Fodor's Expert Review Langley Castle

This lavish 14th-century castle with turrets and battlements offers an elegant fine-dining experience. Choose from an excellent five-course prix-fixe menu of traditional English dishes with hints of Asian influence—perhaps the mutton served with miso broth and lobster wonton, or the halibut with samphire and razor clams. There's also a lighter (and cheaper) snack menu, and they do a lavish afternoon tea. The baronial dining room is romantic, with little candlelit alcoves draped in rich fabric. If you're really taken with the place, rooms start at around £55 per night. Langley Castle is 6 miles west of Hexham.