20 great chef-owned hotels
ENGLAND
1. Restaurant Sat Bains, Nottingham
Sat Bains has been dubbed the most inventive British chef since Heston Blumenthal thanks to his extravagant take on French cuisine at this Nottingham restaurant with rooms. The converted farmhouse on the banks of the River Trent may be close to an industrial estate, but the ugliness ends there. The seven rooms are decorated in shades of chocolate and cream with huge wooden four posters, roll-top baths and fireplaces.
Must try Beef cheek with seaweed, oyster cream, sprouts and radish
Details Dinner, B&B from £135 per person (0115-986 6566, www.restaurantsatbains.com)
Dinner Seven-course tasting menu, £69
2. Robert Thompson The Hambrough, Ventnor, Isle of Wight
Tucked away on the Isle of Wight, this gourmet bolt hole comes as a complete surprise. Robert Thompson has worked hard with local producers on the menu — ravioli of lobster with lobster cappuccino and monkfish, and the most delicious chocolate and banana cake with banana ice cream. Considering it has one Michelin star, the food is good value, at £55 for three courses. House wine costs from £20 a bottle.
Must try Anjou squab with oak-smoked gnocchi
Details Two-night B&B breaks from £200pp with return crossings with Wightlink (0871 3760013, wightlink.co.uk). Book direct on 01983 856333, thehambrough.com
3. York & Albany, London
After conquering the French, the Americans, the Japanese and the gastropub, it was only a matter of time before Gordon Ramsay took on the humble hotel. And he’s made a pretty good fist of it too. The York & Albany, with views over Regent’s Park, is all you would expect of a boutique hotel: exposed beams, chunky dark-wooden furniture and big leather sofas; the kitchen is overseen by long-time Ramsay cohort Angela Hartnett, with Colin Buchan in tow as head chef. Nonna’s, in the hotel’s converted stable, is reminiscent of a rustic French or Italian deli.
Must try Braxted Park saddle of lamb, confit belly, Puy lentils with red pepper
Details Room-only doubles from £205 (020-7387 5700, gordonramsay.com)
Dinner Three courses from about £45
4. L’Enclume, Cumbria
Simon Rogan’s restaurant is often called the Fat Duck of the North, but that does a disservice to his magnificent creations, which are in a league of their own. The remoteness of the North’s finest restaurant means that booking one of the 13 available rooms makes perfect sense. Thanks to the age of the buildings (it is in an 800-year-old smithy) they may be a little on the small side, but they are tastefully decorated.
Must try Warm-glazed pig’s cheeks, shallot and sweetcorn with Love parsley squirt
Details B&B doubles from £148 (01539 536362, www.lenclume.co.uk)
Dinner Eight courses, £60
5. Simpsons Restaurant With Rooms, Birmingham
In an era where the phrase “boutique hotel” conjures images of minimalism and neutral tones, it’s lovely to see someone bucking the trend by bathing their chambers in a warm glow. The four rooms at Simpsons have rust, lemon and taupe-coloured walls, soft lighting and huge beds with plump pillows. Downstairs, the food’s not too bad either, thanks to former Dorchester and Ritz head chef Andreas Antona.
Must try Belly of suckling pig, creamed and grilled baby artichoke
Details B&B doubles from £160 (0121-454 3434, simpsonsrestaurant.co.uk)
Dinner Three-course set menu, £32.50
6. Le Manoir Aux Quat’ Saisons, Oxfordshire
Raymond Blanc calls himself a micro-idiot and it shows in the rooms in Le Manoir, which are as carefully crafted as the meals in his gastronomic two-star restaurant. He has saved the best for last though and has just opened four new suites, including the stunning white “Blanc de Blanc” and the sexy “Lace”. It’s worth paying extra to try the ten-course Menu Découverte in the restaurant, which shows Blanc’s masterful use of fresh produce. Don’t opt for breakfast in your room — check out Le Manoir’s impressive buffet table, with its serrano ham, nuts and berries, which Blanc spent a year perfecting.
Must try Pan-fried Cornish line-caught sea bass fillet, with Scottish langoustine, smoked mash potato and star anis jus
Details Rooms from £460 for two, B&B, suites £920. Menu Découverte, £125 (01844 278881, manoir.com)
7. Yorke Arms, Ramsgill
Frances Atkins is a rarity among British female chefs — a holder of a Michelin star (there are only five other British women who share the accolade). Her liking for tradition with a light, modern twist is evident in the 14 rooms as well: these are immaculate — plushy and traditionally decorated without being overdone — in pale neutrals and Regency stripes.
Must try Something from the hotel’s “classics” menu, such as saddle of venison with oxtail sausage, rowan jelly, anchovy, cabbage and pommes purée
Details Doubles on a Saturday night from £300, including dinner for two (01423 755243, yorke-arms.co.uk)
8. Waterside Inn, Bray
The rooms with the river views are the ones to go for at this inn, owned by Michel Roux and his son Alain. The decor is elegant with smart watercolours, colourful bedspreads and neat table lamps. Some rooms have river views. The restaurant has three Michelin stars.
Must try This week’s Menu Exceptionnel, which includes roasted Challandais duck. The full five-course meal costs £112.50
Details B&B doubles from £220 (01628 620691, waterside-inn.co.uk)
WALES
9. The Walnut Tree, Abergavenny
There are two cottages offered for overnight stays at Shaun Hill’s restaurant, The Walnut Tree — the Old Post Office Cottage and Ivy Cottage. Each has two double bedrooms and can sleep four. The style is simple and neat. The restaurant has one Michelin star.
Must try Wild sea trout with sorrel sauce
Details A three-course meal is about £40. Cottage for four people £240 a night, for two £160 (01873 852797, thewalnuttreeinn.com)
10. The Foxhunter, Monmouthshire
Matt Tebutt’s Welsh gastropub has won praise for classy, unpretentious modern British cooking. Tebutt, a regular on TV, produces beautiful, slow-cooked dishes and is devoted to local produce. The Foxhunter has two self-catering cottages — one sleeps three, and the other two.
Must try The meat is famously good. Try the lamb with buttered spinach, peas, broad beans and mint.
Details Two-course set lunches from £17, excluding wine. Doubles from £145 (01873 881101, thefoxhunter.com).
FRANCE
11. Georges Blanc, Vonnas
Legendary chef Georges Blanc has turned a family-run inn into a multi-faceted business that defines the village of Vonnas, in Bourg-en-Bresse, eastern France. Today Blanc presides over a three Michelin-starred restaurant, a hotel and spa, one of the world’s best wine cellars, with about 130,000 bottles, and boutique food and culinary shops.
Must try The crêpe parmentière au salmon et caviar
Details Five-course set menus at the Restaurant Georges Blanc from €120 (£100). Rooms from €180, or £150 (00 33 4 74 50 90 90, georgesblanc.com)
12. Maison Troisgros/ La Colline du Colombier, Roanne
Michel Troisgros comes from a famous dynasty of French chefs, and runs two restaurants with accommodation in and around Roanne. Maison Troisgros has three Michelin stars. La Colline du Colombier, outside Roanne in Iguerande, is a more rustic creation, overlooking the Loire. The accommodation is stunning — such as the striking cadoles, or cabins, designed by Patrick Bouchain. Simple, surprising and glorious, just like the food.
Must try Maison Troisgros’s fried rabbit and king prawn, with a “touch of bitterness”. At La Colline, try the fattened chicken with crayfish and Nantua sauce
Details Maison Troisgros offers a full “spring impressions” food and wine pairing menu at €340. Doubles from €290, excluding breakfast. La Colline du Colombier has three courses from €36, excluding wine, and doubles in the cadoles from €500 for two nights (00 33 4 77 71 66 97, troisgros.com)
13. Maison Pic, Valence
Take a morning train from Paris and arrive in time for lunch prepared by Anne-Sophie Pic, the first French female chef in half a century to receive three Michelin stars. Bedrooms are large and unfussy, with rich brown sycamore panelling and huge downy white sofas.
Must try Frog legs and Lapsang souchong tea, followed by raspberry and red-pepper sorbet with gold leaf
Details Doubles from £242. Weekday lunches from £71 (00 33 4 75 44 15 32, pic-valence.fr)
14. Bras, Aubrac
Built in the rugged and rural Aubrac plateau is this surprisingly modern Japanese-style building. Menus reflect Michel Bras’s love of nature and feature as many locally sourced ingredients as possible. Bedrooms have white walls and are decorated with iron artworks.
Must try Gargouillou — baby vegetables with herbs and flowers from the area cooked in a buttery sauce
Details Doubles from £209. Five-course set menu from £93pp (00 33 5 65 51 18 20, michel-bras.com)
15. La Bastide Saint Antoine, Grasse
This typically Provençal hotel is all flagstone floors and shutters; there is also a contemporary annex, with a stunning apartment for four. Jacques Chibois loves to experiment with aromas in his two Michelin-starred restaurant — specialities include turbot with artichokes in citronelle juice and wild strawberries with a mandarin sorbet with jasmine jam.
Must try Papillon of langoustine on orange pulp with olive oil and basil
Details Rooms from €315, ten-course dinner €160 (00 33 4 9370 9494, jacques-chibois.com)
SPAIN
16. Hacienda Benazuza El Bulli Hotel, Seville
Ferrán Adrià’s less well-known sister property to El Bulli is housed in a 10th-century farmhouse. This 44-room property fulfils every escape-to-Andalusia fantasy. Rooms are full of antiques and there are idyllic grounds and gardens with a pool.
Must try The tasting menu, which features 22 small dishes such as tuna ventresca with tuna mayonnaise (€115, excluding wine)
Details Room-only doubles from £260 (00 34 955 703 344, elbullihotel.com)
ITALY
17. Don Alfonso 1890, Sant Agata sui due Golfi
There are only eight rooms at this hotel in the centre of the village, close to lemon and olive orchards between Sorrento and Positano, which give it an intimate feel. Signore Iaccarino cooks with his son Ernesto, and there is a culinary school.
Must try Deep-fried lobster in a sweet and sour sauce with infusion of citrus fruit and a Julienne of summer vegetables
Details B&B doubles from £242. A three-course meal is €150 (00 39 0818 780026, donalfonso.com)
18. Villa Orsogrigio, Ronzone
Two siblings, Christian Bertol, a chef, and Renzo Bertol, a sommelier, owning a hotel could be a recipe for disaster, but here it’s a recipe for fantastic food complemented by well-chosen wines — 35,000 bottles of them. The villa has ten rooms, with a pool.
Must try Deer with blueberries
Details B&B doubles from £115. Three courses €50 (00 39 0463 880 559, orsogrigio.it)
19. Da Caino, Montemerano
More a restaurant with bedrooms (there are only three), this is one of Tuscany’s finest places to eat. Co-owner Valeria Piccini uses seasonal produce and says she learnt to cook out of sheer passion and was never formally taught, learning from her mother and grandmother.
Must try Onion soup with snails, tortelli and spring vegetables
Details The seven-course tasting menu is €130. B&B doubles from £190 (0039 0564 602817, dacaino.it)
20. L’Andana, Tuscany
Alain Ducasse and wine producer Vittorio Moretti came together to open this hotel in the Maremma region. Decadent rooms are furnished with ruby taffeta silk curtains and kingsized beds. One has a mosaic whirlpool. Help yourself to the cakes in the old kitchen, where the cookery classes are also held.
Must try Herb-crusted veal chop and gnocchi cooked in tarragon
Details Doubles from £460. A three-course dinner from £67 (0039 05 64 944 800, andana.it)
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