Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons Restaurant

Someone from this business manages this listing.

2,727 reviews

#1 of 2 Restaurants in Great Milton$$$$, French, European, British

+44 1844 278881+ Add website

Hours

Sun

11:30 am - 2:00 pm6:00 pm - 11:59 pm

Mon

1:00 pm - 1:30 pm6:00 pm - 11:59 pm

Tue

11:30 am - 2:00 pm1:00 pm - 1:30 pm6:00 pm - 11:59 pm

Wed

6:00 pm - 11:59 pm

Thu

11:30 am - 2:00 pm6:00 pm - 11:59 pm

Fri

11:30 am - 2:00 pm6:00 pm - 11:59 pm

Sat

11:30 am - 2:00 pm6:00 pm - 11:59 pm

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MICHELIN

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Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.

Ratings and reviews

4.5

2,727 reviews

#1 of 2 Restaurants in Great Milton

Travellers' Choice 2023

MICHELIN

View more on MICHELIN Guide

RATINGS

Food

Service

Value

Atmosphere

Food and ambience

Local cuisine, French, European, British, Vegetarian Friendly, Vegan Options

“... to be faced with chewy scallops, undercooked lamb and fat not rendered.”

Special Occasion Dining, Romantic, View, Groups, Business meetings

“60th birthday treat”

“Stunning lunch for our 30th Anniversary”

Location and contact

Church Road, Great Milton OX44 7PD England

+44 1844 278881

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MICHELIN Guide's Point of View

You cannot help but fall in love with this iconic country house restaurant. As its name suggests, the seasons lead the way: wander the grounds and you’...

Read more on MICHELIN Guide

Two MICHELIN Stars: Excellent cooking, worth a detour!

Details

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About

Nestled amidst beautiful gardens in the rural Cotswolds countryside, Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons is a gourmet hotel with Raymond Blanc at the helm. Located in the picturesque village of Great Milton, in Oxfordshire, this luxury hotel combines breathtaking surroundings with gastronomic excellence. The quaint streets of Oxford city centre are a 20-minute drive, whilst London Heathrow Airport is 60km away. Home to The Raymond Blanc's Cookery School, one of Britain's finest culinary academies, this enchanting hotel offers French-inspired cuisine at the 2 Michelin-starred restaurant. Using only the best seasonal produce, freshly picked from the hotel's extensive vegetable and herb gardens, guests are invited to embark on an unforgettable gastronomic adventure.

PRICE RANGE

RM 0.00 – RM 1,854.00

CUISINES

French, European, British

Special Diets

Vegetarian Friendly, Vegan Options, Gluten Free Options

Meals

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, After-hours, Drinks

FEATURES

Reservations, Outdoor Seating, Private Dining, Seating, Parking Available, Street Parking, Validated Parking, Valet Parking, Highchairs Available, Wheelchair Accessible, Serves Alcohol, Full Bar, Wine and Beer, Accepts American Express, Accepts Mastercard, Accepts Visa, Cash Only, Free Wifi, Accepts Discover, Accepts Credit Cards, Table Service

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4.5

2,727 reviews

Excellent

2,294

Very good

249

Average

122

Poor

Terrible

Tim Ruxton

Surrey52 contributions

Yes it’s everything people say it is.

Dec 2020 • couples

We’d wanted to go to Le Manoir for a long time; I periodically check the website but tables are never available. I was therefore delighted a couple of weeks ago to see one open up for the following Friday so we went for it. It seemed like the perfect way to celebrate the end of 2020. But would Le Manoir live up to the reputation? Can anywhere live up to that level of reputation? Yes it could. A truly brilliant meal. We’ve eaten in a fair few Michelin one star restaurants, where the food it terribly pretty and tastes lovely but sometimes you feel it’s been prepared to be looked at rather than eaten, and that the customer not still being hungry at the end is not one of the priorities. This however, is proper food in terms of both an extraordinary quality of ingredients amazingly prepared, but there’s also a robustness and variety of flavours and textures that you don’t always get in starred restaurants. You certainly don’t crave a burger on the way home! Highlights are too many to list, but the slow cooked hens egg with Parmesan and black truffle, the Rhug estate venison with chestnut and gingerbread, and the chocolate crumble with salted caramel ice cream and yuzu will stay with us in particular for a long time. The service was utterly immaculate, friendly but professional, the staff had clearly been brilliantly trained but without having their smiles or personalities drilled out of them. Covid related issues were dealt with efficiently and unobtrusively without spoiling the experience at all. Yes it is awesomely expensive, but the absolute commitment to excellence in every part of the operation is such the pricing doesn’t feel unreasonable. If we want places like Le Manoir to exist in the restaurant ecosystem then they need to be supported, and to be able to keep innovating and developing new ideas then these prices are probably what they need to charge. As an experience don’t compare it to lunch at a gastropub, compare it to good seats for a West End show and dinner, or a weekend break on the Eurostar (if those are ever allowed again) and the pricing makes much more sense. Thats the intensity of experience and memory making that LeManoir represents, and we feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity.

Written 13 December 2020

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HughTPD

London138 contributions

Lived up to expectations (and not just because we have been to so few restaurants this year!)

Dec 2020 • none

We had a one night package including the seven course tasting menu. This is my review of the restaurant rather than the hotel. (Obviously we got lucky with booking a table between lockdown and tier four) The staff were charming throughout, pitched just right, with no arrogance and just friendly enough without being over-familiar - a true measure of professionalism and training. This included a swap-out of a course from the fixed menu I was not keen on, with no fuss. As expected the food was divine, could not fault it. A well though out, balanced menu, as you would expect from somewhere with this track record. I guess this is one of these places you do not want to go to on a budget, but we did hammer the wine list, including dessert wine and port. All brilliant. The sommelier was excellent, and it was reassuring that every recommendation he made was at a cheaper price point than the bottle I had selected myself. A lovely experience all round. Would thoroughly recommend.

Written 26 December 2020

PhineasfoggEngland

British Virgin Islands61 contributions

One of the best dining experiences of my life!

Sept 2019 • none

I had wanted to eat at Le Manoir for many years. As my Wife and I live and work in the Caribbean it proved difficult to be in the right place at the right time and obtain reservations. However in 2019 when I knew I would be back home in England I managed to secure a reservation in the Hotel and subsequently dinner reservations for two consecutive nights. We were not disappointed! The building itself is beautiful and set in acres of the Oxfordshire countryside. The ubiquitous Chefs garden was a pleasure to walk around, even in Autumn. Had we booked a week or two later in the year we would have been able to experience the culinary delights of the humble apple, as they nuture many many different varieties on the estate and highlight the fruit in their cuisine in October. The welcome and service was as you would expect from Belmond and our suite was more than comfortable and very well appointed. On our first night we experienced the seven course tasting menu without the wine pairing. The Sommelier was extremely helpful and knowledgable and recommend a splendid red that did not break the Bank! The food presentation was nothing short of a work of art and the taste sensational. The meal exceeded my expectations, which were high. After all Le Manoir is not cheap by any standards, not even reasonable. But it's worth every Penney.

Written 13 April 2020

Jem Simons

3 contributions

Bitterly disappointing

I went for lunch with my wife and my oldest friend and his wife for a major treat.We're all foodies.My wife and I came 12 years ago when M.Blanc was in his pomp, and it was the best meal we'd ever had.Previously it was a foodie's dream-the staff were into the food and so were the guests so when you were charged a massive amount of money you knew what it was for.Some of the lunch we had this time was ok,nice even but i)in essence it was mid market hotel chain food, ii)the ambience was beige and corporate iii) the (foreign) staff were overly intimate and fussy, and clearly knew nothing about cooking other than what they'd been told to say iv) The courses were tiny.The artistry didn't warrant that.That's not just a greedy bloke talking.It was preposterously small v) three of the six courses included Pork, so if you're Jewish or a muslim presumably you can f*** off as far as they're concerned. v) It was ludicrously expensive.We had 1) an aperitif. 2) the set lunch, with two small glasses of wine (in total) and some bottled water 3) coffee tea and petit fours afterwards. Our bill was £860.For a distinctly average lunch. I thought it was disgraceful. I feel robbed. Please don't go there V) It cost WAY TOO MUCH.We had 1) A drink before dinner.Only one was alcoholic-a bellini made with bottled peach juice 2) The set lunch, with two small glasses of wine, and say 3-4 bottles of mineral water 3) Coffee, tea and some petit fours afterwards. How much do you think?£100 each?£120?

Written 2 March 2020

mdp963

Maidenhead10519 contributions

Beware rip off price increases

Feb 2021 • none

I booked on 13th February 2020 for May 24th May 2020 – the one night Dining Experience – to celebrate our 40th Wedding Anniversary Price quoted was £1085 including the 7 course Tasting Menu and Breakfast etc and a £200 deposit was paid. A high enough price but it was a special occasion and we had eaten in the restaurant several times but had never stayed overnight. Not surprised that it was cancelled!!! I was given the choice of a complete cancellation and return of deposit or leaving my deposit in place and waiting for the hotel to reopen. I chose the latter- even requesting a reservation for May 24th 2021. I was told they would contact me as soon as availability reopened. Despite Le Manoir apparently being open in November and December – I heard nothing. In February 2021 I decided to contact them - with another request for 24th May I received the following reply …. “”” We would love you to stay later in the year and can confirm that all guests can move their stay to a later date (subject to hotel availability). Currently for 24th May, I do have rooms available on The Dining Experience at £1,435.00 Please note we apologise in advance that we may not be able to offer the same rate that is currently booked, as we are now moving into our high season. Alternatively, if you would like to cancel, please be assured that all cancellation fees will be waived, and any prepaid amount returned in full.””” Whilst the 32% increase was steep enough – it was the lie about the change of season that really annoyed me – an outrageous and unacceptable falsehood, trying to cover up the rip off price increase. Subsequent Email exchanges confirmed that May 2020 was in the same season as May 2021. There is no doubt that the Belmond management do not have the same caring attitude to customers as the old Raymond Blanc inspired Le Manoir which we knew so well. Needless to say I requested a return of my deposit and will eventually celebrate at The Waterside and The Fat Duck and still have money left over for some really nice wine.

Written 2 April 2021

energy.com

London18 contributions

Overpriced

Dec 2020 • none

This is my third time there and I hadn't been there for years. I booked a package of one night which included a suite with the tasting menu for dinner (and breakfast) for around £1,500, I have to say, although the food did not disappoint, I felt the stay and dinner was supremely overpriced. My 'suite' was one room and not very large. Calculating the service charge on the meal, my room for one night including breakfast for 2, came to £900. There was nothing special about the room. I also felt the food was overpriced at £300 a head. I have been to most of the top restaurants in the UK and I would not make a trip to go there and eat again. The Cliveden far exceeds this place. At least there, you have proximity to country walks, a beautiful historic building, a spa and far more beautiful and spacious rooms. In fact the food at the Cliveden is as good or better. I feel, if dinner and the room had been around £700-800, it would have been the right price. There is nothing to do there and it is not a place that warrants that price. I will not be going back.

Written 22 December 2020

Thenovicetravellers

London21 contributions

Disappointed

Aug 2020 • couples

I booked this tasting menu along with an overnight stay for my boyfriend’s birthday. We are big foodies and have done numerous Michelin starred tasting menus in the last, but were excited to venture outside of London. The service on arrival was very attentive and the staff were warm and friendly. I do think you pay through the nose for the rooms, particularly as the hotel does not have any spa, gym or other leisure activities. My main gripe occurred at dinner. We had a table booked for 7:30pm and left our room just before. On arriving into the reception we were asked if we wanted to have a pre dinner drink in the lounge, to which I explained that our booking was at 7:30pm and I did not want to be late. We were seated at our table a few minutes after 7:30pm and provided with the tasting menu for the evening and a wine list. The waitress came and took away the tasting menu and asked if we had any allergies and I asked for a couple more minutes to decide upon the wine, before deciding to opt for the wine pairing. By now the time is around 7:40pm. The sommelier arrived a few minutes later and poured our first glass of wine. He seemed surprised that we had not been provided with the amuse bouche and said that as this first wine was to accompany the amuse bouche, first and second courses he would return to ensure we had sufficient wine, to which he did and I was very thankful. We proceeded to wait for our food. After a further ten minutes, I told my boyfriend that I would ask for an update on our food. In his jovial manner he suggested we wait...as in his words...how long can a two Michelin starred restaurant keep you waiting....the answer is 30minutes from when we sat down. There were four other tables in our area (one table who were sat after us) who all managed to complete two food courses and commence a third before we finally received our amuse bouche at 8pm without any comment or apology for the wait; I was truly astounded. I am not sure if the fact that we were at least ten years younger than the next guests influenced the lack of service, but this really was not a demonstration of a two Michelin starred restaurant.

Written 29 September 2020

WinchesterSticky

27 contributions

Exceeded any expectation...

Jan 2020 • none

On the bucket list for all the normal reasons why. WOW, WOW and WOW. Service was out of this world, RB was in the entrance to welcome us - and it just got better. Food was out of this world. It's straight back onto the bucket list to go again. I saw a review before we went asking what the average price of a meal was here, and a response said 'who knows, because it's not average'. How right were they. Exceptional and thank you to all the team - it felt like a family.

Written 25 January 2020

Karen M

Windsor and Maidenhead10 contributions

Do Not Buy Gift Vouchers Totally Misleading

Feb 2019 • none

I rang Le Manoir direct to order Gift Vouchers. I was told to go to their website which I did and ordered only to find these are generic gifts cards not relating to Le Manoir but by a 3rd Party. I wanted gift vouchers to say they were for Le Manoir as my friends are big big fans of them. To my horror it has taken me over 2.5 hours to talk to someone who are most unhelpful and based in America. I still haven't managed to get my money back and not sure I will. Please beware these vouchers are not exclusive to Le Manoir and have no stationary or nice gift details to go with vouchers.

Written 3 January 2020

gillclarke2017

Preston9 contributions

Wonderful special birthday treat!

Feb 2020 • none

This was a treat for my 50th birthday and has been on my bucket list forever! It didn't disappoint. The service was fantastic from the minute we entered the restaurant. Aperatif's in the lounge while we perused the menu were relaxed, with attentive but non intrusive staff, the little plate of hors d'oeuvre were delightful. We went for the 7 course tasting menu as it was our first visit, along with the classic wine paring as we felt this would give us all a full taste of what Raymond, Gary and their team had to offer us. As we usually don't drink very much we were all a little 'merry' after the 3rd glass of wine and the bonus with the Compte cheese course - I had to drink mine as apparently it was Raymonds favourite to eat with the cheese and I didn't want to feel a philistine. The waitress who predominately served us in the dining room was very freindly and attentive and not at all stuffy. (I'm sorry we didn't get her name but she was from Malta) she really made us feel at ease and deserves a special mention. The food was out of this world being like works of art rather than plates of food (and yes we also took pictures) we all agreed that we would love to return. I was also a little star struck as we unexpectedly met Raymond whilst perusing the statues in the garden and he made an effort to speak to us and took some lovely photographs with our family, what a charming man. I think I am a little in love with the restaurant, the food, the garden and especially Mr Raymond Blanc.

Written 10 February 2020

Epicureously

London1246 contributions

All about the Food.

Aug 2020 • couples

The last time I ate here was 2 years ago and it was the best food I have ever eaten in the U.K. I even checked in the hotel for the night with my wife this time to get a table due to Covid restrictions. We were in one of the small rooms which normally would have 8 to 10 tables but was restricted to 4. Even so the ambience created was first class. Waiters being forced to wear face shields did not deter them from providing fantastic service throughout the meal. We had the 7 course tasting menu with classic wine pairing. There are other more premium wine pairing options but the classic was suitable for us. Being summer it was a very light menu but don’t be fooled. Raymond’s portion sizes are deceivingly large and we found ourselves quite full by the end. This is also helped by the off the charts good bread served at the beginning of the meal. My favourite courses were the monkfish, the scallops and the chocolate and beetroot dessert courses but frankly all were superb. My wife isn’t a fan of truffle so one of her dishes was replaced with a vegetable risotto. She thought this was the highlight of all the dishes. Wine pairing excellent. Service excellent. The style of cooking here is all about great produce and great flavours. Not really served with any theatre. Just about the Food.

Written 26 August 2020

Pat G

Windsor and Maidenhead236 contributions

Superb weekday lunch

Feb 2020 • friends

Weekday lunch with friends We had the a la carte menu of 3 courses. This comes with a small pre starter. The food was sublime. Langoustine starter a highlight. Venison and beef mains beautifully cooked Service was very good as one would expect. Sat in the main conservatory which is light and where the tables are well spaced. Weather was terrible so we didn’t get a chance to sit in the garden or see the herb garden (been a few times before for wife’s birthday in summer and enjoyed the sunshine in gardens for aperitifs and coffees). Next visit....

Written 29 February 2020

Deryk K

Warwick85 contributions

The best of the best

Jun 2021 • none

Knowing I would be writing a review, I tried very hard but unsuccessfully to find even the slightest fault with our dinner at Le Manoir. Sublime food accompanied by an excellent wine flight. One of the accompaniments to the lamb was a courgette flower stuffed with spinach and parmesan cheese, truly one of the best things I have ever eaten (and I am not usually a fan of flowers in food!). Even the bread and coffee had been prepared with meticulous care. This is modern cooking at its very best, without the affectation and silliness of the Blumenthal school of chefs. For this restaurant to have the same number of Michelin stars (two) as some other restaurants (Tom Kerridge's Hand & Flowers springs to mind) is a travesty. Le Manoir is superior in all respects including the impeccable service. Pricing is competitive for the standard of food and service and the staff fully deserve the 12.5% service charge. Cannot recommend this restaurant highly enough and, if you can afford it, stay over and enjoy the ambience of this wonderful place.

Written 27 June 2021

Ruth S

London24 contributions

Biggest, bitterest disappointment in many years

Mar 2020 • none

Having been lucky enough to have experienced Le Manoir during its magical Raymond Blanc heyday it was devastating to see how far it has fallen – except in its ridiculous pricing. From the vase of dead daffs and the gas fire in the lobby (it used to be crackling logs...) to the now unloved grounds and some really poor food, the heart and soul has truly left the building. The meal was a disgrace. The only set meal option (no proper tasting menu exists any more) had to be ordered for the whole table, so as my three companions fancied it, I had it too. The menu was incredibly poorly planned, with pork products on three out of six dishes. Not that they were all proper dishes – the teaspoon of grains in a ramekin that constituted the first course I initially mistook for an amuse bouche (which didn't exist any more either). Two dishes were good – the suckling pig and the chocolate dessert. The rest, which included a 'hen's egg on a spinach puree', were dated and lacklustre at best. For £145 a head it was shocking value. And that is before drinks... we were charged around £70 for aperitifs (only one was alcoholic) and £40 for coffee after the meal. Our bill for four (including three teetotallers) was well over £800 for a really bad meal. I'd waited 15 years to go back to Le Manoir, and I really wish I had not bothered. Poor Raymond, I hope he rarely visits. He created something truly unique and wonderful, and his legacy has already been squandered in Belmond's greedy rush to cash in.

Written 4 March 2020

Harry4Sammy

365 contributions

Superb dinner, poor breakfast

Jul 2021 • none

Dinner was wonderful, 7 courses plus amuses bouches, petits fours, etc. Superb food, beautifully presented and tasting divine (the beef slightly dull). Kitchen kindly prepared alternative dish (given advance notice that one of us wouldn't eat egg). Staff at dinner were friendly, professional and efficient. Breakfast was very poor. Waited at least 10 minutes for tea, coffee and juice. Excellent juice and fruit salad. Full English was awful: sausage (with gristle), bacon (more fat than muscle), half tomato and few mushrooms. Not offered any further food. Plenty of staff at breakfast yet seemed lacking direction and customer focus. Some were reviewing rota during breakfast. Server spilt juice on floor (left it there). Worst breakfast food and service we've experienced in a hotel in years. Probably would be fair to give 3.5 stars overall. Emailed hotel but they didn't respond.