Set in a 14th-century coaching inn, The Lygon Arms is a much storied hotel located in Broadway, the archetypal Cotswolds village. The hotel has a jumble of relaxed lounges, cosy hidden corners, an afternoon tearoom and a summer alfresco courtyard. The Lygon now boasts a brand new restaurant – GRILL, developed in partnership with James Martin.

The Cotswolds inn has been a famed destination for centuries, attracting the likes of King Charles I, Oliver Cromwell, Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. Today’s celebrities include Hugh Grant and Amanda Holden. James Martin has overhauled the kitchens and he’s installed young star-chef Adam Summer from the Waterside Inn at Bray. Adam sources his ingredients locally and brings a fresh and modern enthusiasm to the recipes. What has resulted is a focused seasonal menu featuring some signature James Martin dishes, paired with a great wine list and cocktail selection.

We were ushered into the large, vaulted, duck blue-painted, ex-dance hall, oozing grandeur and style. We took our seats, unfurled our pristine starched napkins and absorbed the spectacular surroundings. The sign of good service is when you accidentally drop your napkin, it is speedily replaced, as it was here. One whole end wall of paintings, two large sun-drenched Tudor-style bay windows, and a cocktail bar create an impressive dining space. The huge antler chandeliers struck a bold chord, as did the fluffy pink-dyed grass heads amid the sumptuous and lofty floral displays that divided the room. It signals “prepare to be entertained by this food”!

I don’t often ask for a cocktail, but there was no reason to regret the Burton-Taylor Affair, a lilac-coloured special concoction based on alleged, 1960s dalliances at The Lygon – gin infused with butterfly pea tea, lemon juice, gomme syrup, and Parfait Amour liqueur. The drink looked the part, oozing glamour of a different age, subtle and refined in its tones. There’s a wide range of mocktails too for the designated driver, like the refreshing Cotswolds Garden – Seedlip non-alcoholic gin, lime juice, elderflower cordial, and Frobisher’s apple juice.

The Thai-spiced Cornish crab risotto starter went perfectly with a dry Galician Albarino white wine, this Spanish wine cleansing the palette and allowing the subtlety of the spices to come through. Portion-wise the risotto was a little too much for a starter but my dining partner still managed nonetheless. James Martin really does do “proper, no-nonsense, Yorkshire platefuls.”

The standout dish though was the refined starter of burnt aubergine, vegan ricotta, harissa, bulgur wheat, and soft herbs which sounded so different that we just had to try it. Intriguing, colourful, cosmopolitan, and the perfect light combination of textures and tastes.

For mains, the medium-rare lamb rump came garnished with the glistening dark green of fresh samphire and served with broccoli spears and asparagus tips. The melt-in-the-mouth lamb came beautifully presented, sliced, and stacked high over a pile of buttery Jersey Royal new potatoes and encircled by a tasty red wine jus and a smidgen of splattered mint.

James Martin seriously likes his butter. He’s even written a cookbook called ‘Butter’!

The criss-crossed 28-day aged 6oz fillet steak was chargrilled to perfection – the meat was tender and came with Koffman’s chips, dusted in caramelised onion salt, and malt-glazed Roscoff onions. The crisp Hampshire watercress salad was lightly dressed and the crunchy broccoli stems, with almonds and pesto in melted butter, complemented my Beauvale blue cheese sauce. Meats are sourced from nearby supplier Martins Meats (no relation btw!) in the North Cotswolds village of Toddington. Martins use only native breeds such as Aberdeen Angus, Hereford, and Longhorns. Longhorns are Britain’s oldest breed of cattle. They produce a finer grain, excellent marbling, and a much more succulent, juicy flavour. The meat is aged in pink Himalayan salt so it’s certainly some of the tastiest meat you can find in these parts.

You might think we were far too full to enjoy pudding, but you’d be wrong. Desserts shouted nostalgia and “great British favourites”. We shared a theatrical and sumptuous dark berries, almonds and marshmallow Knickerbocker Glory with little difficulty, padded out with whipped cream and raspberry ripple ice cream. We also enjoyed a lighter chocolate mouse – part crémeux part ganache – coupled with a zesty blackcurrant sorbet. Unusual but the perfect contrast and combination. There’s also James’s “Humble Crumble” and his renowned Sticky Toffee Pudding.

To conclude the perfect day out, we were lucky to enjoy our post-prandial coffee outside, sat sheltered within the honey-coloured stonewalls of the Oxford college-like Cotswold courtyard. Under the cool shade of a huge umbrella on a perfect English summer’s day, we people-watched and soaked up the relaxed atmosphere.

It was hard not to admire the professionalism and efficiency of the young, well-trained staff, so affable and business-like in their blue jeans, shirts, and navy aprons. The perfect agapanthus plant added to the wonderful sense of order …… a scene of complete and rare Cotswolds magic. We should all probably visit The Lygon Arms at least once in our lives.

Grill by James Martin at The Lygon
The Lygon Arms
High Street, Broadway, Worcestershire, WR12 7DU
lygonarmshotel.co.uk/eat-and-drink/