Restaurant in Lympstone, United Kingdom
Strong case for a special-occasion booking.
Michael Caines's country-house hotel on the River Exe estuary delivers serious French-British cooking — at £199–£255 per person — that rivals two-Michelin-star restaurants, despite holding one star. La Liste ranks it 90–92 points. For a special occasion in the South West combining a vineyard estate, formal dining rooms, and produce-led seasonal menus, it is hard to beat at this level.
Yes — with conditions. If you are planning a significant celebration and want a country-house dining experience that combines serious cooking with an overnight stay, Lympstone Manor delivers at a level that is hard to match in the South West. Michael Caines has been running one of England's most-discussed fine dining destinations here since 2017, and the combination of an 18th-century Grade II listed Georgian mansion, 11 acres of working vineyards overlooking the River Exe estuary, and a kitchen operating at near-two-Michelin-star level makes this a compelling choice. That said, at £199 per person for the à la carte and £239 to £255 for tasting menus, it demands a clear-eyed decision about what you are paying for.
Lympstone Manor sits in an awkward but interesting position: consistently praised by diners and critics at the level of the country's two-star restaurants, yet holding one Michelin star. La Liste ranked it 92 points in 2025 and 90 points in 2026. Google reviewers give it 4.7 across 634 reviews. The recurring theme in serious dining circles is the question of whether Michelin has underrated it. That debate is useful for you as a diner: you are potentially accessing two-star-quality cooking and country-house atmosphere at prices that track one-star establishments. For a special occasion with an overnight stay, that makes it one of the stronger value propositions in English fine dining at this tier.
The house is calm rather than hushed, formal but not stiff. Three chandeliered dining rooms set the tone for dinner — old-school silver-ish service from a front-of-house team that has clearly been drilled rather than improvised. This is not the kind of room where noise builds across the evening; the architecture and staffing both work against it. In summer, the veranda changes the mood considerably , drinks before dinner with vineyard views toward the Exe estuary is a genuinely different experience from the dining rooms, and worth timing your arrival around. The Pool House offers a more informal setting if the full ceremony of the main restaurant feels excessive for your occasion.
The kitchen's cooking philosophy , what Caines calls 'Terroir Cuisine' , is built around the premise that the surrounding landscape feeds the menu. That means the seasonal rotation here is more than a marketing position: produce sourced from the Exe estuary and local estates drives what actually appears on your plate at different times of year. Spring and early summer bring the new-season lamb from Powderham Estate, which has received particular attention from reviewers. Late spring through summer is also when the veranda becomes a genuine asset and the vineyard is at its most visually compelling. The estate's own Lympstone Blanc de Blancs and rosé sparklers head the wine list and are worth requesting , they give the experience a specificity of place that a London equivalent cannot offer. Autumn visits give access to game and the richer, more classical preparations that Caines handles with particular confidence. There is no weak season for the kitchen, but if you have a choice, late spring through early autumn maximises both what arrives from the kitchen and what you get from the setting.
Cooking sits firmly in the classical French-British tradition: technically precise, produce-led, and uninterested in novelty for its own sake. Head chef Jordan Denning executes Caines's menus with the kind of consistency that makes repeat visits reliable rather than variable. Documented dishes give a clear picture of the style: Lyme Bay lobster paired with mango, lime vinaigrette, cardamom, curried mayonnaise, and oscietra caviar; salted cod with confit lemon, samphire, crabmeat, and chorizo foam; Powderham Estate lamb with pea purée and truffle jus. These are not boundary-pushing plates, but they demonstrate the kitchen's command of layering acidity against richness, and of sourcing produce that justifies the price point. The à la carte at £199 per person gives you more flexibility than the tasting menus; the Estuary (£239) and Signature (£255) options make sense if you want the full arc of Caines's seasonal thinking in a single sitting.
For context on where Lympstone Manor sits in the broader field, see our comparisons below. For other serious dining destinations in the region, Gidleigh Park in Chagford is the most direct Devon competitor , also a country-house hotel with fine dining, though the cooking styles differ significantly. Further afield in the UK country-house category, Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons in Great Milton and L'Enclume in Cartmel represent the benchmark for estate-based fine dining. Lympstone competes with both on setting and cooking quality, at prices that sit in the same tier.
For a special occasion, yes. At £199–£255 per person, you are paying country-house hotel prices , but the cooking quality tracks restaurants that hold two Michelin stars, according to consistent reviewer consensus. La Liste placed it at 92 points (2025) and 90 points (2026). If you want serious French-British cooking combined with a vineyard estate setting in the South West, there is no direct equivalent at this price point in the region.
If this is a one-off visit, the Estuary (£239) or Signature (£255) tasting menus give you the clearest picture of what the kitchen can do across a full seasonal arc. The à la carte at £199 is the right choice if you have dietary constraints, prefer shorter meals, or are returning and want to select specific dishes. The tasting menus are where the seasonal rotation of produce is most deliberately expressed.
Dinner is the definitive experience here, particularly if you are staying overnight. The chandeliered dining rooms, full silver service, and the estuary views at dusk make a case that lunch cannot fully match. That said, lunch in summer , especially on the veranda , is a legitimate alternative and likely easier to book on shorter notice. The menus and prices are the same format regardless of service.
It is one of the strongest options for a significant occasion in the South West. The combination of formal dining rooms, estate setting, vineyard backdrop, overnight accommodation with firepit and hot tub options in some rooms, and cooking at near-two-star level is designed for exactly this use. Reviewers in Pearl's data consistently recommend it for romantic stays. Book an overnight if the occasion warrants it.
Book 4–6 weeks ahead minimum for weekend dinner. Overnight stays, particularly in summer, require more lead time. This is a hard-to-book venue , the combination of a small number of covers, strong demand, and an overnight stay component means availability disappears quickly for peak dates. If you have a fixed date in mind, book the moment the reservation window opens.
Smart attire is in keeping with the setting. This is a formal country-house dining room with silver service , jeans and trainers will feel out of place. A jacket for men is appropriate; the level of formality sits between business dinner and black tie. There is no confirmed dress code in our data, but the room and service style set clear expectations.
Choose your format before you arrive: à la carte (£199) for flexibility, tasting menus (£239–£255) for the full seasonal progression. Factor in the estate wines , the Lympstone Blanc de Blancs is produced on-site and worth ordering. If you are driving, the postcode is EX8 3NZ; Lympstone Village train station is approximately 1 km away for those arriving by rail. In summer, plan to arrive early enough to have drinks on the veranda before dinner.
The venue has three dining rooms and an estate setting that can accommodate group bookings, but this is not a large-group restaurant in the conventional sense. For parties attending a special occasion dinner, contact the venue directly to discuss private dining arrangements , the formal room structure makes it better suited to intimate groups than large celebrations. Specific group capacity is not confirmed in our data.
| Venue | Awards | Price | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lympstone Manor | “On a different planet!” – All reports agree that Michael Caines’s superb country-house hotel overlooking the River Exe is one of the country’s finest dining destinations and it seems ever-more “surprising he hasn’t got a second Michelin star here” as so many reports compare it favourably with other establishments that do. Maybe Michelin inspectors are not as gooey-eyed as those in our annual diners’ poll, who particularly recommend it for a romantic stay. Surrounded by 11 acres of vineyards that were planted just after its 2017 opening, it occupies a fine period, 18th-century mansion with sweeping views. When it comes to Michael’s ‘Terroir Cuisine’, you can sample it from an à la carte menu (for £199 per person) or there are ‘Estuary’ or ‘Signature’ tasting options for £239 and £255 per person respectively.; La Liste Top Restaurants (2026): 90pts; Local chef Michael Caines is behind this tastefully restored Grade II listed Georgian house, which sits in peaceful grounds dotted with sculptures. In summer, the pretty veranda makes the perfect place for a drink before you enjoy the sophisticated, well-balanced cooking. Michael's experience and abundant technical skill shine through in classical dishes elevated by his fine judgement and exceptional produce – such as Sladesdown duck with an exemplary jus providing great complexity of flavour. The bedrooms are beautifully furnished and some even come with a firepit and hot tub.; Embracing the country house genre with charm, sumptuously sited Lympstone Manor boasts picture-perfect views across its own extensive vineyards to the Exe estuary, plus three gracious chandeliered dining rooms, luxe bedrooms, and a front-of-house team well-drilled in old-school 'silver-ish' service. Where Lympstone parts company with tradition, however, is in the food. Michael Caines' cooking, with its roots in France and Britain, is a tantalising mix of classic and modern. His carte and tasting menus are deftly executed by head chef Jordan Denning and, while breaking new ground is not the game here, the cooking shows off superlative produce and gains vitality (as well as identity) via its use of sharp flavours to point up the main ingredients. A delicate nugget of warm Lyme Bay lobster offset by a mango and lime vinaigrette, cardamom, curried mayonnaise and oscietra caviar is a delightful interplay of sweetness and acidity, while salted cod with dabs of confit lemon, samphire, crabmeat and chorizo foam creates a multi-layered sensation. Other revelations have been the straightforward pleasure of new season's Powderham Estate lamb – a gloriously flavoured rib chop – with pea purée, a dice of braised boulangère potatoes, balsamic-glazed onion and a glossy truffle jus. Similar contentment is to be found among the desserts, especially a delicate apple mousse with Granny Smith apple sorbet and vanilla foam. As for the wine list, Lympstone Blanc de Blancs and rosé sparklers head up a stunning collection that is resplendent in quality and imagination for those with the readies. Fine wines by the small glass are a flawless bunch. It’s also worth noting that the Pool House overlooking the heated pool and vineyard sets a more informal tone, with a broadly appealing menu that aims for easy satisfaction.; HIGHLIGHTS: • INCREDIBLE SEA VIEW • WINE ESTATE • MODERN BRITISH CUISINE • ENCHANTING BATHTUBS DIRECTIONS & ACCESS: Directions By car EX83NZ By plane Exeter Airport (Intl) 14 km By train Lympstone Village 1 km GPS coordinates 50.6403 -3.4179 MEMBER SINCE: 4.6/5; La Liste Top Restaurants (2025): 92pts; Local chef Michael Caines is behind this tastefully restored Grade II listed Georgian house, which sits in peaceful grounds dotted with sculptures. In summer, the pretty veranda makes the perfect place for a drink before you enjoy the sophisticated, well-balanced cooking. Michael's experience and abundant technical skill shine through in classical dishes elevated by his fine judgement and exceptional produce – such as Sladesdown duck with an exemplary jus providing great complexity of flavour. The bedrooms are beautifully furnished and some even come with a firepit and hot tub.; Michelin 1 Star (2024) | ££££ | — |
| CORE by Clare Smyth | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | ££££ | — |
| Restaurant Gordon Ramsay | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | ££££ | — |
| Sketch, The Lecture Room and Library | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | ££££ | — |
| The Ledbury | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | ££££ | — |
| Dinner by Heston Blumenthal | Michelin 2 Star, World's 50 Best | ££££ | — |
Key differences to consider before you reserve.
Groups are workable here given the three separate dining rooms, which allow for more private configurations than a single open-plan restaurant. The format — formal service, tasting menus priced from £239 per person — means costs add up fast for larger parties. For groups of six or more, check the venue's official channels to discuss room allocation; the more relaxed Pool House may suit parties who want the setting without the full tasting menu commitment.
Book at least four to six weeks out for weekend dinner, longer if you want a specific room or a stay-and-dine package. Lympstone regularly features in diners' polls as one of the country's best dining destinations, so demand is consistent. Midweek lunch tends to have more availability and the à la carte at £199 per person remains an option if you want flexibility on timing.
The house runs formal silver-service across three chandeliered dining rooms, so treat this as a dress-up occasion: jacket for men is appropriate and expected in line with the setting. The Pool House sets a more relaxed tone if you prefer a less formal atmosphere, but the main dining rooms signal clearly that smart dress fits the room.
At £239 (Estuary) or £255 (Signature) per person, the tasting menus are where the kitchen performs at its ceiling: technically precise, produce-led cooking from head chef Jordan Denning that consistently draws comparisons to two-Michelin-star restaurants in diners' polls. If you want the full Caines experience, book the Signature menu. For a lighter financial commitment, the à la carte at £199 per person covers the same kitchen and produce philosophy.
Dinner is the flagship experience: all three dining rooms in use, full silver service, and the tasting menus running at full length. Lunch makes more sense if you are visiting for the first time on the à la carte at £199 per person, or if the sweeping vineyard and Exe estuary views — better appreciated in daylight — are part of the draw. For a special occasion, dinner with a room is the stronger proposition.
At £199 to £255 per person before wine, Lympstone sits at the same price tier as Michelin two-star restaurants, and the cooking is consistently judged by diners to belong there — La Liste ranked it 92pts in 2025 and 90pts in 2026. The gap between its pricing and its single Michelin star is a known talking point, but if you are benchmarking against the country-house dining category rather than the star count, the value case is strong. Add a vineyard stay and the total cost of a night rises significantly, so calibrate expectations accordingly.
Yes — it is one of the more considered choices in the country for a milestone celebration. The combination of a Grade II listed Georgian house, 11 acres of vineyards, Exe estuary views, and rooms with firepits and hot tubs creates a package that goes beyond dinner. Diners' polls specifically highlight it for romantic stays, and the formal but unfussy service suits occasions where you want things to feel genuinely considered rather than operationally corporate.
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