Stop Press!
May 2019: a second restaurant, Atrium, has opened here, with a tasting menu format.
Harden's survey result
Summary
This “awesome” honey-coloured 17th-century former rectory with stunning gardens has long been a leading gastronomic destination in the Cotswolds, although its food ratings reflect divided feedback this year. While some felt “each dish was uniquely exquisite – it’s rare to find such seamless and consistent excellence” – others were “disappointed” by “tasteless” and “overpriced” meals.
Summary
This acclaimed Olde Englishe Cotswolds hotel has been in the wars; months after the exit of chef Richard Picard-Edwards in late 2016, it was revealed that, over several years, the former GM had defrauded it to the tune of 170K. Perhaps new chef Charles Smith, ex-of Alyn Williams at The Westbury, can help get it back on track, although – notwithstanding the odd “underwhelming” report in this period – ratings have generally held up well.
Summary
“A lovely place for a weekend or just a night away” – this Olde Englishe hotel in an archetypal Cotswolds setting is a natural choice for a “romantic” occasion (if not a budget one), with Richard Picard-Edwards’s “delightful”, traditional-ish cooking “from the canapés in the bar, to the petits fours”.
Summary
“Divine grounds” set the scene at this “wonderfully Olde Englishe” hotel, in a ‘chocolate box’ Cotswolds village. To the odd critic the dining room can seem a tad “bland” by comparison, and service “patchy”, but the overall consensus here is of “marvellous” (if “expensive”) cuisine and a “romantic” all-round experience.
Owner's description
Recently Good Hotel Guide ‘Country House Hotel of the Year’, Lords of the Manor is one of the most acclaimed luxury hotels in The Cotswolds – and Britain. The setting of this Michelin Star Hotel is Upper Slaughter, a beautiful village near popular Cotswold towns such as Bourton-on-the-Water and Stow-on-the-Wold.
Michelin Star Dining in the top Luxury Cotswolds Hotel
Guests come to ‘Lords’ for luxury, 8 acres of lawns and gardens and, perhaps above all, for the only Michelin-starred hotel dining room in Gloucestershire. The dining room is listed in The Sunday Times Top 100 UK Restaurants Guide.
Restaurant details
The chef
Head Chef at Lords of the Manor is Charles Smith.
Charles joined us after gaining experience at Petrus by Marcus Wareing, Per Se (at the time rated the best restaurant in New York, rated 10th in the world), Kitchen Table, Fera at Claridges, and most recently the Michelin-Starred Alyn Williams at The Westbury. His initial break came when, spotting Gordon Ramsay at a food festival, he asked him for a job.
The hotel has achieved Michelin Star status for over 8 consecutive years and is currently redoubling efforts to return the star to The Cotswolds.
Charles, a Lancastrian, says that he started to take cooking seriously at the age of 14 and confesses to an obsession with the sourcing of ingredients, something that may have been instilled from childhood market visits with his great grandfather to buy fresh black pudding, smoked herrings, beetroots and damsons. Charles relishes the opportunities that Lords of the Manor’s rural setting offers and says that he simply aims to follow the seasons and to stay in touch with what is happening outside the kitchen in terms of producers and suppliers.
Stow-on-the-Wold, Upper Slaughter, GL54 2JD
Opening hours
| Monday | 6:30 pm-9 pm |
| Tuesday | 6:30 pm-9 pm |
| Wednesday | 6:30 pm-9 pm |
| Thursday | 6:30 pm-9 pm |
| Friday | 6:30 pm-9 pm |
| Saturday | 12:30 pm-2 pm, 6:30 pm-9 pm |
| Sunday | 12:30 pm-2 pm, 6:30 pm-9 pm |
