is the place: one of Britain’s all-time greats where no stone is left unturned in the quest for perfection. Of course, fine dining restaurants should nail hospitality, ambience, service and wine, but the thrill here is the level of precision and attention to detail delivered by the sizable brigade over 18 or so courses. Every fuss and flourish of napkin folding, table sweeping, butter scooping and sauce spooning is pure theatre.

In winter, proceedings begin in the wainscoted lounge, but the best time to go is in the summer where you’ll be seated in one of England’s most beautiful kitchen gardens in view of the green beans and perfectly symmetrical mulberry tree. Snacks arrive at pace and culminate at the kitchen pass, where you’re invited to marvel at the cornucopia of ingredients – Louët-Feisser oysters, Isle of Mull scallop, Sika deer, kuri squash, Black Hamburg grapes – that will be heading to your table over the next couple of hours.

Work has been done to improve what once felt like a cool, echoey dining room. Better acoustics, candlelight, a good playlist and the happy hum of a full room bring warmth and a sense of personality. Service is more easy going, truly world class when it comes to the drinks program masterminded by Bence Karpatfalvi, a Hungarian winemaker tuned sommelier. Particularly notable is the non-alcoholic flight of single-estate teas and infusions which prove almost as diverting as an adventure into the depths of a fine and rare cellar.

If you’re staying the night, the secluded cabin rooms among the grounds – some of which boast hot tubs – provide a considered and contemporary place to rest and digest, while the rooms in the house are as-yet unrenovated and still a little blingy. A newly refurbished private dining room for up to 12 offers a uniquely personal way to soak up the dazzling show.