There are very few superlatives that cannot be justifiably applied to this highly successful operation, on Rutland Water near to Oakham, presided over by owners Tim and Stefa Hart. The hotel itself has won a whole fistful of accolades. The restaurant, for which the Michelin starred chef, Aaron Patterson, has been cooking since 1991, draws upon materials as local as his own kitchen garden and as wide as the rest of the country and offers exemplary modern British cusine.

While the service, presided over by restaurant director Graeme Matheson for over 26 years, is exemplary and delivered in a friendly, unintimidating fashion.

The constantly changing menu demonstrates an ongoing vigilance, which might be the envy of many a national surveillance team, with results that are unfailingly good. Like most excellence all of this comes at a price but it would be a churlish lover of fine food indeed who begrudged one penny.

This is fine dining at its best, where first courses are resplendent with superb dishes such as Hambleton's mixed salad featuring garden vegetables and a truffle oil vinaigrette, or ignite the taste buds with pan-fried foie gras with rhubarb and lime.

Main courses beckon enticingly with tastes of lamb with aubergine puree and mint jelly, and fillet of line caught sea bass with fennel and oranges. Vegetarians are a happy lot indeed with some delicious choices such as risotto of tomato and artichoke, and tagliatelle of wild mushrooms with Parmesan.

If you've got a sweet tooth, then this is the place where you can pamper it with no regard whatsoever for calories - a chocolate and olive oil truffle, served with salted caramel, pistachios and baked banana is perfectly executed and decadently delicious.
Set menus for lunch and dinner provide exceptional value and you might be tempted to try out the lunch for less option with chicken liver parfait and cherries flavoured with elderflower, followed by pan-fried fillet of salmon with escabeche of vegetables and ending with caramelised lemon tart with raspberries.

Dinner menus change daily, taking into account seasonal availability of the ingredients, but some of the dishes you could come to expect there are ballotine of rabbit with pickled vegetables and grape chutney, followed by roast breast of corn-fed chicken with tomato and artichoke risotto and onion purée, and garden currant cocktail with white currant sorbet.

The wine list, expertly compiled by sommelier Dominique Baduel, is extensive and French inclined, but not to the exclusion of other listings from Spain, California or Italy. Truly this lovely house, sumptuously furnished and looking out over the steadily maturing lakescape of Rutland Water, is a temple dedicated to eating and living par excellence.

More information on Hambleton, its food and its wonderful, highly individual bedrooms, can be obtained from their Website.