Restaurant-Guide.com
hand picked restaurants

Dating back to at least 1643, the Sun Inn summons up what so many of us expect from a typical English pub, both inside and out, standing back from the road in this Rutland village that has miraculously avoided the rawness of the nearby Airbase. The cuisine is traditional English with a Mediterranean influence and does not set out to be anything other than well-prepared, money for value tasty food, served in a friendly and efficient fashion. The wine list is sufficiently comprehensive to cover most tastes and certainly compliments the food. For connoisseurs of fine ales there is a genuinely interesting choice of guest ale always available.

The Old Plough is fortunate in its hosts, David and Claire Cox who go out of their way to welcome guests with the result that a contented blend of villagers and mainly travelled diners enjoy this friendly pub with restaurant to the maximum.

A skilfully added conservatory seats 48 and on good nights there's an enclosed patio for overflow. Chef Adam Palmer's aim is to maintain the English tradition in food, though he omitted to add that he's not above adding the odd twist here and there. A lamb shank may be a good value staple, but at the Old Plough it is presented as never before. Breast of duck comes with a toothsomely rich sauce that lifts the meat to new heights. Vegetables were a trifle bland.

Puddings are generous and well presented, with some original thought displayed on variety. The chocolate hazelnut roulade won acclamation at our table, as did the coffee that followed, mellow and friendly on the palate. The wine list needs to grow if it is to keep pace with the quality of the food.

The Old Plough is kitted out for family parties in the garden and bar meals. Events can be a slight hazard if you are looking for that romantic a deux. This is clearly a place where they are working hard to make it happen, creating a great atmosphere in the process. The day may not be far distant when they have to make workmanlike choices about the direction in which they intend to concentrate.

A former farmhouse built of the local stone and looking out over the rapidly maturing landscape of Rutland Water, Western Europe's largest man-made lake. Of the three dining spaces we look at the Edwardian Dining Room where traditional English cuisine prevails. A homemade haddock and saffron bisque with Foccacia bread produced on the premises makes an excellent starter with a very English follow-up of char-grilled fillet of beef. The chocolate fondant with a white chocolate sorbet reads well and lives up to its billing. There is a good wine list and house wine is at £11.95.

Jeremy Lord, mine host of The Coach House, is not a man to do things by halves, particularly when he has the backing of his head chef, Pat O'Donovan, a man who has progressed from training at Loughborough, through London's Savoy and the Metropole at Birmingham.

So, some fairly hefty new building on to the back of the old Halfway Inn and hey presto! we have The Coach House, with its Ostler's Restaurant. Management of many old country inns that have been thus transformed are prone to telling anyone who will listen how comfortably the former regulars, in fact rendered manic by the changes, mingle with the new customers, many of whom may have travelled from afar. But here at South Luffenham it really does happen and there is a good friendly mix in the bar.

A seasonal menu prevails, with game as a strong option. Jeremy Lord is a keen sportsman and his not infrequent travels to Scotland, never mind the local estates, yield splendid additions to the Coach House larder. Trout comes from nearby Rutland Water, via Kingfisher at Brixham oddly enough, where it gets smoked. Michael Culpin, the Uppingham butcher produces much of the well-hung meat. Each course offers some eight choices. A meal of smoked Rutland trout with horseradish, a boned oven-roasted whole partridge with potatoes Parisienne, finishing with chocolate, brandy fruit and nut terrine bore ample evidence of the credentials of all concerned.

Even more good news, Jeremy Lord is a real connoisseur of wine, with a list, the upper echelons of which had me reaching for the file marked 'second mortgage', that is clearly his pride and joy. Worry not, there are some real bargains at the more approachable level. Service is relaxed with charm, there is good parking and should you succumb to one too many of those venerable bottles, the accommodation is very comfortable.

The Old White Hart is the way a pub should be. Set in the picturesque village of Lyddington with its Bede House and ancient houses it is a favourite watering hole for many who not only appreciate a pub of distinction but also appreciate a game of boules.

Eating is done on two fronts, informally in the bar where a good fire keeps everyone warm during that time of the year, and in the dining room, a pleasantly more formal room where virtually the same food as in the bar is served with cheerful efficiency by country staff who go out of their way to make you feel welcome.

The food is pure English traditional, with ingredients often drawn from the surrounding countryside and prepared without pretence. An interesting wine list deserves attention and house wine at £12 a bottle is a credible alternative.

Quite near Rutland Water is The Noel, a cosy and friendly pub serving modern British food, a range of wines, local beers and some traditional favourites. The warm and welcoming interior is accentuated by the flagstone floors and open fire and there are also en suite rooms for those who are intent on staying to explore this massive man-made lake. The chef turns out remarkable fare that falls under the categories of small dishes, salads and larger meals.

Typically, there could be a smoked salmon, scrambled egg and toasted muffin to begin with, followed by a pot roasted duck breast, fresh plum reduction and roasted potatoes. There is also char grilled chicken fettuccine with tarragon and bacon cream or cod and chips with mushy peas if you are feeling nostalgic while desserts include ice creams and sorbets. Live music at The Noel makes it a most happening place and it is also an ideal venue for intimate wedding receptions.