Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons

Celebrated chef Raymond Blanc had a vision to combine a luxury country inn with a palate-delighting destination restaurant. The result? The idyllic escape Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons, set amidst lovely (and, as you'll discover, delicious) gardens in the Oxfordshire countryside.

And don't be fooled; while the hotel itself is a wonderful retreat, you're here for the food, once described as "a twist of imaginative genius". Blanc's signature modern French cuisine, trois bouchées printanières, steals the show and is the reason for the two Michelin stars bestowed upon the restaurant at Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons.

There are 32 spacious and eminently comfortable rooms and suites here (four redesigned by Emily Todhunter in 2010), and each is as unique and mood-setting as their names - L'Orangerie, Lace, and Passion Flower, to name just a few. Most enjoy a view out to one of the gardens surrounding the hotel, and you may even spot a chef choosing from the 90 vegetables and 70 herbs for that evening's masterpieces.