Latymer Restaurant

Set in 120 acres of parkland and superbly located for many of Southern England's most important and popular attractions - such as horse racing at Ascot, golf at Wentworth. Windsor Castle and Great Park a mere stone's throw away, rugby at Twickenham, and London a 45 minute drive - this majestic Surrey Hotel also boasts an extremely fine restaurant.

The Latymer Restaurant, which is at the heart of this revered Victorian hotel, offers a largely French-inclined menu based on British style, in a handsome room where every comfort has been taken into account. This is not a place for the faint-hearted and many of the dishes are extremely elaborate and beautifully presented.

A typical three course dinner could consist of a choice of: crisp fritter of sweetbread and truffle, with a purée of apple and a bay leaf sauce; poached hen's egg speckled with truffle with asparagus tagliatelle and crème fraiche; seared scallops, cauliflower jelly, sevruga caviar and light herb oil; torchon of foie gras with an apple and calvados jelly or marinated loin of tuna, soy and lime leaf dressing and sorbet of tomato to start with.

Followed by main courses such as: venison loin, pastilla of cherry and braised rib meat, with butternut squash puree and smoked spinach; collection of rabbit, with a canneloni of calamari and herb risotto; fillets of Dover sole, with oyster tartare, cabbage crisps, chickpea puree and shellfish cream or loin of English lamb, Earl Grey jelly, glazed baby fennel, sweetbread, garlic croute.

Finishing off with some magnificent and unusual desserts like: chilled chocolate risotto, banana thyme sorbet and "rice crispies" praline; fromage blanc mousse, mango jelly and passion fruit sorbet; Valrhona praline cream, saffron anglaise and griottine cherry froth or tart of apple and goats cheese, rosemary ice cream.

The petits fours with the coffee make a memorable end to the evening; at lunch the food is rather lighter (and cheaper).