Situated within the historic buildings of Fawsley Hall Hotel, in the heart of the Northamptonshire countryside between Banbury and Daventry, the cutting edge Equilibrium restaurant was launched in September.

Head chef Nigel Godwin has created a menu which combines modern British cooking with attention to detail, resulting in an exceptional gastronomic experience.

Fawsley Hall is an elegant and striking country house hotel surrounded by 2,000 acres of beautiful parkland, and dating back to the 15th century.

Dishes on Nigel's elaborate and inventive menu include starters such as his signature dish pigeon and its own tea and parfait, or slow-cooked pork with rhubarb and chicory, or Scottish langoustines with mano, mint, lime and coconut.

Main courses include pan-fried monkfish and frogs' legs with Alsace Jelly, celeriac and lemon; sauteed line-caught turbot and scallops with Autumn truffles and citrus celery or 40-day dry-aged rare breed beef from Appletree Farm.

The dessert menu is equally inventive - choose between a bitter chocolate souffle with avocado ice cream and sea salt caramel or artichoke creme with truffle ice cream, toasted oats and olive oil gel.

Alternatively, go for the chocolate textures and temperatures, a fabulous treat for chocolate lovers.

Fawsley Hall is steeped in Tudor, Victorian and Georgian history. Equilibrium can be found in the old kitchen which forms part of the original house dating back to its construction by Richard Knightley in the early 1500s. Previous occupants of the house included Queen Elizabeth I in 1575, whose original suite now offers hospitality to 21st-century guests.

A combination of Nigel Godwin's accomplished and imaginative cooking, the historic charm of the buildings and the rural location of Equilibrium at Fawsley Hall all contribute to it being the perfect food-lovers escape.