With Ullswater lapping below the windows & Helvellyn glowering on the horizon, this is a perfect setting & for many visitors, Sharrow Bay is the epitome of the English country house hotel – it was certainly the first of the genre. Noted for its opulent, over-the-top decor, Edwardian-style afternoon teas & rich food, Sharrow Bay is known for serving bold multi-course lunches & dinners – it’s best to go with a healthy appetite. Suissesse soufflé of stilton, spinach & onion & an intercourse sorbet may have an old-fashioned ring, but fillet of lamb with sweetbreads, dauphinoise potatoes and tomato and rosemary sauce, & fillet of turbot with shrimp risotto, ravioli of lobster and crayfish sauce show an awareness of contemporary trends. For those with stamina, there’s Francis Coulson’s sticky toffee sponge for afters, although the dark chocolate and cherry soufflé with vanilla sauce is worth the ten minute wait.