Hart's Kitchen: seasonal dining on the ramparts of Nottingham Castle

Just a few minutes' walk from the bustle of the city centre, on Standard Hill beside Park Row, sits one of Nottingham's most elegant places to eat and stay. Hart's Hotel and Kitchen is set on the historic ramparts of Nottingham Castle, with a private garden and views out over Nottinghamshire.

Its story begins with Tim Hart. After a Cambridge philosophy degree and ten years in investment banking, he found his vocation as a restaurateur and hotelier, buying Hambleton Hall in 1979 and turning it into one of England's finest country hotels. In 1997 he opened Hart's Restaurant in Nottingham, and he went on to build Hart's Hotel, which opened in 2003. His wife, Stefa Hart, masterminds the interior design, with a focus on comfort and practicality.

Today Hart's is an independent four-star boutique hotel with 32 bedrooms, its own car park and garden. The team is proud that the AA rates it the highest-rated hotel in Nottingham, and the restaurant holds two AA Rosettes for culinary excellence.

Hart's Kitchen is committed to the best seasonal produce, with the menu continually reinvented to showcase ingredients from across the region. It is open daily, from breakfast through to an à la carte menu celebrating seasonal British flavours, with a bar menu and a popular Sunday lunch built on quality local meat.

Afternoon tea is a highlight, with finger sandwiches made with bread from Hambleton Bakery, scones with jam and clotted cream and a selection of homemade cakes. The bakery is another part of the Hart family's story: since opening in 2008 it has grown to eight shops and two cafés across the East Midlands.

Wine is a personal passion too. Tim Hart selects every bottle on the list himself, mixing great vintages, new discoveries and old favourites, with plenty from small, quality-driven producers.

With Nottingham Castle a few minutes away and theatre packages on offer, Hart's is a natural choice for a pre-show supper, a celebratory lunch or a weekend away in the city.

Menus, afternoon tea bookings, rooms and gift vouchers are all available on the Hart's Hotel and Kitchen website.