When you think of rural manor houses, warm fires, whisky tumblers and rose petalled baths all come to mind. The combination of a Michelin Star restaurant with its exquisite courses and fine wine coupled with the rustic charm of the country manor house is undoubtedly a rare find.  Often, Michelin Star restaurants are found within the glistening lights and humdrum of the city. However, the peace and serenity experienced whilst exploring the depths of the countryside, only to stumble across a manor adorned with those infamous Michelin symbols, gives an unrivalled satisfaction. We have compiled a list of some of the best Michelin star restaurants in rural Britain for you to explore and delight in.

The Michelin star is a symbol of excellence and was originally created by Michelin to recommend restaurants and hotels to visit as a tourist location. The stars are now reserved for only the best.  To receive just one star a restaurant must master the flavour and cooking techniques of each dish, using quality produce to deliver a personable course that shows off a chef’s personality. These restaurants no longer offer simply food, but experience and journey through nature and what it has to offer.

Le Manoir Aux Quat’saisons

Set in the heart of rural England, this 15th Century manor serves some of the most spectacular cuisines. Under the direct supervision of Maître De Maison and celebrity chef Raymond Blanc, this idyllic restaurant has held two Michelin stars for over 35 years. A truly incredible accolade. A fantasy of gastronomic perfection, the estate surrounds you in a time capsule of home-grown food with a Michelin twist. The manor itself has an elegant grandeur that exudes classical romance.

However, Le Manoir isn’t a normal haute cuisine restaurant as it is also a self-sustaining ecosystem. Their garden and orchard provide almost all of the fresh produce, such as chicory and blood oranges whilst also providing a beautiful setting in which to dine. From the mushroom valley and orchard to serene English water garden, a stroll through the verdant grounds is sure to be one of the many highlights to your stay. Blanc’s passion for organic produce has been a directive in his cuisine for most of his career and Le Manoir emulates this passion. It is unsurprising then that it has seen some of the greatest names in cooking come through its doors, including Heston Blumenthal and Marco Pierre White.

Setting this manor apart is the wealth of opportunities and accommodation that are on offer. From exhilarating clay pigeon shooting to a private cooking lesson at the Raymond Blanc cookery school. On top of this, one has the opportunity to master the classic French macaron while becoming King of the Barbeque. These activities offer a truly once in a lifetime experience.

Of course, a stay is also available in the manor. Here, there are 32 individually styled rooms inspired by the journey of Raymond’s travels. The most original among these is the Jade room which offers an opulent Asian experience while the silk shades and wood ceilings evoke the feeling of staying under the canopy of an Oriental tree. Each room is unique and offers completely bespoke experiences and amenities. Whether you want large bay windows to overlook the stunning lavender path or a scented steam room to sit back and indulge in the grandeur of your surroundings, the accommodation here will deliver.

The rooms aren’t the only place that reflects Blanc’s travels. The pinnacle of the dining experience is the 7-course dinner menu, designed to elevate the garden’s herbs and vegetables, paired with unique wines by Le Manoirs expert sommeliers. The menu is truly international and one should expect Asian inspired short ribs with miso followed by a closer to hone Earl Gray Tea chocolate tart. To allow your mind to take this journey, the dining room itself is a classical reserved white and oak colour palette, reflecting the natural influences of the cuisine. Of course, it is the food that is going to draw you in, and it certainly doesn’t disappoint, with seasonal menus that utilize the best the garden has to offer. Summer menus include tomato gazpacho or a crab and coconut dish, whilst the winter menus provide a more aromatic and homely dishes such as baby quail or braised short rib.

Tony Parkin at the Tudor room

The Tudor room certainly wouldn’t be on this list without the work of Tony Parkin. He and his expert team have rightfully earned their way into the name of this delightfully intimate restaurant.

Chef Parkin has an impressive history in cuisine, almost exclusively working in Michelin star restaurants, including Graham Garrett’s The West House and 2 Michelin-star Kommendaten.

In a room seating only 20 people, the tranquillity of this smaller environment means the dining experience is truly and exclusively yours. This isn’t the only feature that makes this restaurant uniquely personable. Indeed, staying true to the restaurant’s name, its stunning crimson walls offset with a large royal blue Tudor inspired tapestry, truly taking you on a journey back in time.

Set in the majestic grounds of the Great Foster Hotel, the stunning Tudor style manor house provides an opportunity to explore 50 acres of beautifully landscaped gardens and parkland before you dine. The manicured hedges and topiary gardens are surrounded by a stunning Saxon moat. The grounds are also home to fruit and vegetables, showing that a lot of the produce served is homegrown. The classically Tudoresque feeling of the whole estate really gets you in the mood for the dining experience that follows this theme.

Chef Parkin’s approach is that of simplicity with his ingredients. Parkin’s centres a dish round a particular food, for example, his asparagus dish is adorned with the delicate use of morels, lemon, wild garlic and aged Parma ham. It is here where the secret to The Tudor Room’s Michelin star has been born and bred. Simplicity in itself is not indicative of a great chef. It is instead the breadth of knowledge acquired by Tony Parkin that allows these simplistic ingredients to be elevated to a Michelin standard using both traditional and unusual pairings. These include exotic duos such as Turbot and pumpkin and beetroot and yuzu cut with goat’s curd, making for a truly inspired dining experience and one you won’t forget in a hurry.

Moor Hall

After undergoing a multimillion-pound renovation in 2015, this 13th Century manor is set in the heart of Lancashire and has rapidly become the most stimulating and intimate experience on the culinary block in the UK. A 5-acre plot contains two restaurants, accommodation and a large garden providing over 75% of the fresh produce served in the Moor Hall Restaurant. Chef Patron Mark Birchall had a bold vision for Moor Hall with a goal to become a world-class restaurant. Since opening in 2017, Moor Hall earned its first Michelin Star just 6 months after opening, followed by a second the next year. Since then it has been named the best restaurant in the UK by two separate publications, so what makes the restaurant so special?

This restaurant provides one of the best experiences in the UK. Of course, the food is exquisite, locally sourced and in season, but that is just the tip of the iceberg. The experience doesn’t start at the table, but from the moment you walk through the door. The evening starts off with a tour around the stunning gardens to explore some of the products that will be served that evening, from tomatoes to Mediterranean salsify. Moor Hall also houses their own charcuterie and dairy making facility where all of the butter, cheese and charcuterie for the evening’s meal is sourced. The kitchen is an open plan and allows guests to explore the cooking process with the chefs, something often hidden behind closed doors.

Moor Hall is not a traditional Michelin star restaurant. It doesn’t aim to style itself like royalty but instead looks for exquisite and honest food in a more relaxed environment that truly lets the food speak for itself. The meal follows locally sourced produce, paired with simple yet beautifully prepared accompaniments, such as gingerbread and pine, grilled scallop with cauliflower or baked carrots and doddington. There are no smoke screens and mirrors here, so just sit back, relax, and prepare for an evening you won’t forget anytime soon.

These three country houses provide a warming, welcoming atmosphere with a peace and serenity that high calibre restaurants often miss out on. Dive into true British cuisine on a journey through orchards, nurtured gardens and reserved yet elegant dining rooms. Homegrown or locally sourced, you will truly get a taste of the region in all three of the aforementioned hotels.