Summer. A time for lazy weekend lunches out of town, enjoyed from a vantage point with lush views, balmy breezes and somewhere for a post-prandial stroll. Do you have a favourite? If so, we’d like to hear your suggestions, at mail@hardens. (Hey, we need some excuse to get out of town.)
If you don’t have your own favourite, you might consider a trip to the three-year-old Grove hotel, just inside the M25, near Watford. This description doesn’t perhaps do full justice to this ambitious five star effort, set in 300 acres, complete with spa and golf club and occupying the 18th-century house where Queen Victoria used to be a regular guest.
There are three eating options, of which we chose the mid-priced Glasshouse, just off the main foyer. Colettes (with its own entrance) is where you go here to drop serious money, but on a return visit we would probably try out The Stables – a very attractive, informal pizzeria, next to the golf club.
The Glasshouse bills itself as a “Theatre of Cooking”, which is naff hotelier-speak for a luxury buffet. OK, it’s not haute cuisine, but for a fun blow-out has much to recommend it. It’s an impressive spread, from which we managed not to gorge ourselves too wantonly before ‘losing it’ rather badly over the cheese and puddings counter. (There is also a less pricey àla carte kids menu.)
If you can, nab a place on the lower level next to the huge doors overlooking the splendid gardens (reserved for a conference on our visit). When it’s really sunny, the outside terrace looked as though it would be glorious. For a weekend family gathering – especially a classic Sunday Lunch – the Glasshouse is a natural venue. It offers quite a lot of swank, but is mercifully absent of much in the way of stuffiness.
