Anise at The Felbridge Hotel and Spa

Handily placed for Gatwick Airport, this calm, comfortable hotel restaurant provides a reliable retreat for locals, tourists & business guests alike. The formal setting with its discreet lighting & white-clad tables mirrors the kitchen’s fine-dining aspirations, & the menu is full of grand gestures. To start, pigeon breast is served with butternut squash & parsley risotto & périgourdine sauce, while mains could take in anything from sea bass with flambéed langoustine, herb gnocchi, sauce vierge & citrus foam to a combo of Sussex lamb (cutlet, braised breast, caramelised sweetbreads) with onion purée, aubergine, confit shallot & garlic. To finish, perhaps espresso tiramisu with sea salt caramel bavarois, mocha purée & mascarpone sorbet.