Food and drink are such an intrinsic part of a holiday or mini-break, providing a focal point for your stay and a sensory experience. From traditional hotels in the heart of London to quirky escapes in Scotland, a hotel with a cookery school and bed and breakfasts that take the concept to a whole new level. As we prepare to travel across the UK and Ireland once again, here the Good Hotel Guide shares a selection of their top recommended hotels with Michelin stars.
Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons, Great Milton
Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons in Oxfordshire is English heritage meets French flair. The 15th-century manor has been setting the standard for excellence in all areas for decades, with its elegant interiors, and postcard-perfect lawns, flower borders and orchards to wander around. Meanwhile, the eye-catching two-acre kitchen garden that serves the hotel gives a hint as to its most celebrated feature – the food. Home to the Raymond Blanc Cookery School, the candlelit conservatory restaurant has held two Michelin Stars since 1985. Guests delight in their five and seven-course modern French menus cooked by Raymond Blanc and Gary Jones, all of which showcase heritage fruit, organic vegetables and micro herbs which are grown at the chefs’ request.
Wild Honey Inn, Lisdoonvarna
A 19th-century inn in the Burren National Park, Wild Honey Inn has been converted into a Michelin Star pub-with-rooms. Offering Irish cheer and seasonal fare, it fuses traditional style with attention to detail; a relaxed atmosphere with a warm welcome. Dishes are inspired by Ireland’s natural larder, rooms are an elegant combination of country house interiors and antiques found nearby, and you wake to the spectacular beauty of the prehistoric rocky landscape outside.
The Goring, London
The Goring has been owned by the same family for more than a century and is well known for its traditional hallmarks. All the butlers wear a top hat and have impeccable manners, the hotel’s style is classic but its approach to hospitality is forward-thinking. The Dining Room restaurant holds a Michelin Star and three AA Rosettes, and sources ingredients from across the British Isles. Enjoy fine dining surrounded with decoration by David Linley, bathed in natural light by day and sumptuously aglow with Swarovski chandeliers at night.
The Chester Grosvenor, Chester
In a Grade II listed property, Chester Grosvenor is all about luxury. A five-star hotel in the city centre, it embodies old-world grandeur with contemporary expectations. The historic building is ostentatious in style. There are several dining options, with the Michelin Starred Simon Radley at The Chester Grosvenor taking centre stage. There’s also a sumptuous Champagne bar and the newly refurbished La Brasserie. The tranquil spa will add luxury to your stay, while the hotel’s central location means you only have to step out the door to lap up all that Chester has to offer including the cathedral, Roman amphitheatre, elegant shops and racecourse.
South Place Hotel, London
A distinctly cool London escape, South Place Hotel is a five-star hotel in the heart of the city. Ultra-contemporary, its design is filled with mesmerising details. There’s a glass-sided bath in one room, a tranquil spa providing an urban oasis, and the Secret Garden is a hidden outdoor terrace with waterfalls, palm trees and beautiful, hanging flowers. The Angler Restaurant is another of its hidden gems. Led by executive chef Gary Foulkes, it is a Michelin Starred seafood restaurant, although there are other items on the menu as well. Everything is presented like artwork, and to complement, their head sommelier has compiled an extensive wine list of bottles from both the new and old world.
24 Royal Terrace, Edinburgh
A palace-fronted Georgian terrace on the outside, inside 24 Royal Terrace is brimming with contemporary art and style. Daring, dazzling and surprising, it has 16 rooms and suites, each equipped with designer fabrics, smart TVs and bathrooms with HD BluCube speakers. The food here is a feast and a treat, whether you fancy waffles with berries and maple syrup at breakfast or a vegan full Scottish with meatless haggis. For its incredible efforts, it rightfully has a Michelin Star, and the Royal Terrace was affectionately known as ‘Whisky Row’ in the 19th century; it’s fitting that RT’s Bar has a plentiful supply.
Gravetye Manor, Sussex
Once home to the pioneer of the English natural garden William Robinson, Gravetye Manor is a stylish Elizabethan manor house. The gardens live up to their pedigree, making them the perfect place to wander in the afternoon before sitting by the log fire in an easy chair in the evening. The gardens are also an instrumental part of the exceptional food served in the Michelin Star restaurant. Overseen by executive chef George Blogg, the menu changes with the seasons and includes ingredients grown in their own kitchen garden.
The Whitebrook, Monmouthshire
Famed for its food, The Whitebrook sits in a quiet spot in the Wye valley. Using foraged pennywort, hedge bedstraw and nasturtium tubers amongst its prize ingredients, the Michelin Star restaurant-with-rooms is run by chef and patron Chris Harrod and his wife, Kirsty. The experience is faultless, and on Sundays, you can choose from a three-course lunch, or for something extra special, try their seven-course tasting menu.
Lympstone Manor, Exmouth
A manor house hotel in the Exe estuary run by chef/patron Michael Caines MBE, Lympstone Manor is a sophisticated foodie haven complete with its own vineyard. There is a sense of old-world grandeur as you sip gin, tea or coffee in one of the lounge areas or from one of the elegantly appointed bedrooms. Take in views of the Devon countryside from all corners of the hotel as well. With Mr Caines at the helm, food is understandably a key feature of your stay. The restaurant celebrates modern British fare and European dishes, showcasing local produce from the South West larder and with each dish matched by wines selected from a world cellar that contains over 600 bins.
The Pipe and Glass Inn, South Dalton
Look out for the impressive spire of St Mary’s church on the approach to South Dalton, an enchanting village in East Riding of Yorkshire. The landmark will lead you almost directly to the door of James and Kate Mackenzie’s celebrated pub-with-rooms, The Pipe and Glass Inn. The modest looking inn has gained an international reputation as well as many major awards, including a Michelin Star, for its exceptional food. Whether you’re having a rum-laced hot chocolate or a decadent three-course meal, everything is delivered to superb standards. You can also stay the night in one of 10 impeccably decorated rooms and suites. Choose from the garden rooms or luxury rooms at The Old Lambing Yard, just a short walk from the pub.
All imagery provided by Good Hotel Guide.
