Eighteen Restaurant at The Mercure Castle Hotel

Enjoying a prime location in this supremely Royalty-conscious and delightful town, the Grade II listed hotel overlooks Sir Christopher Wren's Windsor Guildhall and is a mere 2 minute walk from the main gate of Windsor Castle. The hotel has recently completed a major refurbishment with stylish decor and sumptuous furnishings.

As with any first class hotel the restaurant features largely in the overall pleasure of guests, and cosmopolitan menu embraces classic dishes combined with some of the more far-reaching trends of modern cuisine.

The restaurant opens at 7am and together with the Pennington Lounge and Windsor Bar works its way through the natural cycle of breakfast, morning coffee, lunch, afternoon cream tea and dinner. The à la carte dinner menu could start with smoked chicken salad, basil pesto and roquette salad, or seared scallops with apple puree, port reduction and caviar. The return to soup movement is represented by vine roasted tomato with sweet basil pesto and parmesan croutons, but a seared pavé of foie gras with toasted brioche, and port syrup, or crab and avocado salad with pink and orange grapefruit and balsamic reduction offer significant competition.

Main dishes offer roast rack of lamb, dauphinoise potatoes, pearl barley, spinach and rosemary jus, or braised halibut with langoustine and baby asparagus parcels and chilli pesto. As ever it is a pleasure to see venison on the menu, this time seared loin with poppy seed and butternut soufflé, potato puree, red cabbage and sloe gin jus, an inspired choice of accompaniments that compliments the meat with great skill.

Vegetarians may well feel this is their lucky day, with aubergine cannelloni, tomato salsa and mozzarella gratin on the menu.

Desserts display a well-tuned selection that will cater for those with space left to accommodate and others looking merely for a change of flavours. A caramelised lemon tart is served with crème fraîche ice cream and fresh orange, and the now traditional sticky toffee pudding with pecan ripple ice cream and toffee sauce seldom fails to raise a bid. The wine list explores all the traditional growing regions, coming up with some interesting propositions.

The Eton Room offers private dining for special occasions for up to 10 guests. A number of other meeting rooms carry the names of royal or aristocratic connections, all are well equipped, some with a private bar if required. The hotel is also licensed for civil ceremony weddings with up to 70 guests, and party venues for up to 300 guests.

The stylish Bar@18 has been newly refurbished and offers a wide range of drinks, snacks and light meals, welcoming both residents and outside customers into its fold.

Their well set out Website gives further details of facilities for conferences and private parties, as well as seasonal menu and other changes.