The old limestone town with the Welland trickling through has successfully resisted modern architecture and multinational retailers, to leave behind a great looking town full of thriving independent businesses.

It is also home to a number of restaurants, some of which are truly exceptional. The latest example is the newly refurbished William Cecil... and we think it’s set to gain a reputation as one of the town’s best restaurants, despite reopening just six months ago.

The venue is the sixth addition to Hillbrooke Hotels’s portfolio of quality pub restaurants and coaching inns. A further presence in Stamford is the Bull & Swan, just down the road from its newest acquisition. The William Cecil is a larger project and represents the company’s flagship venue in Lincolnshire.

The Grade II* listed William Cecil has 27 rooms, all beautifully — and individually — designed, as well as two dining rooms, three function rooms, spacious bar and a comfortable orangery.

“It’s important to create somewhere that looks good, somewhere that offers quality.” says the venue’s General Manager, Nick Jefford, “But more important than this was the creation of somewhere that was accessible to all.”

“The company’s slogan is ‘quirky luxury,’ and that’s what we’ve aimed to create here. We believe that high standards of dining and professional service doesn’t necessarily need to take place in an environment that’s formal. We want to create a warm place to dine that’s comfortable and enjoyable for all and never feels stuffy.”

The two dining rooms are particularly well appointed, with soaring ceilings and large print foil wallpaper creating a sense of space. Varnished original floorboards, heavy traditionally carved chairs and grand fireplaces all create a cosy feel.

The à la carte menu is served in each dining room, and in the bar. The latter also has a further bar menu comprising nibbles, quick bites from olives to open sandwiches, sharing slates (charcuterie, fish and ploughmans) and fish & chips.

The Nibbles &?Starters section is nine dishes strong, ranging from Hambleton Sour Dough breads and bowls of olives to Thornham Oysters, Smoked Duck Salad and Smoked Haddock.

A choice of six main courses follows, from Rump of Lamb served with White Beans, Wild Mushrooms, Creamed Potato & Tarragon, to Roasted Pork Belly, with Buttered Kale, Parsnip & Apple Purée, and Fish & Chips.

A further steak section provides rump and ribeye steaks and a monster 20oz chateaubriand option. Each of these is available with a choice of four sauces and five side dishes.

A choice of five puddings includes zesty options. These include Passion Fruit & Lemon Posset, a daily-changing Crèmé Brulée, Warm Apple Crumble, or the intriguing Meringue Mont Blanc served with Chestnut Purée & Dark Chocolate Sorbet. A local cheese board created by Stamford’s Cheese Cellar is also available with one, three or five cheeses.

Sunday lunch at the restaurant is offered at a reasonable £19 for two courses, or £24.50 for three. A?choice of three starters, four main course options and four puddings are available, but our recommendation would be the Roasting Pot — designed to feed a family of four or six for £45 and £65 respectively. These are prepared to order in around half an hour so families can spend some time together over some nibbles beforehand.

“We’ve had some amazing feedback so far.” says Nick. “We’ve had a really busy Christmas which has been encouraging, but we’re really looking forward to the next few months.”

“We’ve some great ideas for our Spring menus, and some really good local ingredients to call upon.”

“Our aim is to provide simple, fresh, seasonal food, not complicated, but very tasty. We’re not
interested in creating a pretentious environment, just a comfortable and happy one for our
customers!