Forest Side – Grasmere, Cumbria
A gem. As with its sibling, Hipping Hall, its owner, Andrew Wildsmith, and experienced operations director, Tom Lewis, have ensured not just a haven of luxury but a memorable gastronomic experience in this handsome Victorian mansion that surveys the landmark rock formation, the Lion and the Lamb. Opened in 2016, it had a great deal of both money and, crucially, attention to detail lavished on it, from herbal infusions for your bath to the amazing new gardens – perfumed, ornamental and edible. These have been created with the talented chef, Kevin Tickle, with his passion for foraging in mind. He has rewarded them with an immediate Michelin star, hugely deserved. His dishes, brimming with ingredients such as scurvy grass, curds and whey are clean, modern and precise. They taste earthy, yet are wonderfully light, perfectly accompanied by the cellar of organic and biodynamic wines. Doubles from £189.
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Name to Know: Forest Side’s head sommelier Charles Brown, who has assembled an enviable wine list with gems from around the world and closer to home, such as Silent Pool rosé from Albury organic vineyard.
See: Enjoy a walk over Bracken Fell to Alcock Tarn, taking in views of Windermere, Coniston, Rydal and Grasmere along the way.
Eat: Enjoy a menu inspired by Cumbria’s landscape, sample the fine cuisine this county has to offer with chef Kevin Tickle’s ten-course tasting menu the ‘Grand ‘Un’.
Buy: Why not adorn your walls with a Heaton Cooper artwork created by a member of the Lake District based artistic family.
Want to find out more? Visit the hotel's website.
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