Greywalls Hotel

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The 2011/12 edition of The List's Eating & Drinking Guide is out now – only £5.95 (+p&p).

Definitely posh, but not imposingly so, Greywalls, on the edge of Muirfield golf course, revels in its setting in the splendour of the East Lothian countryside. Edwin Lutyens designed the house in 1901 and the Weaver family has owned the property as superlative country house hotel since the 1940s. But the work goes on, with the Getrude Jekyll gardens now in the final stages of restoration. Head chef David Williams arrived in 2005 and has been gradually introducing changes to reflect a closer relationship with local producers. A choice of four or five dishes at each stage reveals a concentration on game, beef and pork: four-hour pork is a succulent roast of East Lothian belly pork teamed with comforting creamed potatoes and Savoy cabbage. It's not all about meat, however, with a fricassee of wild mushrooms accompanied by a colourfully elegant beetroot purée and black spaghetti. There's a separate menu showing off the work of artisan cheese makers from Scotland, France and England, while the wine list is extensive and well-annotated, as well it might be, given that the current owner's father put down some exceptional pre and post-war vintages.

• High point: A splendid country house experience without any of the chores …
• Low point: … though sometimes a few too many of the formalities