241 Pizza

The Peacock at Rowsley
Where is it? Peak District, England
Why book? An intimate, 16-room boutique hotel in the heart of Derbyshire’s Peak District, the Peacock at Rowsley is renowned locally for the fly-fishing it offers on an idyllic stretch of the River Derwent.

Leave the casters and reelers to their sticklebacks, though, and head inside to the restaurant where chef Daniel Smith has bigger fish to fry – and roast. Try his brill and samphire or monkfish with fennel risotto, or opt for local beef or duck. There’s an extensive vegetarian menu, too.
Rates £145–£210

Pool House
Where is it? Wester Ross, Scotland
Why book? Situated beside a loch on the west coast of Scotland, this intimate escape (it’s got just seven suites) is surely one of the UK’s most idyllic dining spots. Reserve a table in the North by North West restaurant and you’ll not only get to indulge in head chef John Moir’s innovative take on Highland cuisine – Loch Ewe lobster on a seafood risotto, haggis with a Drambuie sauce – but you’ll also find yourself watching otters and seals play on the shoreline in front of you.

Rates £200–£450

Britain’s best restaurants with rooms

Sunday Times writers lift the lid on their favourite foodie bolt holes across the country, from £70

• The best hotels in London for under £100

• 10 gourmet hotels in the British Isles

BACKGROUND

• UK's Top 10 fish and chips shops

• London's 10 best restaurants

• The UK's 10 best restaurants

Seasonal food recipe finder: June

Check out Britain's best organic pub and find out why pea shoots are this season's new flavour

• Reinventing the hotpot

• On the English wine trail

• Green kitchen: food miles

Related Links

• Real Food Pioneer: Carlo Petrini

• Top 10 ways to forage for free food

• How to cook the perfect steak

Tuddenham Mill
Where is it? Suffolk, England
Why book? A converted 17th-century water mill on the edge of the Suffolk Brecks, this 15-room boutique property has eschewed grinding in favour of guestbooks and gastronomy. Laze away the day watching swans glide over the pool into which willows drape and swallows dive, before heading into the restaurant.

Here, head chef Gordon McNeill dishes up Modern European fare based around seasonal local produce – influenced by the cuisine of his native Scotland. Try the smoked eel served with Stornaway black pudding, the haggis spring roll or the seven-hour slow-roasted shoulder of lamb that comes with its own vegetable shepherd’s pie.
Rates £195–£395

Whatley Manor
Where is it? Cotswolds, England
Why book? In a Grade II-listed building, this West Country hotel and spa comes with atmosphere and ambience in spades. It also comes with a renowned Michelin-starred restaurant, the Dining Room, where head chef Martin Burge, formerly of Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons, dishes up a classic Gallic menu. Try the escargots served with garlic cassonade or the nage of fish in an oyster and champagne sauce. It’s a little corner of France en route to Stonehenge.
Rates £285–£850

The Wheatsheaf
Where is it? Northeast Somerset, England
Why book? The proximity of Bath and the rolling hills of Somerset are reason enough to book yourself into this delightful country gastropub and inn – but the really big draw is the phenomenal cooking that comes out of chef Lee Evans’ kitchen. His eclectic menu marries British flavours with French élan – think breast of local duck with chorizo and bean cassoulet, rillette of home-smoked trout and velouté of butternut squash. There’s only three rooms, so if you’re going to need a long post-prandial sleep, be sure to book ahead.
Rates £95–£120

To book any of these hotels, please contact Mr & Mrs Smith (0845 034 0700; www.mrandmrssmith.com)

Explore Food & Drink

• Gordon Ramsay

• Heston Blumenthal

• Recipes

• Wine

• Real Food

• Drinks

• Anjum Anand

• Eating Out

• Video Recipes

Times Recommends

• Top Ten most searched for recipes
• Chalet Chef 2010: the winning menus
• Gin and pomegranate jellies