Hardens Guide to the Best Restaurants in Stapleford
Hardens guides have spent 33 years compiling reviews of the best Stapleford restaurants. On Hardens.com you'll find details and reviews of 13 restaurants in Stapleford and our unique survey based approach to rating and reviewing Stapleford restaurants gives you the best insight into the top restaurants in every area and of every type of cuisine.
Featured Stapleford Restaurants
1. The Fox and Hounds Hotel
British, Traditional restaurant in Exton
19 The Green - LE15
2021 Review: This “very smart and much-renovated old coaching inn” sits on the village green of one of the settlements bordering Rutland Water, and serves “high quality” fare in a cosy traditional setting.
2. John's House
British, Modern restaurant in Mountsorrel
139-141 Loughborough Road - LE12
“The on-site farm is great for a wander” before or after a meal at John Duffin’s family-owned venue, which uses produce from the surrounding property where he grew up (and you can also stay in one of his family’s converted cottages). A renowned culinary spark in part of the Midlands with a dearth of decent eateries, all reports applaud it as a “gem with superb food” and “such friendly staff” too.
3. The Olive Branch
British, Modern restaurant in Clipsham
Main St - LE15
This “lovely and buzzy” and incredibly popular gastropub is situated near the A1 “on the edge of England’s smallest county” and – “with its cosy open fires” – represents “the modern English pub at its best”: “drink excellent local ales on draft at the bar” (or “there’s an intriguing wine list as long as your arm”); “sit and eat delicious, upmarket food which is both straightforward and sophisticated… or do both!” (and you can also “stay in one of the beautifully appointed rooms in a neighbouring property for the perfect away break”). “Not only are most of the ingredients sourced locally, many of them are actually grown on the land surrounding the pub”.
4. The Lake Isle
British, Modern restaurant in Uppingham
16 High Street East - LE15
“In an attractive village near Rutland Water”, this seventeenth-century hotel-restaurant near the cute market place “has much to commend it” – not least its “really good food at a very nice price”; its many longtime fans (“as good today as it was for our wedding breakfast 28 years ago”), some of whom visit specifically to eat here, claim that it “never disappoints, whether it be for a celebratory dinner, a set lunch or fishcakes for breakfast”. “The rooms are excellent too” if you want to overnight.
5. The Tollemache Arms
restaurant in Grantham
48 Main Street, Buckminster - NG33
Set in the idyllic countryside on the Lincolnshire Leicestershire border, the Tollemache Arms is an attractive stone built 19th century country pub in the beautiful village of Buckminster located between Colsterworth and Melton Mowbray on the B676 just 4 miles from the A1.
6. Hambleton Hall
British, Modern restaurant in Hambleton
The “quintessential country house” – Tim & Steffa Hart’s fine property was owned by the Hoare banking family prior to its conversion into a hotel; and long predates the 1970s reservoir over which it nowadays provides “stunning views”. That it’s “pleasantly old-fashioned” (or, if you prefer, rather old-school) is intrinsic to its charm. The “hushed tones in the dining room might not suit everybody”, but can provide “a perfect setting in which to enjoy a significant occasion, with magnificent service and a glorious setting”. Chef Aaron Paterson has overseen the kitchen for over thirty years now: and his classical cuisine remains “superb” (if “very expensive”). And it’s matched with a “varied and well-chosen wine list, backed up by the excellent Dominique Baduel (Sommelier) who is always happy to recommend and advise”. Stay the night and there are “excellent English breakfasts cooked to order”. Top Menu Tip – “highlights this year included marinated scallops with a fennel and cucumber essence; gazpacho with celery granita; and slow-cooked octopus with squid ink pasta, chorizo, lemongrass and ginger”.
7. Stag & Hounds
British, Modern restaurant in Burrough on the Hill
4 Main Street - LE14
This “fascinating old pub in a quiet village in rural Leicestershire” is now in its fifth year under “top-notch chef Dom Clarke (ex-Moor Hall) doing his own thing in a small kitchen, which produces unusual combinations of high-quality ingredients, mostly locally grown and supplied”. The “menu is very limited” (3 starters and 3 mains), but that’s “easy to overlook when the dishes are expertly constructed and presented, and rarely disappoint”. “Add to this friendly service and a great atmosphere”.
8. Hitchen's Barn
British, Modern restaurant in Oakham
12 Burley Road - LE15
“There’s a great atmosphere in this country town restaurant, run by husband and wife team Neil & Louise Hitchen” – “Neil turns out superb dishes from the barn-conversion kitchen while Louise is in charge of front of house. Many of the ingredients are sourced locally in Rutland and the well-briefed team can answer any questions instantly”. Set in a “venerable old building in the heart of lovely Oakham”, with “mismatched furniture and crockery adding to the charm”, it’s “a mainstay of the town” and about “as good as a proper neighbourhood restaurant can get”. “Better still, a huge effort has been made to construct dishes which achieve this whilst being affordable, so a dinner for two with some very good, interesting, wines is still possible for south of £100. No small achievement these days” – and it means “you leave smiling and probably happier than when you arrived. Even nearby Hambleton Hall (where the Hitchens met working in the 90s) can’t better that!” Top Menu Tip – “scotch eggs are a speciality and well worth trying”.
9. The Wheatsheaf
British, Modern restaurant in Greetham
Stretton Rd - LE15
This “classy neighbourhood pub/restaurant” is a “perennial favourite for quality food, welcome, service and all-round atmosphere – long may it flourish”, chorus the many admirers of chef Carol & husband Scott Craddock’s Grade II-listed stone pub, where “you dine on the freshest of fish and seafood, their own herbs, wild garlic and good-quality locally raised meat”. Top Tip – “full marks for the home-baked breads and fancy butters (wild or black garlic are favourites)”.
10. Finch’s Arms
British, Modern restaurant in Hambleton
Oakham Rd - LE15
“A lovely old pub in the bar and more ancient parts (the newer additions are slightly less appealing – tip: avoid the dining room and stay in the original section if you can!)” – this characterful inn with its great Rutland Water setting put in a “less checkered” performance this year. That said, standards can still be “more ordinary than in the past – pleasant enough” and “readers are advised to be cautious in their expectations!”. “Beautiful walks for after a meal though!”
11. Langar Hall
British, Modern restaurant in Langar
Church Ln - NG13
This famous country-house “continues to be a great location for special occasions” – more than 40 years after the late Imogen Skirving converted it from her family home. Long-serving exec chef Gary Booth pursued the seasonal and local route – including game from the nearby Belvoir estate – long before it became a bandwagon and continues to win solidly good ratings for his cuisine. The venue still has the personality of a family-run estate, with Imogen’s granddaughter Lila Arora nowadays at the helm.
12. The Hammer & Pincers
British, Modern restaurant in Loughborough
5 East Rd - LE12
Now a restaurant with rooms, thanks to two bedrooms added during the covid-enforced closure, this former village forge has offered “consistently good, high-quality” cuisine for more than 20 years under the ownership of former Savoy chef Danny Jimminson and his wife Sandra. It’s a “relaxed, really enjoyable” venue, with a range of menus from two to seven courses.
13. Harry’s Place
French restaurant in Great Gonerby
17 High Street - NG31
“Outstanding!” – Harry & Caroline Hallam accommodate a maximum of 10 guests at a time in the “so cosy” front room of their Georgian house: a “long-running and great restaurant”. It has been in operation for over 30 years (long before the term ‘pop-up’ was invented) and most folks have nowadays forgotten that for many years they held a Michelin star (until about 2010). Caroline is front of house, Harry in the kitchen and the menu depends on what Harry has decided to buy that day (you must book ahead). The experience is somewhat dependent on the quantity and personality of fellow diners but – even if the level and tenor of feedback has perhaps become slightly more muted in recent years – no reports this year suggested that the experience remains anything but very good or excellent.
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