Fallowfields, formerly home to the Begum Aga Khan, continues to encourage the sort of standards that doubtless prevailed in her day. The restaurant offers dishes prepared by head chef Alastair Vaan and his team, many containing produce grown within the grounds, the backbone of a menu which veers towards English with continental overtones.

The senses having been charmed by acres of well tended gardens and the beautifully furnished cosy setting, it is time to give the appetite the attention it deserves. A chess board of rabbit and foie gras terrine on a liqueur dressing and with a home-baked brioche or home cured organic salmon gravadlax with marinated fennel salad makes for a good start. Thus fortified, move on to the grilled red mullet with Mediterranean vegetables or free range chicken, thyme roasted, glazed carrots, parsnips and mustard mash.

One look at the range of cheese available from Britain and France would be sufficient to ensure the desserts were declared 'no contest' but rest assured, if you can't resist your sweet tooth, that the champagne rhubarb confit or white chocolate mouselline with pistachio-lemon biscotti can hold their own any day.
 
The restaurant uses only the finest fresh produce, most of which is grown in the hotel's kitchen garden or sourced locally. Whether it is breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea or dinner, the friendly staff will be happy to oblige. During the summer tasty picnic hampers can be enjoyed al fresco in the gardens or taken out if you are exploring the surrounding Oxfordshire countryside.