Combe House Hotel & Restaurant

Here is a style of cooking that brings together West Country suppliers, herbs, fruits and vegetables grown in Combe House's vast kitchen garden and the kitchen's own manifest skills. Tersely worded menus give a first indication that these skills lie not so much in gastronomic somersaults, as in poised, well-executed and subtle renditions, very much against the busy, innovative trend. In other words, what arrives on the plate is much more exciting than what one reads on the page. So confit Ark chicken terrine with sage & onion stuffing could be followed by seared brill, cumin and foie gras potato, or pot-roasted red leg of partridge, truffled savoy cabbage, Madeira jus. The ancient underground cellars provide great conditions for laying down fine wine, so expect an interesting and extensive list. Nestling within 3,500 acres of woodland, the privately owned Elizabethan house offers romantic surroundings.