“Historic country manor hotel with a two Michelin starred restaurant. Design blends authentic English heritage with a unique modernist take; 5 chic rooms are located in the main house, with 2 more by the lake. The Barn is another Michelin starred restaurant for more casual dining. A foodie hot spot.”
“Historic country manor hotel with a two Michelin starred restaurant. Design blends authentic English heritage with a unique modernist take; 5 chic rooms are located in the main house, with 2 more by the lake. The Barn is another Michelin starred restaurant for more casual dining. A foodie hot spot.”
Hotel Review
On the outskirts of the south-west Lancashire village of Aughton – behind woodland, surrounded by farmland – there is every chance you might sail right past Moor Hall. Which would be a pity. This restaurant-with-rooms has twice been voted ‘Best Restaurant in England’ at the Estrella Damm awards, and holds a coveted two Michelin stars (which it won within a year of its opening in 2017). To add to its rarity value, Moor Hall has a second restaurant, The Barn, within its grounds that also holds a Michelin star. Exceptional food aside (chef-patron, Mark Birchall, formerly worked at Cumbria’s Michelin-starred L’Enclume) the building itself is striking. A 16th century manor house with beams, panelled walls, decorative plasterwork and stone-mullioned windows but blended with a 21st century design aesthetic of linen and velvet sofas, modern crystal chandeliers and a light-flooded Scandi-style dining room. The seven bedrooms are large and spoiling with open beams and a sophisticated modern style of gleaming colours, silks and velvets, Emperor beds, designer lighting and huge bathrooms with freestanding baths.
Dinner is a succession of some dozen dishes exquisitely presented (without fuss or fireworks) and where flavours are fresh and intense; up to 80 per cent of produce comes from the kitchen garden. It’s fun and relaxed, helped by waiters who combine professionalism with an unstuffy manner. In spring 2024, seven standalone garden rooms will launch around the secluded woodland that surrounds the gardens so guests can stay two nights and dine in The Barn, a striking space blending rustic and industrial, and with more casual but equally flavour-driven dishes.
Written by Helen Pickles
Recommended For
- Foodies
- A temple to food; as well as two fab restaurants, the property offers a dairy, dry ageing room for meat, a bakery & microbrewery
- Historic
- While the estate can be traced back to the early 13th century, the Grade II listed manor house dates from 1533
- Romantic Break
- Book The Mulberry Suite if you fancy soaking in a roll-top bath in front of a grand marble fireplace
- Short break
- Ideal weekend-away material, located within easy reach of both Liverpool & Manchester
- Sights nearby
- Drive into Liverpool for the day (25 mins each way). Top sites include Royal Albert Dock, Tate Liverpool & The Beatle's Story
- Golf
- In addition to Royal Birkdale, there are a number of award-winning golf courses in the local area
- Great walks
- Walk off dinner at nearby Gorse Hill Nature Reserve
- Luxury
- Rooms are a divine blend of old & new; emperor beds, fireplaces & chandeliers guarantee a special stay
- Views
- All rooms located within The Hall offer sweeping lake & garden views
- Owner managed
- Good wine list
- Full of character
- Country House
- Designer
- Spa
- Gourmet
- Remote
- Secluded setting
- Boutique
- Romantic
- Intimate
- Chic
- Contemporary
- Restaurant with rooms
- Village
Facilities
- Restaurant
- Under Chef Patron Mark Birchall, the property has been voted 'Restaurant of The Year' in 2019 and 'UK's Best Restaurant' in 2021
- Car not required
- As well as being able to arrange deluxe chauffeur-driven cars, there's also a helictoper landing spot on-site
- Garden
- Set over 5 acres of landscaped gardens, complete with ornamental lake
- Views
- All rooms located within The Hall offer sweeping lake & garden views
- Fireplace
- Certain suites boast original fireplaces
- Adult Only
- Best suited to grown-up weekend aways
- Spa
- Babysitting
- Good wine list
- Private dining room
- Outdoor dining
- Airport transfer
- Bar
- Parking
- Sitting Room
- Wifi
- Suites
- Satellite / Cable TV
Activities
- Sights nearby
- Drive into Liverpool for the day (25 mins each way). Top sites include Royal Albert Dock, Tate Liverpool & The Beatle's Story
- Golf
- In addition to Royal Birkdale, there are a number of award-winning golf courses in the local area
- Great walks
- Walk off dinner at nearby Gorse Hill Nature Reserve
Map & Location
What's Nearby
Other Reviews
Inside Moor Hall, Lancashire: "A temple of gastron
Just opened, Moor Hall is billed as a restaurant with rooms. In the past, these were humble affairs, a showcase for the skills of a chef/patron, with a few rooms tacked on. Times have changed. Wealthy individuals, attracted by the hospitality business, are now appearing on the scene, keen to back talent and give emerging chefs a platform. On the borders of Merseyside and Lancashire, two alumni of Simon Rogan’s two-Michelin-star L’Enclume have new showcases courtesy of major investment: Kevin Tickle at Forest Side in Cumbria and his former boss, L’Enclume’s executive chef for nine years, Mark Birchall, here at Moor Hall. Owners Andy and Tracey Bell, with whom self-effacing, quietly-spoken Mark has formed an equal business partnership, are responsible for the multimillion-pound transformation of the 16th-century manor house into a temple of gastronomy à la mode.
Originally published by The Telegraph
Moor Hall Review
The fine old building is steeped in history. It has a vast stone fireplace, mullioned windows and double-length tobacco-coloured chesterfields in the bar, and the seven bedrooms have 500-year-old beams and brickwork. You’re back in the 21st century in the fancy-pants, cutting-edge bathrooms...
Originally published by Sunday Times
