Le Manoir aux Quat’ Saisons
If, like me, your idea of a good meal out is a Sunday Roast at a country pub or a Tibetan curry from the Gloucester Green street food market, then you might find the following a slightly out-of-body experience. A visit to Raymond Blanc’s double-Michelin-starred gastronomic paradise on the fringe of Oxford is rare, exquisite and utterly delightful. Why rare? Because the price, at £205 per head for lunch (not including drinks, tips or optional cheese) means most of us are not going to be popping in all that often (although it was completely full during our visit). But once you’ve swallowed the bill, the rest of what they offer is a pleasure to consume. In fact, the bill is part of the experience. Handing over a thousand pounds for a four-person lunch was a unique sensation: daring, insane, thrilling, almost transgressive – not unlike the horseradish sorbet that accompanied the second of our seven courses. The Quat’ Saisons reall...