Harden's survey result
Summary
“A perfect country retreat!”. The crunch of gravel on the drive and “beautiful views” set the scene at Tim Hart’s “beautiful” hotel (a fine mansion once owned by the Hoare banking family, and constructed long before Rutland Water which it nowadays overlooks). It offers a “pampering” experience “which makes no compromises to quality” in a very traditional style that’s occasionally thought to be “stiff” but more commonly elicits nothing but rave reviews. Aaron Patterson has overseen the kitchen here since 1992, and his “exceptional classic cuisine” is “beautifully presented with amazing flavours”. It’s not an inexpensive experience, but no-one considers it overpriced: “we rarely feel we can afford it, but it’s always turned out to be a pleasure!” – “a self-indulgent treat that makes one feel good days or even weeks later”.
Summary
“A perfect country retreat!”. The crunch of gravel on the drive and “beautiful views” set the scene at Tim Hart’s “beautiful” hotel (a fine mansion once owned by the Hoare banking family, and constructed long before Rutland Water which it nowadays overlooks). It offers a “pampering” experience “which makes no compromises to quality” in a very traditional style that’s occasionally thought to be “stiff” but more commonly elicits nothing but rave reviews. Aaron Patterson has overseen the kitchen here since 1992, and his “exceptional classic cuisine” is “beautifully presented with amazing flavours”. It’s not an inexpensive experience, but no-one considers it overpriced: “we rarely feel we can afford it, but it’s always turned out to be a pleasure!” – “a self-indulgent treat that makes one feel good days or even weeks later”.
Summary
“The effortless and gracious hospitality of a country house hotel is maintained down to a tee” at Tim Hart’s “magnificent” property (owned until the 1970s by part of the Hoare banking dynasty), with its “open fires, antique furnishings, and busy wallpaper”; “staff who can’t do enough to help”; and “unbeatable views over Rutland Water” (which the house, in fact, pre-dates). “All of which is pointless if the food isn’t great… and luckily it’s brilliant”. The odd critic feels Aaron Patterson’s cuisine is “fairly conventional (good quality but lacking a sense of adventure)” but if you’re looking for brined, pickled and foraged small plates you’re missing the point here, as his “very accessible” classical cuisine delivers a “consistency and reliability” that’s second to none with “wonderful attention to detail”. “You do pay for it”, but real complaints about value here are notable by their absence.
Summary
“You arrive to the sound of gravel crunching beneath your tyres, the aroma of log burning fires, and views across Rutland Water” at Tim Hart’s “beautiful” East Midlands retreat, and “if you are looking for the truly typical country house experience, Hambleton has it in spades”. The style is “somewhat formal, but none the worse for that” and it’s “the charm of the old-fashioned atmosphere that helps set it apart”, as enhanced by the “faultless service”. Aaron Patterson has been at the stoves since 1992, and he remains at the top of his game, delivering a “true, classic British fine dining experience” wherein contemporary ideas enliven a fundamentally textbook approach. “The wine list is exceptional too, with some excellent good value bottles as well as the famous names” and sommelier Dominique Baduel is “a past master of finding little gems”.
For 30 years we've been curating reviews of the UK's most notable restaurant. In a typical year, diners submit over 50,000 reviews to create the most authoritative restaurant guide in the UK. Each year, the guide is re-written from scratch based on this survey (although for the 2021 edition, reviews are little changed from 2020 as no survey could run for that year).
Have you eaten at Hambleton Hall?
Owner's description
Prices
| Availability | 2 courses | 3 courses |  |
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| Lunch | £38.50 | £48.00 |  |
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| Dinner | £83.00 | |
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| Drinks |
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| Wine per bottle | £34.00 |
| Filter Coffee | £6.00 |
| Extras |
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| Service | 12.50% |
Restaurant details
Hambleton Hall Restaurant Diner Reviews
"Langoustine; halibut; pineapple. Dessert a bit of a let down, rest of food, including nibbles good. Staying at the hotel was very luxurious - a real treat."
"An exceptioal lunch We have been to Hambleton Hall many times but 24th June was the best ever"
"Excellent “proper food “ Rather formal"
"Overly stuffy. Sent back to the 1960s and didn’t enjoy it. Wine list was the best thing about the place. Lunch for less menu - bistro cooking at best probably shouldn’t be offered along side the ALC"
"It is not possible to exaggerate how good this place is! We stayed 3 nights. The old fashioned comfort is exceptional with the most attentive service possible. The food is just outstanding. Exquisite and unusual flavours in wonderful surroundings. Can’t praise it enough"
Hambleton, LE15 8TH
Opening hours
| Monday | 12 pm‑1:30 pm, 6:30 pm‑8.45 pm |
| Tuesday | 12 pm‑1:30 pm, 6:30 pm‑8.45 pm |
| Wednesday | 12 pm‑1:30 pm, 6:30 pm‑8.45 pm |
| Thursday | 12 pm‑1:30 pm, 6:30 pm‑8.45 pm |
| Friday | 12 pm‑1:30 pm, 6:30 pm‑8.45 pm |
| Saturday | 12 pm‑1:30 pm, 6:30 pm‑8.45 pm |
| Sunday | 12 pm‑1:30 pm, 6:30 pm‑8.45 pm |
