Head chef Paul Merrett is quite inspired by modern European food. Dishes from the heart of England include a roast breast of pheasant that Henry VIII would have loved. The produce is first class and dishes are beautifully prepared, without ever destroying the natural flavor of the ingredients. Fine examples included pan-fried sea bass and breast of guinea fowl. The chef deftly handles essential flavors without interfering with them, as is the case with his filet of Scottish beef. To make this dish more interesting, though, he adds such wake-up-the-taste-buds sides as sautéed foie gras and red-onion jam. The menu is backed up by a very large wine list with some 500 selections. Some of the delightfully sticky desserts, including a moist bread-and-butter pudding and a baked ginger loaf with orange marmalade, would please a Midlands granny.