Built in the 1920's Habour Heights has been upgraded to a contemporary hotel of elegance and comfort, with stunning views across the estuary, and a mere two hours from London. The HarBar Brasserie in particular makes the most of the scenery, as well as providing a laid back and informal setting for some very fine cooking.

Open up with a Cabernet Sauvignon vinegar double baked soufflé of baby spinach and West Country cheddar and chive butter sauce. Then perhaps a tornedo of wild salmon, with salad of Jersey potatoes, wild asparagus salad and a lemon ginger butter sauce.

Pudding echoes the mildly Rhode Island flavour of the dining room décor if you follow the crisp nougatine Florida lime tart with a cassis sorbet route. And why not - we pass this way but once; it's just that some pass more quickly than others.