DeVille at The Mandeville

The Mandeville’s flagship dining room – all pinks, purples & mirrors with padded walls & the odd carnival mask – is self-consciously quirky, although what it offers is studiously simple. On the food front, the kitchen serves up the kind of dishes you might find in a superior gastropub, with just enough seasonal ingredients to add a spark of interest. Combinations are tried & true: go for watercress soup with chive crème fraîche or confit duck terrine with pickled mushrooms, followed by chicken with wild garlic mash, morels & Madeira jus. Puddings such as lemongrass crème brûlée end things on a slightly more inventive note, & set lunches (£22.50 for three courses) are worth a punt. The wine list is fine, but it’s worth drifting into the adjoining DeVigne bar for post-prandial drinks.