Stuart Restaurant at Billesley Manor

An imposing building, rich interiors & Shakespeare connections
(he was a regular visitor to the library at Billesley) form the backdrop to some impressive cooking. And while there may not be any huge surprises on the menu, it’s certainly not dull. The repertoire, like the decor, nods towards traditional, country-house cuisine, but with the kitchen’s deployment of fresh ingredients & modern ideas, more global influences are clearly at play here, too. Expect crab & spring onion risotto with lemon vinaigrette or tian of braised pork belly with roast apple puree to start, followed by pan-fried fillet of brill on risotto nero, crispy squid & Cointreau sabayon, or braised blade of beef, roasted root vegetables with horseradish rosti & thyme.