November 2026

There is something civilised about a Tuesday lunch that stretches into the afternoon. No weekend crowds, no conversations bouncing off the walls and, ideally, no need to check the time between courses. At Tortello, the promise was an unhurried Italian lunch in chic surroundings, with good food, a cocktail or two and a belated birthday celebration for a friend. For the most part, it delivered. There were, however, a few hiccups, including a birthday dessert that appeared to have suffered a minor existential crisis before reaching the table.

The British country-house hotel is a curious institution. We take buildings originally designed to keep the general public at a respectable distance and spend considerable sums encouraging everyone back inside. Some become rather stuffy monuments to their own importance. Others manage to turn centuries of history into something genuinely useful.