How can anyone resist a friend’s invitation to lunch – well, not me – and particularly when it is at the stunningly located Hotel Endsleigh to try out their new lunch menu.
Driving down the tree-lined avenue with its carpet of bluebells, wild garlic and vast Rhododendrons in full bloom, one is easily transported to a time gone by to the peace, tranquility and beauty that is Hotel Endsleigh.
On entering the solid oak front door of this old fishing lodge, once owned by the Duke of Bedford, we were greeted as if we were old friends and taken to sit in the lounge for pre-lunch drinks. Sitting in squashy sofas in front of the gently crackling fire, with views out across the gardens to the river and valley beyond, was most welcome on this particularly wet, blustery May day.
The lunch menu now comprises a simple selection of either a la carte choices, a set two or three course menu, or if you feel this is too much, lighter ‘Regulars’ are on offer such as crayfish sandwiches or a Cornish and Devon charcuterie ploughman’s – all beautifully presented, either in the oak paneled dining room or out on the terrace overlooking Repton’s exquisite gardens.
With three courses for £26 or a gourmet steak sandwich for just £12, the drive out to Hotel Endsleigh was worth every penny. The delicious food aside, it was a joy to be able to sit, relax and forget the real world for just a few hours in this stunning location.