Hanbury Manor consists of a large English manor house and grounds. It is located along the Cambridge Road, Ware, Hertfordshire, U.K.. The building formerly served as a manor house (in Renaissance Jacobean style architecture), for the landed gentry. It then became a boarding school, run by a group called the Faithful Companions of Jesus. These days it serves as a hotel and country club, operated by the Marriott Group.
The hotel and estate are situated among 200 acres of lush Hertfordshire parkland.
Hanbury manor has three venues for dining: Oakes Grill; a restaurant called Colette’s; and a cocktail bar, that serves light snacks and afternoon tea. For this trip within the fine building, Digital Journal sampled the delights available at Oakes Grill.
Oakes Grill, is a large restaurant with a terrace. The restaurant is relaxed and it conveys a warm ambiance. The design is modern.
The restaurant offers a menu featuring a diverse array of European cuisine.
On this occasion, three people were dining. For starters, we enjoyed a tasty, mellow butternut squash soup, which came delightfully served in a saucepan.
Accompanying the soup was some rustic bread.
For main courses, one of the party opted for a large beefburger. By all accounts this was well-cooked and succulent. Sweet potatoes, crunchy on the outside and fluffy soft in the middle, were served with the meal.
Another of the party elected cod, which came grilled and served on a bed of black lentils. Chips were served as a side accompaniment, taking something away from the healthy aspect of the grilled fish!
Digital Journal’s reporter elected for the vegetarian dish. This was a cottage pie, composed of creamy and cheesy mashed potato, covering button mushrooms in a rich, red wine sauce. The meal came with tender French green beans.
Being sufficiently sated, we did not sample from the dessert menu and instead opted for tea and coffee.
Also — and noticeably unusual for the U.K. based Digital Journal restaurant reviews — alcohol was not sampled on this occasion. There was, however, a good range of world wines to choose from, or beer for those preferring the grain to the grape.
The restaurant is a great place to indulge in a delicious meal. The food is nicely prepared, well-cooked and delicious. The staff were friendly and efficient. Digital Journal rating: 4 out of 5.
Hanbury Manor itself is a good place to visit, presenting extensive grounds and a finely designed building. Digital Journal profiled the manor house and hotel in 2014.
