I can't think of many places that greet you with an oil painting while you perch on the loo. Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons, Raymond Blanc's gastronomic Oxfordshire retreat, is a member of this select club, and my toilet-top gaze is distracted by a scene of some swans, a river and a young maiden, set against a modern geometric wallpaper print. It is symbolic of the opulent but rather strange décor of my room, enigmatically named "Lace" and one of Le Manoir's stalwart superior suites. The TV and hi-fi rise by remote control from a wobbly cabinet, as if such modern paraphernalia can only be tolerated in small doses in these refined and slightly staid environs.
The slick Italian stereo is served up with a side order of handpicked classical CDs offering the promise of all-encompassing relaxation through surround-sound music. Unfortunately, though a top-of-the-range brand, the CD player stutters and sticks, managing to make even the most wonderful violin adagios sound like a drunken student practising: for me, the antithesis of relaxation.
But although the overall impression is spacious, comfortable, respectable and classic, there is the signature Manoir twist - in this case an above-the-bed set of framed black and white photographs with suggestive glimpses of lace lingerie. Compared with the hotel's newly unveiled "Lemongrass" suite, Lace is a world - and I suspect a generation - apart. But this is all part of the philosophy of "celebrating difference" which pervades the hotel. If a guest would prefer a duvet, they must have one, while blanket-lovers must also be catered for, believes chef-proprietor Raymond Blanc. There is no sense in alienating 40% of guests - the proportion who prefer blankets, according to a recent customer survey.
At our first meeting, "RB" sweeps into the lounge to welcome us and congratulates us on wearing jeans. He is keen to bring down the average age of his guests, he says, and is delighted that we feel at ease in less formal wear. He perches on a fireside seat, surrounded by photographs of himself with the Queen Mother, Alain Ducasse and other gastronomic glitterati. He asks us to spend some time in the hotel and restaurant and report back to him afterwards on whether we are surprised by his patron profile. Le Manoir's 21st year has been a year of change and modernisation, both in the 32-room manor house hotel and its double Michelin-starred kitchen.
"In the last 10 years there has been a redefinition of luxury," Blanc tells me. "It is no longer about having gold taps in the bathroom; we have to say more by saying less."
With our lifestyles becoming ever more stressed and exhausting, he believes today's guest is primarily looking for an environment in which to relax. "The culture must be therapeutic," he explains. "Comfort and wellbeing are at the top of the list."
In the sumptuous but unstuffy lounge, Blanc explains he is attempting to appeal to feminine tastes by using intoxicating textures and muted colours. But this doesn't translate into a slavish following of fads and trends: the aim is rather to create a "modern classic" with enduring appeal. "I'm fed up with cleverness, I want intelligence," he says. "Minimalism is out - it works against humanity!" Instead golds, silvers, and ambers gleam out of cushions and accessories; a cotton plant grows inside a lamp base. The room is solid, tasteful and indulgent, though not overpowering or overformal.
In the restaurant too, changes are afoot. The à-la-carte menu has been reduced to a minimum, with guests encouraged to try either the new 10-course Découverte tasting menu or the five-course Les Classiques du Manoir menu of "big flavour" signature dishes. The changes are aimed at "demystifying" food, and could be followed by a revolutionary decision not to announce the complicated names of the dishes as they are served - unless diners request it. The current style of service is, Blanc says, too intrusive; he is aiming for more "warmth".
Nowadays, the chef-patron tells me, many people don't want to eat a heavy three-course meal. "They don't even want to choose for themselves - they trust you," he says. The Découverte menu represents a departure from the previous house style, with more fluid presentation of dishes, lighter flavours and a greater use of aromatic spices. The results are mouthwatering and stylish, maintaining the kitchen's signature attention to detail and trueness to flavours. A foie gras confit with sour cherry and mango chutney was followed by a succulent confit of salmon, hovering somewhere between sushi and poached fish, with perfectly matched dill and wasabi, admirably set off by a Grenache blend.
In the restaurant, however, an ambience of hushed reverence persists, with even the cushions standing pertly to attention. The place is undeniably a temple to food, having retained its two Michelin stars for 21 years, though it has managed to remain refreshingly unstuffy and unpretentious after an early decision not to require jackets.
After not much under three hours at the dinner table, we return to our room where someone has kindly put on another CD for us, except that Jacqueline du Pré's cello concerto has morphed into something more akin to Indian yogic chanting - we're stuck again.
In the morning, we are treated to a walk in the garden with RB to hear more about his revolutionary plans for the grounds. The man has a tangible creative energy, waving his blistered chef's hands about at the slightest provocation and offering his views on everything from society to supermarkets to sex. "Gastronomy is a molecule in a maelstrom of change," he embarks. Families must eat homecooked food together at least once a week or society will break down, and if Britain doesn't get over its obsession with cheap, intensively farmed food, the country - and the NHS - is doomed!
As part of an effort to ensure traceable, sustainable and ethical food sourcing, Blanc has imposed a three-hour flying limit for all imported ingredients, with as much as possible locally grown or from Le Manoir's kitchen garden. There is a policy of sourcing at least 90% of the produce used in the kitchen from organic or traditional "artisan" producers. In a seemingly unstoppable phase of expansion, Blanc hopes to host a slow food festival here, as well as planting apple and pear orchards of traditional Oxfordshire varietals, opening a Provençal garden, and creating a valley of wild mushrooms - on top of the existing Japanese tea garden, 17th-century pond and organic herb garden. There is even talk of a farm shop to sell produce from the orchards on site - and this week came the news that Blanc had put aside concerns over TV chefs giving the profession a bad name, with the announcement that he was planning his own restaurant reality TV show in 2007.
Back indoors, £270,000 has been spent on renovations including installing broadband, flat-screen TVs and DVD players, as well as opening the new Lemongrass suite Blanc has jointly designed with Emily Todhunter. Inspired by the rice terraces of south-east Asia, its dramatic tiered bedroom, accented by lime green and varnished wood, affords over 47 square metres of floor space and its bathroom a further 25. But at a minimum of £825 per night, you would hope so.
Blanc is determined to bring down the average age of his patrons and widen access to both the hotel and its cuisine, and I was certainly surprised by the diversity of the guests I saw on my midweek stay this summer, though on closer inspection many of them were on honeymoon or celebrating a milestone birthday. With the introduction of the two new menus and a more health-oriented breakfast I can see this mission being successful in the restaurant, where the outstanding quality and innovation of the dishes justifies the high - though not extortionate - prices. But the cheapest room is an eye-watering £380 per night excluding dinner - so despite the expansive and well-maintained grounds, the immaculate and friendly service, and the painstaking attention to detail in each individually designed room, I can't see that a stay at the Manoir will become anything other than a "very special occasion" experience - though what a very special experience it is.
WAY TO GO
Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons, Church Road, Great Milton, Oxfordshire +44 (0)1844 278881.
Restaurant
The four-course Classiques du Manoir menu costs from £95pp, the 10-course Decouverte menu costs from £110, while the Menu du Jour weekday lunch menu costs from £45pp.
Hotel
The newly opened Lemongrass suite costs from £825 per night. Superior bedrooms such as the stunning Snow Queen room cost from £485.
Autumn Midweek Escape offer
From Sunday to Thursday nights until December 1 2006, an overnight stay for two people including the Classiques dinner menu, breakfast and lunch the next day is on offer from £675.
