­It was my inept parking ability which proved just how good the staff is at Le Manoir aux Quat’ Saisons. I pulled into the Manoir on a sunny Sunday afternoon and was working on executing a perfect reverse park (ahem) in one of the farthest away lots, and it took me a few goes to get it right. As my husband was getting increasingly impatient with me, a uniformed valet appeared at the side of the car. “Can I help you, madam?” he said discreetly. Ahhh, this was the beginning of the Manoir treatment- understated, friendly, and two steps ahead of the needs of their guests. In this case, it was averting a full-blown fight.

But I shouldn’t have expected anything less. Le Manoir consistently racks up awards for everything from its service to its cuisine. It made the 2009 Conde Nast Traveller Gold List and last year was named the best hotel in the world for food by the same magazine. This 32-room country house hotel has garnered awards from Travel & Leisure, Conde Nast (US and UK) and has scooped up two Michelin stars.

The hotel and restaurant, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, is 1000% the vision of French-born chef Raymond Blanc. He has become increasingly well-known thanks to his star turn in the reality tv show “The Restaurant.” But unlike most celebrity chefs, Blanc has not over-extended and over-branded himself. Blanc does crank out the occasional cookbook (I love "Blanc Vite") and he also owns a chain of Brasserie Blanc, although it does seem that Le Manoir is his baby. Guests will actually find him cooking at Le Manoir and I saw Blanc frequently approaching guests (albeit startled ones) to ask how their stay is going.

More than 20 years ago, RB (as he is affectionately known) wanted to buy a small house so he could rent a few rooms and cook dinner- but instead he fell in love with this rambling 15th century manor house. He has turned his obsessive, perfectionist eye on every little detail, from the selection of the Pierre Frey fabrics to the embroidered pashminas hanging in the corridor. Another Blanc missive was to insist that all the rooms’ bathtubs should be double ended, with deck mounted taps so that two people can bathe together without a faucet stabbing you in the back – a simple but often overlooked design concept.

Of course Le Manoir, which is part of the Orient-Express group, is a hotel but it’s impossible to separate it from the restaurant, which is arguably the top reason people come here. RB’s food philosophy is all about simplicity, pleasure and freshness. The hotel has its own two acre garden, with over 70 varieties of vegetables and 90 types of herbs well as multiple greenhouses.

The gardens offer more than just ingredients for the kitchen; they are also perfect for walks. Guests can wander through the gardens, which all have neat rows of chalkboard labels, or relax in the Japanese Tea Garden. Also worth a look is RB’s mushroom field, and keep an eye out for the sculptures dotted around the gardens. And if all the fresh produce is sparking your creativity, then sign up for one of the hotel’s famed cooking classes, which range from one, two and four day courses.

Dinner at Le Manoir was the highlight of our stay. The evening is kicked off with an aperitif in the elegant drawing room, where you sip a pear champagne and nibble olives in front of a roaring fire. Diners can choose from a five or 10 course tasting menu or order a la carte. There are also vegetarian and children’s menus. We went for the five course Classiques, which showcases some of the Manoir’s best loved dishes. Our thinking was that it would let us sample a wide variety of food, but still get up from the table at the end of the night.

The service was just as flawless as the food. We started with a terrine of beet root, then on to a risotto, followed by cod, seared lamb, and finished off with a poached apricot and vanilla meringue dessert. The cheese cart- which was gloriously stinky- looked amazing but we had to beg it off, and opted for a lemon verbena tea, which was grown in the garden.

After our meal it was just a short stroll to our suite, Anais, located in the garden courtyard. Named for the French writer Anais Nin (yep, she of the dirty diaries) the room paid homage to her sensuality. The room was designed by Emily Todhunter and featured an elegant sitting room with a fireplace, and a sensuous bedroom with a handpainted closet. The bathroom was a stunner, with a massive soaking tub (double ended of course) as well as a spacious shower stall.

RB came up with the theme for each of the 32 bedrooms at Le Manoir, and the range of ideas is a great insight into his brain and interests. There’s Kiki, named for Kiki de Montparnasse, which is one of the most contemporary rooms there, with a bold striped wallpaper and open fireplace. Opium is rich and sensual, and Snow Queen, inspired by the Hans Christian Andersen tale, features a deep purple wallpaper flecked with snowflakes.

While all of the rooms come with mod-cons like wireless internet and flat screen televisions, there is one thing guests won’t find at Le Manoir – a gym – which is just perfect. Instead of worrying about burning calories and counting reps, guests can simply focus on what a weekend at Le Manoir is all about - indulging all of your senses.

Rates start at £395.

Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons

Church Road

Great Milton, Oxford, OX44 7PD

Phone: 01844 278881

www.manoir.com