Bishopstrow, Wiltshire

Jo Rees stepped through the grand entrance of this Wiltshire pile and discovered a playfully reinvented country house hotel experience

What’s the draw?

A fun, country house hotel that’s anything but the hushed, haughty experience you might expect on sweeping up the drive to this honey-coloured country pile.

Open the towering front door, bookended on either side by glowing carriage lamps, and step into a lively and unpretentious playground.

The first areas you encounter at Bishopstrow are the quirkily elegant sitting rooms with their roaring fires, marbled‑paper lampshades, chinoiserie tables and colourful glass objets d’art. If you visit for dinner it’s a non‑negotiable to start your evening here with a drink from the small but well‑curated cocktail list. We loved the Spiced Daisy with its biting tequila and honey blended with tart lime, served in a chilli‑salt‑rimmed glass.

Who’s cooking?

The kitchen is under the care of executive head chef Philip Lewis who has worked at several five-star hotels, including The Balmoral in Edinburgh and Browns Hotel in Mayfair. Before joining Bishopstrow he was executive head chef at prominent aviation caterer, On-Air dining, in London.

What to order?

Complementing the vibe of the wider experience, the menu at the hotel’s Garden Grill is easygoing (lots of dishes can be ordered as either starters or mains) and built around crowd pleasers. Sure, there are places where you can worship at the altar of pretentious gastronomy, but this is a spot for tucking into a nicely cooked piece of fish with recognisable accompaniments, or scoffing an indulgent treat like a cheese soufflé.

We took the team’s recommendation on the twice‑baked Godminster soufflé to start and it was sumptuous. Another starter of generously sliced pastrami‑cured Scottish salmon with fennel kimchi, pickled cucumber, and a buttermilk and dill dressing delivered meaty bites of salmon cut by its clean platefellows.

The regulars’ fave is the slow‑cooked shoulder of Wiltshire lamb, so we did the honours. Unctuously soft and bearing rich lamb flavours it was supported by a cast that included buttery pomme puree, cabbage from the garden, carrots, and baby onion jus spooned from a tiny copper saucepan.

One of the highlights of the Garden Grill is produce from its no‑dig kitchen garden, and our cabbage and chard were both plucked that day. Diners can get closer to the natural surroundings in which the veggies are grown by dining in one of the glass domes in the grounds.

For pudding, we couldn’t resist the lure of vintage classics like jam roly poly with pink custard, and baked apple with rum‑soaked raisins, candied oats and crème fraîche.

Need to know

There is tonnes to do at Bishopstrow, so dinner is just the jumping off point. Stay the night in a room with a private outdoor jacuzzi, explore the 18th-century temple and walled garden, and take a riverside stroll in a pair of Le Chameau boots from the welly wall. There’s also a spa, indoor and outdoor pools, tennis, and afternoon teas to be devoured.