Little house on the prairie

Auberge Du Lac in Herdfordshire, boasts a fresh, first Michelin star this year. It seemed a good idea to visit it before the fresh stardust wore off. A very picturesque entry is offered through tall iron gates as you're buzzed inn by the staff. Then a spead of golf course , a lake and trees all around. The restaurant itself is located in a small two storey ex hunting lodge. The decoration inside is one of an old school hotel. Despite the cuisine being french the waiters were refreshingly not all so. It's a very anti casual place. Gentlemen must banish jeans and snickers in favour of black trousers, ladies must arrive in evening wear.
We were offered champagne soon after we sat down. With happy cheer we selected the tasting menu of scallops and other things I simply cannot remember. My poor memory was not the result of a tragic accident but a casualty of boring food. Yes boring. I was so bored I precipitated to wine myself senseless and ordered the bill. No little was my surprise when I realised that we got charged £24 pounds for the champagne that we deemed complementary! Of course this is no court case matter but when one is asked "would you like a glass of champagne" at the beginning of his repas, before even ordering any aperitifs - one usually assumes it is free like in other places.
Looking on the bright side - for those who like a spot of dogging the vast open golf course surrounding the Auberge, with its whispering pines and very few lights provides an excellent evening past time.