The flagship Oxfordshire restaurant of chef Raymond Blanc, right -- Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons -- is among the top five in the country, according to a recently published guide.

Chef Raymond Blanc

It has been ranked fifth best for the quality of its cooking in this year's Harden's UK Restaurants Guide.

The restaurant, in a 15th century manor house at Great Milton, has also won approval in The Good Food Guide 2003, being one of only a handful to be awarded nine out of 10 for its cooking.

Le Manoir offers modern French cuisine in a price range of between £64 and £138 per head.

The Harden's guide gave first place to Winteringham Fields, in Lincolnshire.

Gordon Ramsay, the London restaurant owned by the footballer-turned-chef of the same name, was ranked second.