FOOD + DRINK
THE GARDEN ROOM
PORT LYMPNE ’ S OPULENT RESTAURANT
BY OLIVIA RICCINI
SET AMIDST THE ROLLING PARKLAND AND STANDING ASIDE THE HISTORIC MANSION THAT DEMANDS TO BE CENTRE OF THIS MAGNIFICENT ESTATE IS THE GARDEN ROOM - PORT LYMPNE ’ S OPULENT RESTAURANT WHICH ALLOWS DINERS TO BASK IN ALL THE GLORY OF THEIR SURROUNDINGS .
A grand conservatory echoing the exotic style of both the mansion and the reserve itself , The Garden Room is a further extension of the illusion that guests are not in the home counties , but instead , a luxury resort in a distant foreign land . Further strengthening this impression are both the golf buggies that wait obligingly under the shade of lofty green trees to ferry overnight guests to and fro , and the far-off cries of wild cats and screeching monkeys that resound over the hillsides .
Covered with a glass ceiling complete with oversized chandeliers glowing with timeless elegance that reflect off the ceiling and into the Art-Nouveaustyle mirrors that hang among walls of leafy and floral foliage , the captivating decor of The Garden Room is the first ingredient that promises an evening of opulence . First impressions assure guests that here , they will be able to unwind amidst the clinking of glasses and against the backdrop of a fading sunset turning to a starry sky above suggesting an ambience derived straight from continental rivieras , or perhaps the coastal capes of Africa .
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