A thousand years of history sits easily on the shoulders of this most elegant of mansions tucked away in the South Hams near Kingsbridge. Though the existing building is a mere 300 years old, the original manor house was medieval and an extant circular dovecote survives from this period.

Today, the elegant Queen Anne building, which has undergone an extensive programme of immaculate renovation, is a country house hotel and restaurant of the very highest order. You know from the first sip of house white - a Bordeaux Sauvignon (£3.25) served in a huge glass - that everything is going to be fine. Owner Mark Trumble gave us a tour of the place. A superb functions’ room with covers for 150 is used regularly for wedding receptions and conferences, and the gents’ ‘antique’ lavatories have a letter recommending their porcelain provenance on the walls. If ever ‘writing on the wall’ presaged what was to be in store, this was it. So, I wanted to talk to Mark. But the wine list (30 half bottles, 4 house wines by the glass and about 160 bins) kept me reading and quiet. Prices were very reasonable. ‘88 Pichon Lalande £26 a half. ‘89 Leoville Poyferré £24. One of our favourite sweet Loires was a modest £18, Burgundy lovers were well catered for and so are…. Oh dear, I’m running out of words and the delectable manageress, Julie Hudson, wants to take our food order.

Now, we’re all sitting in a panelled bar, drinking gorgeous wine, enjoying stimulating conversation, reading from a top-notch Carte des Vins when the menu arrives. The best of English and French cuisine, under the supervision of Head Chef, Jean-Phillipe Bidart, is paraded before our stimulated taste buds and glad-to-be empty stomachs.

Five starters including a millefeuille of avocado, crab meat, and carpaccio of scallops served with sun-dried tomatoes, fresh basil and olive oil dressing (£9), vied with a ballotine of chicken supreme stuffed with fresh truffles garnished with a herb mash and wild mushroom sauce (£11), pan-fried red mullet with a quenelle of salmon (£7.50), soup (£5) and a terrine of oxtail and vegetables (£6.50). The mullet was succulent but firm and lemon butter sauce was a perfect complement to my second glass of house Sauvignon. I tried two of the other starters which were of the same superlative quality; the third had been cleared from its diner’s plate before one could say ‘shallot and fresh herb dressing’ !

Four main courses and five diners ( Mark joined us) meant that we could sample the full menu. I enjoyed a magnificent pan-fried fillet of pork with caper and herb crust set onto polenta and with a gorgeous sauce (£18). The meat could be cut with a fork and the crust was so moreish…I think I drank a glass of Vaucluse (£3) with it. My wife had the seared scallops served with fresh asparagus in an orange and ginger butter sauce (£19.) They were sensational and declared to be better than some she had eaten a couple of weeks previously in a well-known French restaurant. Equally magnificent were the fillet steak with herb and bacon mash (£18) and the baked sea bass with mussels, leak risotto and anchovy sauce (£16.50). This was a fish-lovers’ dream or so the minute morsel I was reluctantly given suggested. All the meals were served with an abundance of fresh vegetables.

Four puddings included a passion fruit soufflé (£7), a trio of chocolate mousse (£6.50), poached pear Zabaglione (£6.50) and apple and rhubarb Charlotte (£6). Again, I tasted only a little of some of them but they maintained the excellence of the preceding courses. I sampled the platter of cheeses (£8) and was rewarded with some of the Westcountry’s finest. I forewent the apple and cider fruit butter because I wanted to try another glass of red.

Our meal ended with coffee and petits fours and a glass of the most delicious Coteaux du Layon.

This is a combination of delights which has a price. Dining here is not cheap but it is worth every penny. If you love exquisite food, fine wines, a gracious setting and civilisation, this is the place for you.

There is also a super 3-course lunch menu for £18 including beverages. For this you could start with smoked salmon or goat’s cheese, go on to sirloin steak or salmon fillet and finish with one of three puddings or cheese. If this is too much of an indulgence there is also a superb snack lunch menu including home-made fish cakes at £5.50.
My one regret is that we did not stay the night in one of the en suite bedrooms. We did, however, have a long chat with Jean-Phillipe and Julie allowed me to kiss her good-night!