Talavera at Radisson Blu St Helens Hotel

Restaurant %

This grand old house dates from the middle of the 17th century but has all the expected 21st-century mod cons of a Radisson Blu. There's a restaurant called talavera, which serves up smart Italian food in a series of rooms with either traditional country-house décor or rather more contemporary chic. There's also an all-day Orangery Bar for a cocktail or afternoon tea. The main restaurant focuses on the cooking of Lombardy, from whence the chef hails, and there's a tasting menu which includes a risotto - of course - and maybe osso buco as the star attraction. Otherwise you might start with a classic carpaccio, or spaghetti with tomato sauce and a generous amount of seafood (mussels, squid and prawns). Move on to noisettes of lamb with a fresh mint dressing and chorizo-flavoured mash, or pan-fried brill with asparagus confit, tomatoes and capers. Finish with rhubarb tart or tiramisù.