The Warwick at Mallory Court

It may seem rather grand with its stately, ivy-clad good looks and immaculately maintained gardens (including a Grade II-listed rose garden), but Mallory Court doesn’t lord it – just the opposite, in fact. The whole place is run with a mix of personable good humour and common courtesy – no furtive tiptoeing or doffing-of-caps pomposity here – and it comes with a full complement of modern facilities, including a spa and indoor swimming pool. However, you could be forgiven for thinking that the bland, wood-panelled dining room would inspire a sleepy version of country-house cooking, but sights are trained higher than that.

It's early days yet, but Stu Deeley (winner of MasterChef: The Professionals 2019) has returned to the classical focus of his earlier career (which included a stint here at Mallory Court). As you might expect, his cooking is innovative and executed with the keenest attention to detail. He is obsessive when it comes to ingredients (impeccably sourced and frequently grown in the hotel's kitchen garden), and he blends fashionable creativity (a crab, butternut squash and pecorino tart with smoked pumpkin seed, for example) with a proper grounding in the old ways (classic chicken liver parfait with brioche).

We were impressed by the delicacy of perfectly timed monkfish lifted by a gentle lick of heat and vibrant greens, and the depth of flavour that exuded from tender beef rump cap with slow-cooked ox cheek and accompanying purées of Jerusalem artichoke and pickled pear. The wine list, too, is a work in progress. Pairings are available with the eight-course taster, but the sommelier gives good advice if you have plumped for the fixed-price carte.