The Marquess of Exeter is a charming country pub that has recently come under the new ownership of Michelin Bib Gourmand-awarded chef, Krishnapal Negi. 
The pub is located in Lyddington, Rutland (which happens to be the smallest county in England). I fell in love with the pretty floral village as we drove in, especially the colourful doors on the red limestone cottages. 

The Place to Eat, Sleep and Drink

The Marquees of Exeter has 17 “Inn” Style rooms. They are simple, clean and work perfectly for those exploring the area. It is a popular spot for walkers and cyclists.

The location of the pub is perfect and the best part is you can expect to come back to a great meal on return from your adventures and a good night’s sleep. All rooms are B&B and in the morning expect to find a well cooked Full English.

At the country pub, you can enjoy authentic Indian cuisine created by Krishnapal Negi or a hearty classic pub grub. 

The pub and the restaurant have a relaxing ambiance making it comfortable for all. Dogs are welcome in the bar area and in some of the rooms too.

They have a meadow at the back to enjoy a drink or food in Alfresco style. There is also a fire pit for those who want to enjoy late summer evenings and a spot of tar gazing.

Throughout The Marquess of Exeter, expect service with a smile. Hanuman, the manager dealt with us during our stay and he made us feel welcome.

During our stay, we had a comfortable night’s sleep. The room had a double bed, shower over the bathtub and basic amenities. The pub has plenty of free parking too for guests.

The Food

Now the main reason I went to The Marquess of Exeter was to enjoy food made by the award-winning chef Krishnapal. Having enjoyed the food in 1947 London, where he was before, I had to try out more of his cooking at Marquees of Exeter. If I lived closer I would definitely switch between pub grub and Indian cuisine.

The Indian menu is small at present so Chef Krishnapal gets a feel of what his customers like. More vegetarian dishes will appear soon too (July 2022).

18 months later we went back to try more of Krishna’s menu and the food is just as good as I remember. With a bigger selection on their menu and a specials list, you are in for a treat. All the dishes we have tried are below.

 The food portions are generous, making them perfect for sharing (any excuses to try more). Prices are competitive with starters from £7, mains £16 and sides £5.

Starters

• Wild mushroom cake: A perfectly consistent mushroom patty with spicy chickpeas coved with a slightly sweetened yoghurt, sev, coriander and pomegranate. A twist on the classic chaat and so enjoyable.
• Chicken 65: Many places serve Chicken 65 however they do not get it right. The coated chicken should be deep fried and well spiced with garlic and chillies yet juicy. Chef Krishnapal made it how it should be.
• Samosa Chaat: A crisp samosa filled with green peas and potatoes served with sweet yoghurt, tamarind chutney, green chutney & pomegranate seeds. It is a flavour bomb
• Lamb Chops: Two succulent marinated in home spices and cooked with a nice char. The chops came with a tasty green chutney.

Main Courses

• Butter chicken: A creamy spicy curry sauce with succulent chicken. The texture was perfect and the dish was presented with a swirl of cream.
• Lamb Masala: Lamb pieces in a rich tomato sauce flavoured with freshly ground spices.
• Dum Coconut Prawn Curry: Dum means sealed and cooked low and slow. The lightly spiced yet flavour packed prawn curry was sealed in a coconut and cooked until to perfection. It was a dish I have never tried and ticked many boxes.

Sides

• Aloo jeera: Potatoes tossed with cumin, tomatoes and well-cooked spices
• Baby corn & palak masala: Not sure why I have never tried baby corn and spinach together – they make such a perfect pair. The vegetables were cooked with garlic, onion and tomato. Simple but tasty.
• Pindi Chole: Chickpeas cooked with onion, garlic & tangy spicy masala
• Palak Paneer: A freshly made spinach base that is tempered with cumin and garlic and mixed in with paneer cubes

Fresh Bread & Rice

• Truffle Naan: This sounds different I know but Kev & I are truffle fans so had to try this. It was delicious
• Garlic & Cheese Naan: Their naans are freshly prepared and the chefs put two ingredients we love in one naan. The garlic quantity was perfect and the cheese was just enough and not over greasy.
• Buttery Pilau: Perfectly prepared rice to mop up any sauces
  

Dessert

There is always space for dessert and we shared a berry cheesecake. The crumb was crunchy, and cheesecake creamy and the berries added that sweet tangy flavour to it.
We have also tried their trip flavoured kulfi which was exquisite (mango, chocolate & vanilla) and their melt in your mouth Gulab Jamun.

Drinks

From Ales to Pimms to a range of soft drinks, they have a vast range of drinks that you would expect from a pub. It was a hot summer’s day and we enjoyed an Aperol Spritz and chilled Cider. you can enjoy drinks in the pub area, meadows and restaurants.

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The Marquess of Exeter is one you need to add to your list this year. Perfect for solo travellers, couples, groups and families. With lovely meadows around, prepare to get those walking shoes on and explore the village before returning back to good food and drinks.

Not far from here is The Rutland Hall Hotel that has a spa too. Why not spend a few more days in the area and have the perfect staycation.

For more details check out their website.
Address: 52 Main Street, Lyddington, Uppingham, Rutland, LE15 9LT.

Neha

Disclaimer [AD]: This was an invite/gift. All views, opinions and photos are my own unless otherwise stated.