The Manners Arms
Croxton Road, Knipton, Leicestershire NG32 1RH (01476 879222; mannersarms.com)

My friend Claire is getting married soon, so we thought a break from the planning was in order: good food, good wine and time to talk (and we did, until the dawn chorus interrupted us). There was a nice touch of synchronicity in staying at the Manners Arms, a former hunting lodge in the grounds of Belvoir Castle and recently taken back into family ownership by the Duke of Rutland (family name Manners), as Claire grew up on a farm on another Manners estate, in Derbyshire.

Knipton is one of many pretty villages on the Leicestershire-Lincolnshire border. Although it's just off the A1 (a 15-minute taxi ride from Grantham station), it feels remote - mobile phones work only intermittently - and proper working country, with livestock filling the fields.

The Manners Arms isn't a country house hotel, more a restaurant with rooms (10). And what a restaurant! Under the expert leadership of chef Paul Hoad, the dining room is a real find in a small village. Hoad sources much of his menu locally and the tasty food is matched by a small and reasonably priced wine list.

After dinner we moved into the lounge, which shares an open fire with the small bar (local beers on tap); one can imagine how intimate and cheering it would feel on a winter's day. This is a place where dogs are most definitely welcome (hurrah!), although anybody with anti-blood sports views might find the profusion of photographs of the Belvoir Hunt a touch de trop - and the snaps of the duke's family a tad creepy.

Our rooms were comfortable (superb beds), but let down by the dated decor (didn't Laura Ashley go out of fashion several years ago?). The bathrooms were clean and serviceable, but not opulent, despite the Gilchrist & Soames products and thoughtful touches such as slippers and bathrobes.

Breakfast was just as good as dinner, with freshly cooked dishes in generous portions; Claire and I were grateful afterwards for the long walk we took around the castle and its gardens.

The Manners Arms is slap bang in the middle of several sites of interest: Belvoir Castle is just up the road, of course, while Burghley House, Easton Garden, Belton House and Rutland Water are a short drive away. We'd definitely go back.

We liked: the food, the friendly staff

We didn't like: bedrooms a tad chintzy

The verdict: peaceful retreat for foodies

The cost: dinner and B&B from £105 for two