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Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons, Great Milton


With our good friends and regular travelling companions we chose to visit Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons partly because it has been on the wish list for some time and partly because our friends had on the weekend preceding our visit opened their beautiful Sussex garden, through the National Gardens Scheme, to raise some money for good causes and they deserved a celebration for that.

Our visit started well as, on arrival, both of our rooms had been upgraded to very comfortable and well appointed suites. This was followed by a stroll around the gardens, an exhibition match on the croquet lawn (insofar as we made an exhibition of ourselves) and a change into party frocks before aperitifs were taken al fresco. We took it in turns to: drop olives, spill drinks on the beautifully prepared menus and scatter almonds here and there. The waitress joined in by spilling some Champagne, for which she apologised profously and made amends with a generous, and arguably unnecessary, top-up.

We were invited into the dining room and to our spacious table in the conservatory section where a seven course tasting menu was thoroughly enjoyed by all. (See below) The gentlemen were permitted an additional cheese course and the evening ended with teas, coffees and petit fours in the lounge. These were complemented with elegant, long-stemmed liqueur glasses holding either a peach liqueur of some green Chartreuse. Lovely.

In the morning breakfast was taken. The choice was wide, varied and delicious. Granolas, pastries, eggs as many ways as you can imagine, juices, teas & coffees and a full English with a perfect sausage. Eggs Benedict, smoked salmon....I could go on.

The whole stay was finished with a formal tour of the garden, lead by the head gardener, which rounded things off in a perfect way.

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