The Cotswolds are among the most photogenic areas in the United Kingdom, and the Lords of the Manor Hotel is a perfect base from which to explore them. This luxurious hotel has the only Michelin starred hotel dining room in Gloucestershire, and is set in one of the prettiest Cotswolds villages, Upper Slaughter.
The building itself is a honey-coloured former rectory that dates from the 17th century. Despite the grandeur of the surroundings, it’s a remarkably relaxed place.
Lords of the Manor Hotel Review
The hotel takes pride of place in the village and there’s a large car park at the back. Pushing open the front door, we were warmly greeted by members of staff.
There is a feeling of arriving home that is hard to describe, but apparently quite a few visitors comment on it. You feel like you’re visiting friends living in the countryside.
Attention to detail is impressive – when we stayed, it was just before Christmas and the hotel was festooned with decorations and Christmas trees. Named by the Good Hotel Guide as their ‘Country House Hotel of the Year 2015’ and by The Independent as one of the 10 Best Country House Hotels, Lords of the Manor is still privately owned.
Accommodation at Lords of the Manor Hotel
The traditionally styled bedrooms have wonderful views of either the lawns and lake, or the walled garden at the back. With all mod cons including complementary wifi, you’ll be sure to get an excellent night’s sleep. We were staying in a spacious Rectory Room, situated in the main house.
Lords of the Manor bedroom
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Just look at the view from our window…The bathroom is stocked with beautifully scented L’Occitane toiletries and there are fluffy Lords of the Manor bathrobes to relax in.
Facilities at Lords of the Manor Hotel
With three comfortable guest lounges, there’s plenty of space to read the newspapers or enjoy a cocktail, enjoying the crackling log fires in Wintertime. You’ll certainly feel to the manor born!
Grounds of Lords of the Manor Hotel
In Summertime, guests can play croquet on the back lawn and in Winter, there are wellies provided so you can have a walk down to the lake without muddying your shoes. There are 8 acres to explore in all…
Dining at Lords of the Manor Hotel
They know how to do things in style here and before dinner, you’ll be invited to have a drink in the bar while your table is prepared. Our drinks came with a tasty selection of appetizers.
The Head Chef at Lords of the Manor is Richard Picard-Edwards, who has worked at Mallory Court and Lucknam Park. Using classic French techniques and the freshest seasonal ingredients, he has retained the Lords of the Manor’s Michelin star which they have held for over 8 years in a row.
Before our starters, we were treated to a delicate amuse-bouche of foamy mushroom mousse. In terms of presentation, my starter was probably my favorite and it didn’t disappoint in terms of taste.
A mix of white and brown Cornish crab, it was served with a savory oyster cream and Oscietra caviar – one of the most prized caviars in the world.
Mr Luxe was delighted with his braised beef cheek with a succulent roast duck liver, celeriac and Autumn truffle – a perfect dish to eat at this time of year, hearty yet subtle thanks to the perfumed truffle. My loin and haunch of Salisbury venison was beautifully tender and they’d managed to cook it exactly as I’d requested, not too red and not too well-done.
It was accompanied with creamed celeriac, sprouts, pickled red cabbage purée, blackberries and a fruity sloe gin sauce. I even ate the Brussels sprouts which has to be a first!
Mr Luxe was not to be outdone and his braised lardo glazed fillet of halibut was equally moreish. Served with chestnuts, butternut squash, crosnes (otherwise known as Chinese artichoke), bay leaf cream and a Thai shellfish foam, it was heaven on a plate.
Before our desserts, we had another nice surprise – a light cleanse palate which also had a mousse-like consistency. For dessert, I tried something different – an apple and vanilla cheesecake with pistachio purée, poached apples and apple sorbet.
I’m not actually a fan of pistachio, though I did find that the flavors all complemented each other very nicely with the tarteness of the apple balancing the sweetness of the pistachio.
I had a soft spot for Mr Luxe’s dessert, a wonderful concoction of coffee, mascarpone mousse and parfait, with Amaretti biscuits and a coffee bean ice cream.
