Hartnett Holder & Co is exactly what you’d expect it to be.

If you’re the kind of diner who aspires to weekends away in boutique hotels, the sweeping drive from the road to the Limewood Hotel will be your idea of heaven.

Similarly, if you’re the sort who thinks Michelin food is poncy and despise anything that looks like it’s aimed at the London set, the racks of free-to-borrow Hunter wellies in reception will confirm all your prejudices.

Personally , I love it. As a fan of Hotel du Vin (the chain founded by hotelier behind the Lime Wood’s owner, Robin Hutson) and, more importantly, the Limewood’s sister hotel The Pig, I was predisposed to love Hartnett and Holder.

Throw in the chance to eat food created by Angela Hartnett and it’s hard to see why people aren’t beating down the door to get in.

It’s the price, I imagine – sticking point neatly tackled by the set lunch menu, which comes in at less than £20 for two courses and coffee. (They’re also very proud to say that if you choose the set lunch you can be in and out in 45 minutes or your money back, which is my idea of hell. But then I don’t do many business lunches, so.)

We chose the young vegetable salad to start – we asked for one to share and got two half size portions, a neat touch. The freshest ewes milk cheese drizzled with honey, baby carrots, sweetest beetroot, capers in their natural state and toasted pumpkin seeds, it could be one of the best starters I’ve ever eaten.

We followed it with two incredible pasta dishes - well, when Angela Hartnett is actually in the kitchen you can’t really not try the pasta.

Mine, from that bargain lunch menu was flakes of lamb shank in a deep, marrow-rich sauce, served with perfect tagliatelle and lightened with olives, mint and lemon.

My husband went for garganelli pasta with wood pigeon, burrata (a type of cheese made from mozzarella and cream ) with black olives, all served in another sauce so rich and meaty you could have spread it on your toast. The waiter recommended a side dish of deep fried courgettes, which were every bit as moreish as he said they were.

The wine, although not cheap, was gorgeous – an amber Sauvignon Blanc and a crisp Viognier served by the glass.

We finished with the chocolate and caramel mousse – a beautifully light caramel mousse with the chocolate added as cocoa nibs, the perfect bitter complement to the sweetness, and an outstanding lemon posset made of layers of lemon curd, jelly and sorbet topped with salted oats so palate cleansing it was tempting to go back to the menu and start all over again.

The Pig has been criticised for its hit and miss service – problems that seem to have been ironed out at the Lime Wood.

But what I loved about most about it was that all the dishes were straightforward - the kind of thing you could dream of replicating at home, all the time knowing that you’d never cook anything so delicious. It was amazing. Don’t pass it up.

The Bill

  • Baby vegetable salad £7.50
  • Lamb tagliatelle £16
  • Garganelli £18
  • Deep fried courgettes £3.75
  • Desserts x 2 £14
  • Glass of Voignier £7.50
  • Two glasses Sauvignon Blanc £13

Total bill: £84

Ratings board:

  • Location 4.5
  • Atmosphere 4
  • Value for Money 4
  • Quality of food 5
  • Service 4
  • Comfort 5
  • Family friendly 3
  • Menu choice 4.5
  • Overall rating 4.5
  • Recommend to a friend? Yes!