
Rutland is the smallest county in England, measuring just 16 miles by 16 miles. The county has two historic market towns, Oakham and Uppingham and over 50 pretty villages spread across its rolling, rural landscape.
At the centre of the county lies Rutland Water, an attraction for water sports and nature lovers.
The county hosts some top notch restaurants, some in luxurious hotels and others occupying centuries old village pubs.
Exeter ArmsThe BBC (Barrowden Brewing Company) is housed in an old stone barn adjacent to this seventeenth-century pub overlooking the village green and the duck pond.
28 Main Street, Barrowden, Rutland - Cuisine: Gastro pub
The Olive BranchThe Olive Branch Clipsham Guide entry suspended
Main Street, Clipsham, Rutland - Cuisine:
The Sun InnPretty as the proverbial picture, this delightful seventeenth-century inn looks like everyone's idea of the quintessential English country pub, with its tidy thatched roof, whitewashed walls, hanging baskets and flagstoned courtyard.
25 Main Street, Cottesmore, Rutland - Cuisine: Gastro pub
Hambleton HallFor many people, Hambleton Hall is the archetypal country house hotel and restaurant. The setting – high above Rutland Water (Europe's largest man-made lake) – is a pure delight and the views are stunning.
, Hambleton, Rutland - Cuisine: Modern British
Finch's ArmsSpectacular views over lawns and gardens towards Rutland Water (Europe's largest man-made lake) are one the major attractions at this gentrified seventeenth-century farmhouse pub/restaurant.
Oakham Road, Hambleton, Rutland - Cuisine: Gastro pub
Barnsdale Lodge HotelStanding amid graceful gardens on the north shore of Rutland Water, Barnsdale Lodge started life as a seventeenth-century stone farmhouse on the Exton Estate (home of the locally renowned Noel family).
The Avenue, Oakham, Rutland - Cuisine: Modern British
Rutland Chinese RestaurantOpened on nearby Castle Lane in 1974, this well-liked neighbourhood restaurant is thriving in its new premises. It is now owned by long-serving chef Simon Cheung and his wife, who have developed the place as a family business with a reputation for friendly atmosphere and attractively priced food.
7 Market Place, Oakham, Rutland - Cuisine: Chinese
The VoujonOpened in 1995, the flagship of the Voujon mini-chain brings a touch of upmarket Indian cuisine to Oakham. The decor fuses east and west, contemporary and traditional, with comfortable leather sofas in the bar and lots of fashionable trappings in the open-plan restaurant: book well ahead if you want to reserve a table by the window.
4 Burley Corner, Oakham, Rutland - Cuisine: Indian
Jackson Stops InnOriginally a farmhouse, but turned into a pub at the beginning of the twentieth century, this good-looking thatched inn gets its odd name from an estate agent called Jackson Stops, whose sign was stuck up outside the building when it was waiting for a buyer.
Rookery Lane, Stretton, Rutland - Cuisine: Gastro pub
The Lake Isle Restaurant and Town House HotelTo gain entrance to the restaurant in this attractive eighteenth-century town house (especially in the evening) you need to penetrate the attractive floral displays in the courtyard at the back of the building.
16 High Street East, Uppingham, Rutland - Cuisine: Modern European
The Kings ArmsAt the heart of a pretty village two miles from Rutland Water, the Kings Arms has taken on a new lease of life thanks to it current owners, the Goss family.
13 Top Street, Wing, Rutland - Cuisine: Gastro pub