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vignettes of foreign countries they had visited
or dreamt about.
On departure the following day, it was heart-
warming to learn a tender story about the iconic
chef. During one of his trips, Monsieur Blanc fell
in love with a painting he saw in a shop window.
He immediately went in and despite the high
price tag, he purchased it. After returning home,
he did some research on the painting and
believed it to be by the legendary artist Tamara
de Lempicka. With great gusto and excitement,
he went to have it valued, believing that he had
actually paid a fraction of the real value of the
painting. Sadly, it turned out to be a copy.
However, Monsieur Blanc still proudly
showcases it in one of the rooms as he loves it
and there is no value one can place on love.
The era of the great country homes may no
longer exist but like the painting it’s not about
the authenticity of returning to a bygone era—
it’s about how it makes you feel. The experience
at Le Manoir truly evokes the past but it’s fi rmly
rooted in the present. Despite being a short
sojourn, it did refresh the senses indeed, which,
in the end, was really what a weekend at a great
country house was all about. belmond.comThe room is decorated as
a private residence where
each piece is unique and holds
special meaning for the owner.
As with all good country estates, an oriental
room is a must and Le Manoir’s is no
disappointment. The room is decorated as a
private residence where each piece is unique
and holds special meaning for the owner. The
fact that the owner happens to be one of the
world’s most reticent, infl uential and leading
chefs means that your room is stocked up with
wonderful goodies that require restraint so as
to allow for the main event.
After resting for a while, it was time to dress
for dinner. The main event.
Dining at a two Michelin-starred restaurant
is always a treat and this was no less. We started
with canapés on the terrace where our appetite
was enhanced by the fragrance of fl owers.
Dinner was served in the conservatory amongst
artwork that complemented the ethos of the
food off ered here.
While much has been written about
Monsieur Blanc’s food, the tenderness and the
care that each dish is created with and
presented with, is what truly sets it apart. There
is also an intrinsic respect for the raw produce
that shines through each dish; it refl ects the
passion of the farm-to-table concept. Thus, it’s
natural that a list of anointed chefs have trained
under Monsieur Blanc—it reads like a roll call
of who’s who from the modern British food
scene—Heston Blumenthal, Michael Caines
and Marco Pierre White to name a few.
A walk around the extensive grounds that
surround Le Manoir serves as a wonderful
voyage of discovery and a digestive after the
over indulgence of dinner. Lazily strolling
around the mushroom valley, orchards, serene
English water gardens, and Japanese tea
pavilions, you would be forgiven if you thought
that you had entered EPCOT. But the
authenticity of it all harks back to the
yesteryears when wealthy young men recreated
Above: The rooms
here are comfortable
and homely.
Opposite: Le Manoir
transports you to
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