Restaurant at Northcote Manor

A beautifully sited hotel with restaurant - twenty acres of mature woodlands, lawns and gardens, including an outstanding view over the Taw River Valley. The location sets the scene for healthy relaxation and gentle leisure - a place where you may safely dine as surely as sheep may graze.

To start, perhaps the roast scallops on dill-scented noodles with button mushrooms and lemon sauce or terrine of confit duck wrapped in Parma ham with creamed vinaigrette. For mains the breast of local duck glazed with honey and peppercorns on Sardalaise potato, with French beans and cassis jus or the pan-fried sea bass with saffron potato, confit fennel and tomato with basil sauce, followed by dark chocolate marquise with white chocolate sauce or poached peaches, vanilla ice cream and raspberry sauce. There is a good wine list with some fine discoveries waiting to be made - the '89 Chateau Bourgneuf-Vayron Pomerol springs to mind. At more modest levels the house wine comes in at £13.95.