The story
On Bath Street in Bakewell, Lovage offers a clean, unfussy take on Modern British cooking. The dining room is warm and unpretentious, the kind of place where you can settle in for a three-course dinner or a quick market lunch without ceremony. The food, however, is anything but casual.
Chef-owner Lee Smith grew up near Mansfield and worked his way up from pot washer to head chef over sixteen years. Along the way he held a Michelin star and became a finalist in the 2019 Great British Menu. At Lovage, his first solo venture, he cooks food that reflects his upbringing and his growth as a chef — sentimental, grounded, and precise. The result earned the restaurant a Michelin Recommendation in the 2026 guide.
The menu changes with the seasons, but always feels rooted in British ingredients. A sample tasting menu might begin with a cheese tart with jalapeño gel and crispy potato, followed by Jersey Royal with parsley and caper dressing, then heritage tomato with goat’s curd and black garlic. Stone bass with English asparagus and roe sauce leads into Yorkshire hogget — rump and glazed neck with caramelised cauliflower. Desserts like strawberry with vanilla and white chocolate cream, elderflower, and meringue keep the focus on clean, balanced flavours.
There are also a la carte and vegetarian tasting menus, plus a lunch market menu (£25) designed for a quick, no-fuss meal. The 3-course a la carte (£50) is available Wednesday and Thursday dinner, and Thursday through Saturday lunch. For private occasions, the restaurant offers a private dining room for groups of six to twelve.
Lovage describes itself as “Modern British food with a laid-back country feel,” and that sums it up well. The service is attentive without stiffness, and the pace is set by the guest. Whether you’re in for a midweek tasting menu or a Saturday lunch, the experience is consistent, generous, and quietly confident.
Recognition
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Details
History
Lee Smith doesn't mind admitting that he began his career in catering as a washer-up, but the aim was always to cook at his own place. A meteoric trajectory took him to the regional finals of Great British Menu back in 2019, but also to this hugely appealing little restaurant, shoehorned in between two taller stone buildings in the market town of Bakewell. The panelled interior creates a rather sophisticated ambience, and the staff are both welcoming and knowledgeable. A palpable sense of imaginative energy runs through the menu, and even familiar modern classics are productively tweaked and smartly presented. Sea trout cured in blood-orange and fennel comes in a bright pink peppercorn and chilli dressing, or there could be roasted seasonal beetroot with sheep's yoghurt and dukkah. For main course, there might be monkfish curry (Goan-style) with pak choi and Bombay mix, while duck breast is given complex but effective treatment with prunes, kalettes and parsnip purée in a gamey sauce of chocolate and blackberry. Seven-course tasting menus include a vegetarian version, its principal dish perhaps offering roast squash with chestnuts, quince, rainbow chard and black garlic. A chef from the East Midlands is hardly going to stint on Stilton, and Hartington Creamery's version is served as the centrepiece of a cheese plate with stout cake and spiced apricot. Otherwise, look to rhubarb pavlova or cherry soufflé with pistachio ice cream and chocolate sauce. Wines offer some interesting choices across the range.
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