The Good Food Guide’s 100 Best Pubs 2025
Published 28 October 2025

The team behind the Empire Café reopened this much-loved neighbourhood boozer in spring 2025, and its new guise is respectful of its heritage, ticking all of the proper pub boxes: dark walls and velvet curtains creating a cosy atmosphere, a polished wood bar dolled up with shiny brass accessories, plus a tray of oysters on ice at one end waiting to be shucked to order. The interior of the flatiron-shaped building is lined by a continuous burgundy-leather banquette, encouraging chat between tables of regulars and first-timers. It’s a pub for and of its community. One fan marvelled at the balance of serving 'world-class food' while 'maintaining an air of working-class Leeds'.

The menu nods to pubs of all stripes, from chophouses to Desi to sandwiches-on-the-bar boozers. Bone-in sirloin steaks from Sykes House Farm are ordered in inch-thick increments, cooked on an eight-foot woodburning grill that fires the kitchen – custom-built to fit into a former fireplace – and served with a lick of peppercorn sauce. A dish of smoked mussels in a Pernod-spiked shellfish bisque atop fire-toasted sourdough, has been highly commended, as have Sunday wood-fired roasts of half-chickens or whole beef rump served pink.

A separate selection of bar snacks is enough to tempt anybody – half-pints of shell-on prawns, sausage rolls baked to order and served warm on a paper doily with homemade brown sauce, slices of ham carved off the joint and warmed through on the fireplace with butter-brushed dinner rolls, presented alongside a dedicated mustard menu. And everyone praises the grown-up versions of Black Forest gâteau, brûléed banana split, and other nostalgic puds.

The bar features well-managed cask ales, perfectly poured Guinness, local keg brews and a fridge of Belgian beers, as well as a dozen rotating single malts (all served from optics) with prices ranging from post-work sharpener to post-meal extravagance.

The sign outside this whitewashed 17th-century inn – and its logo – reference the local custom of curling on the frozen waters of nearby Loch Kilconquhar, although most attention focuses on the output of the pub's kitchen these days. This part of Fife feels fairly remote, but chef/co-owner James Ferguson is plugged into local supply lines – not least from the Balcaskie Estate, which oversees 2,000 acres of mainly coastal farmland hereabouts. Menus change daily, depending on what produce arrives at the kitchen door, so expect anything from refined seafood dishes such as steamed razor clams in oloroso to a starter of Shetland lamb offal, fired with pickled chilli and served with yoghurt flatbread. Line-caught mackerel might take its place among mains, grilled and served with horseradish-infused baby beetroot, while russet Tamworths provide the pork chops that are cooked with fennel, onions and sage. When it comes to finishers, homemade ice creams with oaty shortbread are hard to beat, or look further afield for a sorbet of Amalfi lemons soused in Polish vodka. Drinks include craft beers and cider, plus a short but enterprising wine selection. There are tables outside for the balmy seasons, and an air of simple rusticity within (complete with candlelight in the evenings) – thanks to co-owner Alethea Palmer, who runs the place with appreciable cheer and a breadth of welcome that extends to pre-advised dogs in the bar area.

The venerable Merry Harriers is to be found in the village of Hambledon (not the Hampshire one) near Godalming, a rural enclave set in a buffer of fields and woodland. It has been kitted out to suit the modern mood, with a soft green colour scheme and bentwood chairs at unclothed tables, plus candlelight in the evenings and fires in winter. A menu that exhaustively lists all the kitchen's and cellar's local suppliers inspires confidence, and the food is just what country-pub aficionados want to eat, with plenty of praise lavished on the Sunday lunch offer – a choice of ‘impeccably cooked’ roast platters, piled high and designed for two to share.

On the regular menu, lightly horseradished smoked mackerel pâté might compete with Trenchmore Farm beef tartare and plum ketchup, before mains take flight with some more adventurous ideas. Pork chop with sweetcorn, girolles and pickled walnuts delivered an impressive array of flavours when we visited, the superlative quality of the meat shining forth; a pheasant schnitzel with pickled red cabbage and pink firs was almost as good, although it needed a little more in the way of lubrication than an evanescent suggestion of beurre noisette. A fish option could be baked hake in bouillabaisse with saffron-scented fennel, while pumpkin and spelt risotto with hazelnuts, sage and chilli provides robust sustenance on the vegetable front. 

At the sticky end of things, everybody will feel spoilt by the likes of gingered-up sticky toffee pudding or a version of knickerbocker glory that finds room for chocolate mousse, candied orange and bits of homemade brownie. There's an impressive varietal spread on the carefully compiled wine list, ascending to the majesty of a mature classed-growth St-Émilion at a fraction of what you would pay in the not-too-distant capital.

Standing at a country crossroads on the edge of the Fonthill Estate, this handsome, ivy-clad 18th-century inn (part of the Beckford group, a collection of four independent pubs in the region), is surprisingly handy for the A303. It’s a hugely enjoyable place, very much an all-rounder, with a dog-friendly bar at its heart supported by various dining rooms, all suitably gentrified with cosy country-luxe decor, open fires, evening candles and auction room finds. When the sun shines, a covered terrace opens onto an acre of mature gardens.

The menu hits that ‘something for everyone’ note spot-on, with a line-up ranging from evergreens along the lines of fish and chips, sirloin steak (on the bone) with classic sauces, and an above-the-norm Sunday roast to seasonal ideas such as exemplary chalk stream trout tartare layered with yogurt and plum, or a combo of green and yellow courgettes, cut into ribbons and served in a pleasing jumble with goat's curd and pickled chilli dressing. To follow, our monkfish tail was perfectly cooked on the bone and teamed (deliciously) with leeks and curry butter, while a robust dish of flavourful pork chop with BBQ courgettes and preserved Isle of Wight tomatoes struck a more rustic note.

Desserts are mostly reworked classics – the star turn for us was a chocolate mousse with Wye Valley cherries and brandy. Fast, friendly service is delivered by a young team, while knowledgeable dabbling around the globe satisfies most palates and budgets on a wine list that offers good choice under £40.

Of the many endorsements we’ve received for this smartly remodelled Victorian hostelry, ‘the locals’ local’ is the one we like best. Most visitors make a beeline for the Harbour Arm, especially during summer, so the Radnor Arms’ 'west end of town' location doesn’t get much passing trade and can feel like a real find. Yet this is the kind of prototype pub that every neighbourhood needs: divided equally between drinkers and diners, it scores heavily with its warmly welcoming service and value for money.

The rotating selection of guest ales and local beers, including the ‘best Guinness in Folkestone’, keeps drinkers on their toes, and the Southeast Asian thread that weaves deliciously through the modern menu is starting to attract attention – thanks to talented Filipino head chef Niel Talan. In the stylish dining room, you can eat a pork and prawn Scotch egg, a spiced buttermilk chicken burger with Kewpie slaw and pickled cucumber, or a first-class Sri Lankan fish curry. But there’s also good eating to be had, in more straightforward dishes such as grass-fed ribeye steak with Café de Paris butter and fries, or a designed-for-sharing wood-fired whole bream with smoked beurre blanc that one fan couldn’t resist finishing solo – ‘it was that good’.  

Moderation isn’t easy here, especially when the enticing selection is boosted by must-order sourdough flatbreads straight from the oven (the beating heart of the open-to-view kitchen). And desserts are no afterthought either, if our light, creamy Basque cheesecake was anything to go by. Bring an appetite. Like the food, the wide-ranging wine list is inexpensive and good quality, with a fair choice in the £20-£40 bracket and a decent selection by the glass (from £6.50).

A gem of a village pub, owned and run by Will Orrock and his wife Cassidy Hughes, where there’s more than a passing nod to the Fergus Henderson (St John) school of cookery. Chef Adam Spicer's menu is brisk – beautiful ingredients are left relatively unadorned, and flavours are full. What a vol-au-vent lacks in flighty height it makes up for in crispness and the springtime deliciousness of foraged morels and wild garlic, and how good to see tenderly seared cuttlefish among the starters, alongside a silken ink-black mayonnaise studded with cod's roe – don't forget to save some of the excellent house bread for mayo-scooping purposes.

A terrine of brawn and ‘blood cake’ is as muscular as its name suggests, but alongside the heft is deft culinary balance from the crunchy bite of radishes and some zippy piccalilli. As for seafood, expect a few luxuries. The delicate flavour of lobster is somewhat swamped by its coronation sauce, although a turbot main course is memorably good. Served with fat mussels, the saline pep of monk’s beard and a gently spiced mouclade sauce, it’s a dish to hurry back for. Local produce stars throughout – from vegetables and leaves courtesy of nearby organic Maple Farm to chocolate from Pump Street or the St Jude cow’s curd served alongside a caramel tart. This is ‘proper cooking,’ notes one reporter.

The Greyhound is also a proper boozer, welcoming drinkers for honest sustenance. Do check out the great-value bar snacks – say Welsh rarebit or a ploughman’s including homemade pork pie and house pickles. Perfect with a pint, or a glass from a wine list which is fit for every occasion – be it a classy Burgundy (a 2021 Saint-Aubin 1er cru ‘Clos du Meix’ from family-owned Domaine Hubert Lamy, perhaps), a steely Austrian Riesling from the Arndorfer winery or a simple lunchtime sip from the Languedoc.

Big, solid and glamorous, this strikingly converted Notting Hill corner pub has the exceptional atmosphere of a genuinely valued neighbourhood hangout. That could mean squeezing through a throng (drinking top picks from Portobello Brewing and Bristol’s Lost and Grounded) to get to the dining room. The pay-off is thanks to the Public House Group's powerhouse team and a menu of modern British gems with provenance high on the priority list. Among the pub classics – sausage roll, Welsh rarebit, mince on toast and beef tartare (with Gentleman's Relish and crisps) – there's lots of fish. Hake, flakey and translucent comes smothered in brown butter, big langoustines are fresh enough to be eaten head-first, and a fabulous lobster and monkfish pie with lobster-head gravy provides indulgence for two to share. Veggie dishes aren't the ascetic alternative, though, if confit leeks with black-garlic sauce and crispy onions or Crown Prince pumpkin with sour cream are the measure. To finish, it's trifles, possets and parkin. The wine list is carefully curated and offers value at all price points.

With forested hills sloping onto fields of grazing sheep and the Gothic remains of Byland Abbey towering over the entrance, this pub with rooms is a dream ticket – no wonder it was snapped up by chef Tommy Banks (the Black Swan at Oldstead is nearby). Inside, there’s a little bar with a snug for those wanting a drink, but the main action takes place in the three dining rooms, one of which is the former piggery – an expansive room with beams, giant flagstones and a double-facing log-burning stove, all illuminated by a conservatory-style skylight. The mood is relaxed and staff stay on top of their tasks, while cute details in the handsome finishes speak of Tommy Banks’ pedigree.

The food also makes a connection to the Banks family farm (without labouring the point), and chef Charlie Smith serves up a procession of seriously appealing, modern pub-style dishes – an incredibly original Dexter steak tartare, perhaps, cut into uniform nuggets resembling translucent rubies decorated with grated wild horseradish, fermented peppers and smoked bone marrow. Elsewhere, there might be a light, elegant plate of smoked Pablo beetroot with ewe’s curd, preserved Yorkshire rhubarb and linseed crackers for texture. Some of the meaty main courses such as a pork rib chop with fermented mushroom béarnaise could do with a little finessing, although fish dishes hit the spot – judging by a pitch-perfect serving of cod with a splendid mussel cream sauce and purple-red potatoes on the side.

Everything is executed with flair, professionalism and a deep respect for local ingredients – and that extends to the dazzling roasts served for Sunday lunch (check out the rare-breed Berkshire pork and Herdwick lamb from the family farm, just two miles away). If you're looking for real value, however, order the mighty Dexter cheeseburger with fries, plus a pint of Yorkshire-brewed ale and a shared dessert – say a soft-serve sundae topped with Douglas fir, blackcurrant and white chocolate. Aside from real ale, drinks include seasonal cocktails, homemade libations and a short but decent selection of wines with plenty by the glass.

Llansteffan sits on the blue-green Tywi estuary, its ascending streets of pretty houses topped by a magnificent castle. Set at the upper end of the village, close to the church, the Inn at the Sticks covers many bases: bedrooms and a deli/wine bar in addition to the main pub/restaurant space. The setting is rustic in a stylish, uncluttered way, with quarry tiles and wood floors, exposed beams, brickwork and a couple of chunky wood burners.

‘Welsh sharing plates’ describes the menu (expect beef, lamb, cockles, faggots and excellent cheeses), although you might also encounter Asian sticky pork with pak choi, sesame seeds and crispy noodles, or sweet, gleaming Vichy carrots teamed with the breezy, lemony freshness of whipped feta and topped with almond and chilli crumb, basil gel and a drizzle of honey.

Astonishing flavours, colour and verve take this place far beyond normal pub fare although it never stints on the classics. The beef, beer and Perl Las blue cheese pie is on-point in every department, delivering a bounty of big, tender chunks of meat, a deep and dark savoury gravy, and a perfectly risen puff-pastry top. Other standout dishes include cockle popcorn – light-as-air batter, with a drizzle of homemade chilli vinegar and a punchy little pot of aïoli for dipping.

The bar stays high for desserts ranging from a beguilingly soft and gooey 'bara brith' sticky toffee pudding set on a butterscotch and tea sauce to a Welsh coffee panna cotta sporting a candied walnut crumb and a sleek caramel sauce. To drink, there’s an excellent choice of wines as well as beers.

Since landing on Farringdon Road in 1991, the Eagle has staked its claim as one of the originators of the so-called ‘gastropub’ genre. This lively, ever-popular boozer has resisted all forms of gentrification over the years, and remains, most assuredly, a pub. Small tables and bar stools around the perimeter are defined as 'free seating', although you can book. Order at the bar, choosing beer from the row of taps (try a craft keg from the guys who opened the Hackney Brewery) and food from the day’s menu scrawled on the board over the stove.

Edward Mottershaw (only the pub’s third ever head chef) cooks gutsy, country food from across Europe, but mostly from Italy and the Iberian Peninsula. The ‘bife ana’ rump steak sandwich has been on the menu since day one and it still reigns supreme for many punters – although others prefer the heartier seasonally adapted dishes. On a typical day you might find hake steak with lentils and salsa cruda, roast pork belly with braised peas, celeriac and pickled cabbage or grilled aubergine with tzatziki, followed by the near-ubiquitous burnt Basque cheesecake.

Spain dominates the cracking list of quaffable and affordable wines, or you could plump for a well-mixed cocktail such as Dark & Stormy – or even the Eagle's famously thirst-quenching Rock Shandy. ‘No fuss, no frills and everything is done with a lot of love,’ concluded an inspector.

Hayfield in the Peak District was the birthplace of Arthur Lowe, Dad's Army's Captain Mainwaring, and is a favoured rest-stop for those tramping the Derbyshire hills. At its heart, the stone-built Pack Horse aims to be more than just the standard village pub, with a conscientious ethos of sustainable supplies from local sources, ranging from meat butchered only four miles away to unimpeachable regional fresh produce.

Menus follow the rhythm of the seasons (as celebrated in the kitchen's own cookbook) and the food has the kind of contemporary appeal that makes the place a destination. Glazed High Peak lamb belly appears surprisingly in a starter with a leafy salad and yoghurt, while scallops in brown butter gain an edge from pickled apple and kohlrabi.

Fish is generally handled with assurance, producing a main course of charcoal-roasted halibut with mushroom and smoked bacon bourguignon and pommes Anna accompaniments, while similar inspiration from the French provincial cookbook informs a dish of pork belly with a cassoulet of trotter and beans plus a salsa verde dressing. The charcoal oven comes into its own on Wednesdays, when a special menu includes Barnsley chops and rump steak.

To finish, there might be blood-orange and olive-oil cake with whipped ricotta or salted-caramel custard tart and almond Chantilly. Quality growers abound on the inspiring wine list, which opens with small glasses at £5.70, before darting acquisitively around both hemispheres.

If it's worth finding a perfectly pristine English village – and it always is – it's also worth hoping that the local hostelry will be a forward-thinking ancient inn serving adventurous modern British food. Welcome to the Barrington Boar, located somewhere between Taunton and Yeovil. A slate-floored bar opens onto a crimson-walled dining room with a stone-built fireplace, and there's a clutch of guest rooms where the old skittle alley once was. Alasdair Clifford and Victoria Collins have made the place a haven of West Country hospitality, with Alasdair's kitchen as its nerve centre and a culinary repertoire built around supremely confident, exquisitely presented regional cooking. 'Real innovation without silliness,' is how one reader summarised the style, having in mind such dishes as a starter of barbecued lamb shoulder glazed in rose harissa with smoked aubergine and pistachio dukkah – or, perhaps, a Japanese-inspired tartare of kelp-cured trout with soy and rhubarb ponzu, adorned with shiso and winter radish. Wye Valley asparagus in season forms the centrepiece of a veggie main with confit new potatoes, baby turnips and sprouting broccoli in herb vinaigrette, while fish could be roast cod with smoked cod croquettes and spring cabbage in a creamy white wine velouté. Gold-standard meats take in everything from 50-day aged Devon Red sirloin, its accoutrements including a mushroom stuffed with bone marrow and parsley butter, to local lamb rump with its caramelised sweetbreads. Finish with Yorkshire rhubarb cheesecake and matching sorbet, or a picture-perfect pear frangipane tart with clotted cream. A luscious cocktail offering includes a 'Dam-Good Negroni' made with damson gin (our arm is duly twisted), while the expertly curated wine list opens with a comprehensive suite of selections in two glass sizes and half-litre carafes.

As slices of English heritage go, Piers Baker’s 15th-century yellow-washed coaching inn right in the heart of Dedham is nigh-on perfect. The rear terrace looking onto the garden is a hidden gem, while inside there are atmospheric drinking areas, a split-level, heavily beamed dining room, clattering floorboards and real fires galore.

There’s a sense of seasonality, too, in menus that offer a winning mix of updated pub classics (a thick-cut ham bagel with Keen’s Cheddar, piccalilli and fries; a rare-breed burger) and more inventive, Italian-accented dishes built around prime seasonal ingredients.  Violetta artichoke bruschetta with green olive, confit tomato and Katherine goat’s cheese is a winning combination, but if pasta is your thing (always a strong suit here), spaghetti with clams, cream and samphire is equally accomplished. Aged British steaks get the proper treatment, or there could be a full-flavoured pork côtelette with anchovy, egg, green beans, beetroot and watercress. Comforting desserts such as burnt cheesecake or limoncello syrup cake with berries and mascarpone close the show.  And it’s worth noting that the weekday ‘house menu’ (lunch and early evening) is a steal.

While the Sun is an emphatically laid-back place, there’s no corner-cutting, and the attention to detail extends to an interesting wine list weighted towards the Old World, with plenty of fine options by the glass and carafe at refreshing prices.

Formerly the Crooked Well, this restored Victorian pub-restaurant on a quiet residential street is sibling to the Baring in Hoxton and destined to be an equal hit. The large corner location, painted a muted racing green, conceals a spacious, light interior: the eating and drinking areas smoothly co-exist (the latter also serves walk-ins) and the pub is a haven in an area with little outdoor seating. The design – stripped-back with lots of wood, Art Deco-style lighting and neutral colours – could be a formulaic template of a new-wave urban pub, but the quality of the food and unstuffy atmosphere raise it above the crowd. As does the sense that it doesn’t take itself too seriously – don’t miss the proper chips and garlic mayo. 

Jay Styler’s cooking is clever and confident, plays to its strengths and knows its limits, with seasonal British produce to the fore. The menu is short and deceptively simple, bursting with big flavours that hit the spot. The Cornish squid and lardo shish with Aleppo chilli topped with a tangle of sea greens has become a must-have fixture, likewise the fruit-topped doughnut that releases a spurt of chamomile custard when pierced.

Other dishes might range from a fragrant summer starter of barattiere 'cucumber', watermelon, gazpacho and lovage to a generous portion of Middle White pork loin with grilled apricots, spelt and hispi cabbage (a fine combo of savoury, sweet and earthy). And hurrah for piña colada on the drinks list. It’s the sort of pub you’d be happy to call your local.

Terry Laybourne's self-styled ‘proper pub’ stands not far from the north bank of the Tyne. It looks the part too, with a polished oak bar furnished with high stools, a plain wood floor and inviting banquettes. The dining goes on upstairs, in an equally convivial setting of sturdy wood tables, where cheery staff dispense the kind of food you thought city pubs didn't do any more. There are raised pork pies, Scotch eggs, potted shrimps – and not a leaf of amaranth to be seen.

A serving of Dorset crab with kohlrabi, celery and fennel is about as foofy as it gets. Otherwise, enjoy the sight of bubble and squeak with a fried egg and HP sauce, calf's liver and bacon with crispy onions or smoked haddock fishcakes with proper tartare sauce. As you would imagine, it's food to fortify yourself against the northern chill (whatever time of year) and it's probably best accompanied by one of the cannily chosen seasonal beers.

Sunday roasts are every bit as satisfying as you would expect, complete with mint sauce to daub on the shoulder of lamb, and there are sponge puddings of course – perhaps made with whisky marmalade and served with lashings of custard. Too full by now? Then take a lemon sorbet. Those who incline more to the grape than the grain will be grateful for a decent selection by the glass, starting with Castilian house wines.

Motorists beware! Approaching this ancient inn by Fore Street should be attempted by small vehicles only, so narrow is the old passageway between St Andrew’s lichen-covered churchyard walls and the pub that has serviced the parish for the best part of 700 years. But to make it there (by whatever means) is to be ensconced in the sleepy, storied spirit of Harberton – barely 10 minutes from Totnes, but in a world of its own.

To welcome you into the dark wood-panelled and beamed room, lit by flickering tapered candles, is chef Tim Blanchard who will make it dazzlingly worth your while. The St John alumnus, with south Devon’s fertile larder at his fingertips, is producing some of the finest pub-style cooking found anywhere. 

Our lunch kicked off with a starter of potted duck and charred sourdough from favoured Buckfastleigh bakery Hylsten, ahead of unbeatably flavoursome grilled lamb chops paired with anchovy-spiked chard. A smashed-patty cheeseburger was a populist triumph and, with chips included, is a great value sub-£20 meal. Just don’t skimp on the homemade mint choc-chip ice cream, served in a retro coupe. 

A pool table, quizzes captained by the pub's previous owner, and well-kept beers maintain the spirit of a proper watering hole. Sunday lunches are single-sitting feasts featuring anything from roast porchetta and pig's head to confit duck with treviso, bread sauce and crab apple jelly. The wine list opens at a friendly £25 with a small by-the-glass selection, while service is warm and efficient.

‘The quintessential village pub’ is one visitor's verdict on this handsome Cotswold hostelry with rooms – and we wholeheartedly agree. The ‘Killy’ retains the charm of a cosy local boozer – villagers drink real ale and chew the cud around a wood-burning stove in winter – yet its kitchen produces highly accomplished and full-flavoured cooking, courtesy of Adam Brown (who polished his craft at Le Champignon Sauvage in Cheltenham). Diners head for the recently extended restaurant, where flagstoned flooring and stone walls dovetail well with the 17th-century bar. Panache is apparent early in a meal, perhaps with a delicate yet boldly flavoured appetiser of cheese and truffle gougère with a parsley emulsion. A thick little slice of smoked trout could follow, perked up by a zesty buttermilk and lovage sauce poured at table by one of the chatty, clued-up staff. Better still is a hillock of mushroom cream surrounded by celeriac velouté, with slices of cep and crunchy hazelnuts adding to the end-of-year flavours. Mains are similarly seasonal in style – notably a serving of juicy guinea fowl breast matched with nutty risotto-like pearl barley in a creamy chestnut velouté, the dish piqued by the bitter notes of caramelised chicory. A side of shredded ‘winter spiced’ red cabbage – tangy, sweet, rich – adds to the indulgence. Inventiveness and flair continue with desserts, witness a dark and luxurious chocolate délice, spiced with Szechuan peppercorns. The expertly annotated wine list keeps pace too, with big flavours galore – even in the kindly priced house selections.

Part of Charles and Edmund Inkin’s 'Eat, Drink, Sleep' trilogy – which also includes the Gurnard’s Head and the Old Coastguard in Cornwall – this ever-popular pub with rooms is, in many ways, an archetypal dream of a country inn. It transports you to a half-imagined heyday of fireside sofas, knobbly brickwork, low beams and quarry tiled floors, with craft ales at the bar and fresh, home-cooked food buoyed up by produce from the kitchen garden.

For all its heritage vibes, the Griffin is also a slick, modern operation, with polished service and a properly cheffy kitchen (headed by Gwenann Davies). Her repertoire includes traditional ideas such as broccoli and Stilton soup or lamb rump with faggot, peas and red wine gravy alongside more contemporary dishes – perhaps a sticky glazed BBQ short rib with sweet, spiky kimchi, luscious sriracha mayo and fresh herbs, ahead of pearly, crisp-skinned hake with a crunchy, breadcrumbed crab and chorizo cake, set on an intense, velvety, red pepper purée.

Each dish is carefully considered, right through to dessert. A voluptuous white chocolate mousse with berry ice cream, fresh raspberries and crunchy, bittersweet honeycomb provided a satisfying end to our most recent visit. Sunday lunch is an ultra-traditional feast featuring meat from the lowland hills, greenery from the garden and plenty of homely touches. In addition to real ales, drinkers can pick from a fair-sized wine list that has been annotated with personality as well as knowledge; the numerous options by the glass are well worth considering. 

On the fringes of a 1,000-acre deer park just four miles from the Norfolk coast, this idiosyncratic pub/restaurant with rooms is quite a prospect. The grey-stone exterior may seem rather stark but inside all is comforting, thanks to soft, warm furnishings, lots of varnished woodwork, leather, blazing fires and the owners' collection of contemporary British art from the likes of Tracey Emin, Damien Hirst and Lucien Freud.

A recently acquired walled garden and chicken coop bolster the kitchen's larder, while big-boned British dishes are the order of the day. Much attention focuses on the mighty Elk Room fire, where cuts of meat are dramatically cooked to order as you watch from your table – expect anything from Blythburgh pork chops, ribs of beef and herby Gunton venison sausages to flavoursome sirloin steak served with goose-fat roasties, sauces and rowan jelly. Rich, carefully seasoned pies are also something of a trademark (perhaps chicken, bacon and leek) and there’s fish from the coast too (sea trout with seashore vegetables and King’s Lynn shrimps, for example). For afters, a delicate Amedei chocolate mousse was the standout for one visitor, but there’s also comfort to be had from the vanilla cheesecake with rhubarb or the Bramley apple and almond tart.

Sunday brings roast Aberdeen Angus sirloin as well as roasted chickens, which are carved by skilled staff and served with veg from the walled garden, garlicky bread sauce and a spectacular gravy that elevates the whole feast to another level. Everyone praises the cheerful, prompt and ‘incredibly friendly’ service too. Norfolk ales are on tap in the bar and the short wine list offers a decent spread at fair prices.

On a rural stretch of road three miles from Rye, the Plough encapsulates many people’s idea of what a country pub should be like. A garden with ‘exceptional views’ beckons in fine weather and a convivial atmosphere prevails. Indeed, a complete lack of pretence is an undoubted plus, from the scuffed floorboards, plain tables and wood burners to an informal approach to eating – ‘delicious, seasonal and locally sourced,’ is how it appeared to one visitor.

The simple, good-value weekday lunch is well reported and is bolstered by a straightforward carte – a mix of pub classics (battered haddock and fries, Winchelsea lamb shoulder pie), and more complex combinations ranging from cured chalk stream trout pastrami with cornichons, cabbage and mustard crème fraîche to a ‘sensational’ main course of onion bhaji Scotch egg Madras with Bombay potatoes, mint yoghurt and greens.

Sunday roasts are reckoned to be ‘leaps and bounds better than anywhere else in the area’, with the Yorkshire puddings and cauliflower cheese (made with Sussex Charmer and Twineham Grange) singled out for special praise. To finish, the sticky toffee pudding has also impressed, as have the staff, whose warm welcome and good humour extends to small children and dogs. As for drinks, Harvey’s Sussex Best is on draught, while the compact wine list offers reasonably priced drinking from £27 a bottle. Accommodation is in 'the loft' – a self-contained flat above the pub.

With its creeper-covered frontage, enchanting terraces and beautiful village setting on the Longleat Estate, this handsome and substantial inn with rooms (circa 1736) is a dream ticket – especially when the sun is shining. Whatever the season, everyone feels right at home in the tasteful shabby-chic country house interiors – thanks to soft, warm lighting (candles, lamps), winter fires, vintage finds and walls layered with old prints and paintings. A public bar caters for drinkers, while those who’ve bagged a polished wood table in one of the small dining rooms can indulge in a fulsome line-up of pub classics and more creative ideas based on carefully sourced produce.

Everyone enjoys the cider-battered fish and chips, and the 'Beck burger' (dry-aged smashed patties in a glazed sesame bun), but those with more inquisitive palates home in on exemplary starters such as Wye Valley asparagus served with chilli and lime butter, heritage tomatoes and smoked salt with wild garlic emulsion – a dish that opened our late-May dinner. To follow, roasted Brixham monkfish was teamed with Jersey Royals, a crispy courgette flower and a dill, orange and caviar dressing, while a botanical Eton mess with violet cream, rose meringue, lemon and elderflower cake, lavender gel and raspberry sorbet provided the ideal finale.

Friendly, professional staff are perfectly on point, and the decently priced, wide-ranging wine list (arranged by style) offers plenty of interesting options by the glass and carafe. In addition, there are 16 individually designed bedrooms in the main house and stable block.

‘Kentish Town has been crying out for something like this for years,’ volunteered one reporter who whole-heartedly approves of this relaxed neighbourhood hostelry. Reinvented, resurrected and reconstituted, the landmark Victorian building is split into two halves – the front bar keeps things affable for drinkers, while those after a bite to eat head to the smaller dining area at the back, where the team have got it right from the start with positive, approachable service. Dominated by impressive stained-glass windows, a scrawled blackboard menu and an open-to-view kitchen, there’s an informality about the room that suits the feel-good contemporary menu. Dishes cooked over fire using a custom grill are the high points of Ben Allen’s repertoire, which creates an impression of sophistication and flair (‘impeccable’ leek and spider crab croquettes), while remaining down-to-earth and wholesome (rabbit pie, for example). Combos such as homemade smoked ricotta with petits pois, quinoa and pickled Tropea onions or lamb with cabbage, fermented green tomatoes, oyster sauce and shiso leaf are typical of the seasonally aware, to-the-point approach – as are strawberries softened in the wood fire and marinated in Grand Marnier, topped with caramelised strawberries, a swirl of milk ice cream and a sprinkling of elderflower and sweet cicely. There’s good drinking too, from cocktails and draught beer to a confident, modern wine list including more than a dozen by the glass or carafe.

‘Great food, great atmosphere, proper pub,' declared one reader who lives locally. This revamped 18th-century drovers’ inn atop a hill also offers spectacular views of the Tyne Valley and proves its worth as a local watering hole, with an atmospheric bar, up to six ales from North Country microbreweries on tap and 'lots of quirky items to look at'. The cooking has real character too, and it's obvious that the kitchen is passionate about provenance and Northumbrian produce – check out the board detailing the local farms and herds that supply its meat. You can sample the results by ordering from the regular ‘seasonal menu’, which puts the emphasis firmly on steaks – sold by weight and served with the pub’s own ‘steak sauce’. Even more alluring is the list of daily specials, which might run from pork and black pudding terrine to griddled sea bass with roasted cauliflower, lemon and caper butter. Skilfully fashioned desserts could be anything from Basque cheesecake to Manchester tart, although the rhubarb crumble with homemade ice cream has also gone down a treat. The personally selected wine list includes a dozen selections by the glass.

Pubs come in many guises, from gritty boozers to smart dining rooms, but some straddle the roles of watering hole and restaurant with ease. Something about the White Hart – a strikingly renovated hostelry with rooms directly opposite West Mersea’s church – hits the bull’s eye. Its good looks certainly make it stand out from the crowd, with reporters much taken by the seaside colours and mid-century vibes of the bar/dining room, as well as the trump-card terrace.

This is the latest in Piers Baker’s tight-knit group (alongside the Sun at Dedham and Church Street Tavern in Colchester), and it continues the theme of uncomplicated modern cooking and kind pricing. Oysters from the inter-tidal waters of the Blackwater Estuary (a couple of minutes' stroll from the pub) open the broadly appealing menu, which takes in everything from mussels with fries to dry-aged, grass-fed rump or ribeye steaks.

Highlights of our visit were many and varied, ranging from a delicious tangle of local baby beetroot and gooseberries with Old Winchester cheese custard to tender venison haunch with runner beans, peas, grilled baby gem and girolles. Fish dishes also shine brightly – perhaps perfectly grilled mackerel fillets with cucumber and crème fraîche or crisp-skinned day-boat sea bass fillet with sweetcorn sauce, locally grown baby fennel and caponata.

Desserts are a must, especially if Paris-Brest with raspberry and almond is on offer, while the rich Tosier chocolate torte flavoured with lime and served with salted-caramel ice cream and fresh cherries has the makings of a signature dish. There's praise, too, for the Sunday roasts, the friendliness of the staff, the array of cocktails and the well-assembled wine list – although wines have always been a big plus with this small, independent group.

Located in an impossibly charming village about an hour's drive east of York, this delightful inn has been home to James and Kate Mackenzie since 2006, and it has gone from strength to strength over the years. Happily, the owners have never lost sight of their original vision of an informal country pub dedicated to impressive cooking with a local accent – ‘not fine dining but brilliant consistent food,’ according to one fan. There’s a commitment to Yorkshire’s bountiful larder, the same menu is served in the bar (no bookings) and restaurant, while afternoons bring sandwiches, soup and savouries. They even look after your children nicely with a sensible menu of roast chicken, sausage and mash, risotto and lots more.

James Mackenzie doesn't trade in dolls-house portions or superfluous smears; instead, his dishes are hearty and substantial – as in a generous serving of Dales lamb (BBQ rump and a crispy croquette of belly meat) alongside a delicate tartlet of spring vegetables and Yorkshire Fine Fettle cheese, plus nettle and mint purée, beer and barley jus. Our springtime visit included grilled asparagus served with a dressing of Yorkshire’s own chorizo, followed by a substantial dish of cider-braised rabbit topped with a wild garlic crumble containing pancetta, black pudding and cannellini beans. Asparagus turned up again in a special of wild halibut with Jersey Royals (doused with seaweed butter and served in a mini copper pan). Desserts are hard to resist, especially the exceedingly lemony, lemon curd parfait and meringue ice cream. And if you just fancy a little sweet something, try the ‘treats’ – a trio of macaroons or mini salted caramel doughnuts, hot from the pan and rolled in sugar.

The thoughtful wine list is a fine match for the food, with plenty by the glass and half bottle (including a Pomerol and Margaux at £38), plus a selection of ‘fine and rare’ vintages; there's also a selection of Thomson & Scott non-alcoholic tipples. Five luxurious bedrooms are located in the pub and a further four are close by in the village.

The Public House Group (the Pelican, the Hero, the Hart et al) is fast becoming the last word in pared-back cool contemporary British pubs and this Cotswold outpost is a model of its kind. Owners Phil Winser and James Gummer grew up around these parts and cut their drinking teeth in the Bull (which has stood on the corner of Sheep Street since Henry VIII was taking wives). It retains an atmospheric air, with low raftered ceilings, welcoming fires and the flicker of pillar candles throughout the flagstoned bar and dining rooms.

With Sally Abé in post to lead the kitchen, there’s just the right dose of finesse cutting through the line-up of contemporary pub dishes. Start with some warm soda bread to bolster the lightness of ‘mackerel, tomato and lovage’ or mushroom and chestnut soup; otherwise, head straight to a heartier Bull pie or pork chop charred on the grill. On one recent visit, a dish billed simply as ‘farm salad’ proved a flavour-flaunting textural medley of green beans, courgette, fresh peas, and crushed and whole-roasted hazelnuts. Delicious simplicity continues right through to desserts such as pitch-perfect chocolate mousse and apricot frangipane tart.

Wednesdays might bring steak night and the otherwise absent chips to the table, while the beautiful garden plays host to summer BBQs. An enterprising list of cask ales and speciality ciders competes with the adventurous wine selection (fleshed out with a weekly changing list of single bottles).

It may date from the mid-17th century, but nowadays the Farmers Arms is every inch the 21st-century village pub. It was the initial inspiration for a far more substantial project that has become 'The Collective of Woolsery' from San Francisco-based tech entrepreneurs Michael and Xochi Birch.

The couple now own the local convenience store and post office, the fish and chip shop, and various rooms and cottages around Woolfardisworthy (to give the place its full name) – including the Grade II-listed Wulfheard Manor (opening as a hotel in 2025). In addition, their 150-acre farm provides the pub with rare-breed and heritage meats as well as just-harvested fruit and vegetables – hyper-seasonal produce that is beautifully realised in the hands of Ian Webber (Michael Caines’ former head chef at Gidleigh Park).

The bijou ‘farm menu’ could bring a moreish Curworthy Haytor cheese puff dotted with oxeye daisy petals and deep-red globules of sour cherry gel, ahead of Birch Farm pork fillet perched on a generous chunk of coppa bacon and offset by the earthiness of fermented grains, paprika, red cabbage and finely sliced pickled fennel.

Alternatively, you could look to the more traditional 'pub menu' for the likes of Honey Wood Haze cider-battered haddock, chips and minted peas, or an elevated monkfish and scallop fishcake with buttered leeks, poached Birch Farm egg and chips. Visually stunning desserts include a warm lemon geranium cake topped with raspberry jam and pistachio ice cream, served with a citrussy lemon verbena curd.

There’s also a terrace with a covered seating area and heated stone benches for all-weather dining. To drink, take your pick from locally brewed ales and seasonal cocktails, or select a bottle from the well-chosen wine list. 

Are Oisín Rogers, Charlie Carroll and Ashley Palmer-Watts champions of a new era in pubs? The Devonshire is certainly one of the most enjoyable places to eat in the capital – if you can get in (far too many people want to eat here). Yet it looks set to become an institution – and long may it continue, for this is no ordinary pub. Ingredients are impeccable and the strong meat-focused menu serves the kind of dishes you want to eat, especially in the lively environment of a central London watering hole where drinkers have their own space and staff are noted for their relaxed expertise. Dining rooms are divided between the first and second floors where, under the direction of Ashley Palmer-Watts (formerly executive chef at Dinner by Heston Blumenthal), the kitchen applies a certain simplicity and accuracy of cooking to impeccable ingredients.

Flames are at the heart of the operation, with wood-fired Ibérico pork chops, lamb cutlets, fillet, ribeye and T-bone steaks (plus lobsters) keeping company with the likes of lamb hotpot or beef and Guinness suet pudding on the hand-scrawled menu. Three wonderfully meaty scallops, lightly roasted, served in the shell with nothing more than a buttery, vinegary sauce and strips of crisp bacon, is a terrific opener that hammers home the kitchen’s modus operandi – namely sourcing prime ingredients and treating them with the utmost simplicity. And there’s something deeply comforting about a fixed price, no-choice lunch that can deliver real quality and value in the shape of prawn and langoustine cocktail, skirt steak with excellent chips and béarnaise sauce, and light, luscious sticky toffee pudding – all for £29.

Sunday's roast ribs of beef carved from a silver-domed trolley are terrific value too and have helped restore the tradition in this part of town. To drink, everyone orders Guinness – it’s fast achieving cult status here – and you can drink well without breaking the bank from the mainly European wine list. The pub now has its own 40-cover rooftop terrace for fine-weather dining (note that you can't book this separately). 

Saved from conversion into residential accommodation during 2022, this Grade II-listed, 16th-century pub in a stunningly pretty West Country valley is now owned by the local community who are understandably enthusiastic about it. Visitors are greeted by friendly staff, the warm glow of a roaring fire and wooden beams garlanded with dried hops, while the dining room’s lime-plastered walls are painted calming hues of sage green and cream, with plain wood tables and a wooden floor completing the simple but elegant vibe.

However, if the weather’s good enough, it's worth bagging a spot in the delightful back garden, which boasts a skittle alley, raised kitchen garden beds and gorgeous views. Head chef and local farm boy Charlie Rawlings’ farm-to-table menu is a love song to British cooking and local producers. Whether you pop in for the excellent-value ‘working lunch’ of say, generous slices of rare roast beef on a bed of egg salad with dripping toast and a pint of real ale, or go the whole three courses for dinner, the cooking is refined but hearty and completely flavour-driven.

Pub-grub enthusiasts will enjoy the inventive burger combinations sandwiched between milk buns from Bradford-on-Avon’s Pipit Bakery or the pie of the day with mash and seasonal greens, while veggies could home in on sharing plates of braised Puy lentils with roast squash and goat's cheese. Pudding could be Lacock dairy ice cream, or perhaps a beautifully presented caramelised milk chocolate mousse with candied walnuts and boozy prunes. The short wine menu plays second fiddle to the excellent selection of local ales and ciders on tap at this free house.

At a time when so many pubs are closing down, it's heart-warming to see the revival of this riverside hostelry. The revamped Waterman's Arms now sets out its stall as a neighbourhood pub-cum-restaurant where exposed brick walls, wooden benches softened by claret-coloured velvet cushions, candlelight and views of the Thames across the way make it the perfect spot to unwind.

When we called in, a bluesy soundtrack added to the mood, making it so cosy that we were reluctant to leave. Eager young staff also gave the impression that they just wanted us to hang around and have a good time. The kitchen is headed by Sam Andrews (ex-Camberwell Arms and Soho's Ducksoup), who has created a concise seasonal menu with daily specials chalked up on a board – market fish with saffron, for example.

The cooking is direct, with few excesses, and the kitchen teases out maximum flavour with the minimum of fuss – as seen in our starter of gutsy, satisfying confit pork with white onion on toast. Mains are equally impressive, from big flakes of gurnard tangled with kohlrabi, coriander and a dash of yoghurt to juicy duck breast served with Provençal onions, olives and a blood-orange segment. After that, a wedge of mature Comté, accompanied by prunes and spelt digestives, paved the way for a pleasing sweet finale involving poached pear with dark chocolate and crème anglaise.

Weekday lunches on Thursdays and Fridays are great value, and Sunday brings a choice of roasts in addition to the usual repertoire. Like everything here, the choice of beers, cocktails and the diverse wines (from £28.50) has been put together with care.

Sometimes, pubs hit that ‘something for everyone’ note pitch-perfectly. Locals and North Norfolk coastal tourists alike can thank Anglian Country Inns for turning this rundown village boozer into a smart, forward-thinking hostelry, where drinkers are more than welcome and food is top of the agenda.

Chef Gabriel ('Gabe') Lea has impeccable credentials (Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons under Raymond Blanc, The French under Simon Rogan and Northcote with Lisa Godwin-Allen), but keeps things admirably straightforward here. His dishes are simple and unshowy, revealing a commitment to local and regional suppliers (Brancaster oysters and smoked salmon, Howard & Sons pork sausages, Mrs Temple’s Binham Blue cheese, Norfolk asparagus), while flavours are as big-hearted as the portions. Given the location, you can expect seafood to feature strongly (we enjoyed a flawlessly cooked whole lemon sole with a sauce bonne femme), but there’s excellent meat too – both a whopping bone-in pork chop and a plate of pink and perfect grilled mutton chops were triumphant highlights when we visited. 

We would also go back for the cheese and red onion tart and for the fresh sourdough from the on-site bakery, which is irresistible – especially with whipped chicken butter. To finish, dark rum panna cotta comes with local strawberries, while Norfolk cheese is paired with blackberry chutney and an Eccles cake. Lovely service and decent wines also repay the journey.

A pubby success story if ever there was one, this handsome stone hostelry was gifted to Clipsham by a local squire in 1890 and rescued from extinction by three friends in 1999. Since then, it has become a shining star on the Rutland scene with its open-minded community spirit and forward-thinking approach to food and drink. The Olive Branch was an early adopter of local sourcing and still name-checks its ever-growing list of suppliers, as well as topping up its larder with home-grown produce from an increasingly productive ‘pub paddock’.

The kitchen caters for all appetites and predilections – whether your preference is for haddock and chips, courgette and sage tagliatelle or venison haunch with braised onion, roast beetroot and chocolate tortellini. Starters are equally creative, ranging from cockle-warming leek velouté bolstered by Westcomb Cheddar dumplings, miso leeks and croûtons to trendy cured salmon with nori, yuzu, pickled tapioca and buttermilk sauce, while dessert might bring tonka-bean panna cotta, mulled poached figs or an Eccles cake with Barkham Blue cheese.

Sunday lunch also ‘delivers on every level’, with locally sourced beef sirloin or roast pork loin supplemented by a ‘full house of veggies’ and rich, dark gravy. On the drinks front, top-notch regional ales and an ever-changing list of good-value wines receive equal billing, with Coravin selections signalling the owners’ serious intent in this field. Readers are also keen to praise the pub's relaxing, homely vibe and the top-drawer service from polite, attentive staff who are happy to ‘go that extra mile’. Accommodation is available at Beech House, across the road. 

Squeezed between a busy road and the Stourbridge Canal basin, this recently renovated industrial-era pub attracts fervent local support – especially for its Sunday roasts, where ‘perfectly pink’ beef, ‘amazing’ beetroot Wellington, and ‘phenomenal’ Yorkshires are singled out. The modern interior, with wooden flooring, sensitive lighting and a woodburning stove, has a homely, family feel in winter, while a tarmacked beer garden with views of the canal adds summertime appeal and is soon to be converted into a separate dining area.

Local suppliers are proudly name-checked on the main menu, which offers an appealing blend of modern pub food and Mediterranean-accented cooking. The kitchen is renowned for 'very generous portions’, and our visit began with an unnervingly huge ‘small plate’ of tender beef brisket surrounded by cheesy Parmesan polenta and topped with salsa verde. A request for horseradish brought a saucer of the freshly grated root in cream – the kitchen’s attention to detail is impressive. The ensuing ‘large plate’ was equally full flavoured and bountiful: a glisteningly white fillet of cod resting on a stew of beans, tomatoes and chorizo.

Puddings are also enticing – our tangy Bramley and cranberry crumble (paired with salted-caramel ice cream) came with unexpected squares of toasted gingerbread to boost its crunch. Staff receive universal praise; we found them polite, on-the-ball and exceedingly prompt. Breakfast (served Thursday to Sunday) includes the likes of kedgeree and shakshuka as well as the ‘Full Monty’. Wines are supplied by a local vintner, and the brief, good-value list is a cut above the norm; alternatively, enjoy a pint of real ale from a choice of four regularly rotated brews. This is, after all, a proper pub.

Synonymous with ‘true Yorkshire hospitality’, Andrew Pern’s country inn sets the benchmark for hostelries hereabouts. Pristinely re-thatched and restored, it still hides more than seven centuries of history behind its thick stone walls, while its warren of beamed rooms is home to a collection of hand-crafted furniture from Yorkshire's Robert ‘Mousey’ Thompson.

All-comers receive the warmest of welcomes here – no wonder villagers still proudly use the place as their local, dropping by for pints of local ale and solid sustenance from a ‘pub menu’ that never loses sight of its Yorkshire roots (think peppered swede soup followed by calf’s liver with a fried egg). Sunday roasts are also ‘an absolute joy’ with their creative use of local ingredients. However, the serious culinary action takes place in the restaurant extension, where seasonal North Country produce reigns supreme. Here you will find ‘levain-fed’ bread, honey from Harome’s hives, moorland game, Swaledale lamb, seaweed from Robin Hood’s Bay, Whitby lobsters and the occasional interloper such as salt-cured skrei cod. 

The justly famous ‘rich man, poor man’ starter of pan-fried foie gras sandwiched between roundels of grilled black pudding is rightly renowned as a signature dish, although the carte and 10-course taster are stuffed with fulsome, richly flavoured delights and surprisingly creative combinations. Consider sticky braised ox cheek with Yorkshire blue cheese raviolo alongside Marmite-pickled radish and Lindisfarne oyster velouté or a seafood bonanza featuring North Sea turbot and a supporting cast of poached langoustine, crispy calamari, Shetland mussel ‘sauce matelote’ and fennel rouille. After that, carefully matured and truffled cheeses are arrayed on a bespoke ‘Mousey Thompson’ trolley, while desserts range from seasonal riffs on Yorkshire rhubarb to baked banana soufflé with Libations double-aged golden rum syrup and a dollop of Pontefract cake ice cream. 

Wine pairings have been thoughtfully chosen to match the food – an Austrian Beerenauslese, Domäne Wachau with that soufflé, for example – and the full list includes ample drinking by the glass.

This 18th-century Grade II-listed village pub looms large in the life of Burpham. Community-owned and family-run, it’s renowned for its charming service and convivial atmosphere, while the interior is a pleasant mix of exposed beams hung with hops, wood-burners, and stylish contemporary touches. It's popular with walkers too, being about an hour’s hike from the South Downs Way. The pub's immensely likeable menus cover all bases, from chorizo Scotch eggs, a good cheeseburger, classic fish and chips, a selection of steaks and well-reported Sunday roasts, to modern brasserie dishes such as cod with 'nduja and white bean stew or raspberry clafoutis with fig-leaf ice cream. As for drink, there are local ales and a selection of sustainable, organic, and biodynamic wines.

Pause a moment outside this spruced-up village hostelry to view the ancient construction over the adjacent lane, featuring a huntsman, a pack of hounds and a fox whizzing towards the pub. Then do likewise – it’s worth it. Inside, a 2018 refurb has retained the pubby feel, keeping the venerable weathered beams and bare brick fireplaces, along with a bar where drinkers can (and do) enjoy pints of local ale while lounging in armchairs. The dining area features flagstone flooring, an open kitchen, a skylight and French windows looking onto a smart, partially covered beer garden.

Executive chef and owner Brett Barnes has an impressive history, having rattled the pans at Arbutus, Mark Hix, and stellar Swedish venue Fäviken. With his head chef, Charlie Harrison, he produces a well-thought-out, fairly priced menu that’s equally appealing for slap-up celebrations or midweek drop-ins (anyone for a native-breed brisket burger?) The commitment to seasonality is real but understated, so an autumn meal might start with an exemplary pig’s head croquette (crisp coating, luscious, fatty interior) served straight from the pan with celeriac rémoulade and a sweet dollop of crab apple jelly. This could be followed by a sizeable hake fillet, flaky and succulent, atop a milky and flavoursome chowder of chestnut, spinach, sweetcorn and tender surf clams. Puddings, ancient and modern, are equally enticing, whether a caramelised panna cotta with blackberry compôte or a fresh-from-the-oven Bakewell-like apple pie. 

Service from a young, eager team is well-turned-out yet unpretentious (rather like the place itself). Drinks, too, cover most options, from original cocktails to a catch-all wine list, where it’s worth upgrading from the routine house white (£24) to the more intriguing ‘cellar selection’. 

A detour from wherever you are headed is required to reach the Tichborne, but it is definitely worth it. High beams adorned with foliage, cushions on the bench seating, candelabra-style lighting, shelves packed with old books and trinkets, and a view into the kitchen from the pass all create a comforting feel, and staff are impressively on point.

The food aims to please all comers. Starter options occupy that resourceful bridge between nibbly appetisers and actual dishes, as in a serving of moreish confit garlic houmous and pickled red onion, with charred flatbread for dredging, while the croquettes that reach you mere moments after being lifted from the fryer are full of mellow Cheddar and startling little nips of hot jalapeño, soothed with garlic and herb mayo. Main courses have all the sturdiness you expect from good pub cooking, whether you opt for chicken milanese with chestnut mushroom purée, a beetroot burger, or even a fish dish such as roasted skate wing with capered brown butter and new potatoes. 

For the Sunday roast crowd, a harvest festival's worth of veg accompanies the main business, perhaps smoked beef short rib braised in red wine to the point where it obligingly falls from the bone, alongside an enormous Yorkshire pudding. Neither is there anything flimsy about the sweet end of things, when a gooey-rich brownie turns up with white chocolate ice cream and the sharpening hit of plum sauce. Local guest ales, spicy margaritas and a compact list of on-trend wines, including Exton Park fizz from Hampshire, add to the feeling of being properly looked after.

The Bull describes itself as an 'organic, radical, ethical' pub, which is what it's about these days. Who doesn't love a radical pub? Just round the corner at the top end of Totnes' main drag, it's certainly a comfortable and welcoming place to enjoy good beers, adventurous wines, and some conscientiously sourced local produce that is treated with respect for its innate quality.

Johnny Tillbrook's blackboard menus offer a wealth of choice, turning Jersey-milk Ogleshield cheese, Jerusalem artichokes and leeks into a warming gratin topped with pangrattato, or curing monkfish in paprika, alongside electrifying accompaniments of blood-orange, fennel and chilli oil.

No lily feels over-gilded, and yet every dish has plenty to say for itself, through to sustaining mains such as sea bass in ajo blanco with spinach and roast courgette, or chicken breast with greens, turnip, onion, skordalia and green sauce. Basque cheesecake, perhaps with prunes soaked in Earl Grey, is a sweet stalwart. The small plates arrangement remains a good way to go for an enterprising group (how about venison koftas with cumin yoghurt, preserved lemon and pomegranate salad?). Wines are arranged by style, and (not surprisingly) embrace a healthy showing of biodynamic and natural specimens.

Famed locally for its food and drink, the Parkers Arms sits on a stretch of the B6478 as it unwinds across the Trough of Bowland, not far from the river Hodder. Locations don't get much more rural than this, and it's all the more gladdening to find the interior hasn't been suffocatingly boutiqued. 

In 2021, The Hairy Bikers stopped in here, and helped turn the curried mutton pie into a viral sensation, and it remains true that the pies are a powerful part of the draw – majestic constructions of exemplary pastry, crusts crimped, the glaze shining them up like burnished armour, the insides generously filled with good things.  Otherwise, fish from Morecambe Bay is worth considering, perhaps roasted sea bass with foraged samphire and Ormskirk potatoes. Start with a single whopping hand-dived Hebridean scallop in a butter of its own roe and garlic, or salt cod fritters in lemon mayo, and close the deal with cherry frangipane tart and matching ice cream.

Simple lunches for intrepid walkers offer sanctuary from the Lancashire rain-pelt. The Bowland brewery's ales are a mainstay of the drink offer,  while wines are an accessibly priced classic selection.

Famed for its association with British author Laurie Lee (of Cider with Rosie fame), this attractive Cotswold stone hostelry clings to the side of the steeply beautiful Slad valley. On a sunny day, the best tables are in the vine-shaded garden, but venture inside and you'll discover a series of small, atmospheric rooms with locals at the bar, as well as a compact dining room with a mural of the Slad valley on the ceiling and a little cabinet displaying Lee's books for sale in one corner.

Pretty posies from the pub’s walled kitchen garden in Lypiatt adorn bare wood tables on scuffed wood floors – it all feels slightly shabby and historic, in the best possible way. There’s nothing rough-hewn about Adam Glover’s cooking, though, which brings a classical French sensibility to a wide-ranging array of European delights – say, a starter of fasolakia (Greek bean stew) with aged feta and oregano or a main course of pork schnitzel with fresh borlotti beans and girolles. You’d be well advised to work up a substantial appetite before dining here: dishes such as rabbit with pastis, saffron, fried bread and aïoli come in farm labourer-sized portions, especially if you order some 'dripping chips' on the side.

If you’ve still got room, pudding could be as simple as a bowl of cherries on ice or as indulgent as a Saint-Émilion au chocolat. There’s a decent selection of wine by the glass, carafe or bottle, but surely cider is the appropriate drink here, with properly made local stuff on tap or in fancier bottled form.

Sam and Georgie Pearman continue to build on their reputation for creating cool, country house-style inns. At the former Plough, a substantial, stone-built 17th-century pub in a bucolic west Oxfordshire village, they have got it right from the start, providing all the warmth, atmosphere and chic rusticity you could wish for – with positive, approachable service and a keen eye for seasonality added to the mix. The Duke is a strong draw even on the bleakest of midweek nights. Local families come for a pub meal in the large, woody bar area (well-stocked with local ales), couples head for a table in the dimly lit, intimate dining rooms (perhaps by a smouldering fire), and friends chew the cud under venerable beams and portraits in oils – or sit on stools at the chefs’ counter by the open kitchen. Unless, of course, it’s a warm summer’s day, when the garden terrace is a magnet. The same menu is served in the bar and restaurant. A recent spring meal began with snacks in the bar (goat’s cheese, wild garlic and honey flatbread; wood-fired aubergine and miso dip) before moving to the dining room for Evesham asparagus with sheep’s yoghurt and pistachio followed by wood-fired cod with smoked velouté, baby gem, peas and broad beans. Elsewhere, readers have praised a well-flavoured little portion of tender beef tartare under a mound of Parmesan, as well as a mouth-wateringly succulent log of (boneless) bacon ribs, neatly matched with a tangle of crunchy, shaved fennel slaw. Steaks are a forte and appear in various guises, including hefty 1kg porterhouses for £95. Our visit ended on a high note with a forced Yorkshire rhubarb pavlova with blood-orange curd (an expert balance of sweet and zesty). The drinks list offers plenty of joy – from a varied, mostly Old World wine selection (including English labels and ample by-the-glass options) to house cocktails, bottled English ciders and even a couple of meads.

At the hub of a Sussex hilltop village, with a sunny terrace overlooking the local church, this reimagined 16th-century inn has all the nooks, crannies, inglenooks, oak beams and floral displays that you could wish for. Efficient, cheery staff keep things rolling along, bringing ‘pint milk bottles’ of water to each table as a matter of course. The place gets packed and everyone is here for the food – thanks to a confident kitchen that can deliver consistent crowd-pleasing dishes from a regular menu and a chalked-up specials board that included a tempting with a crab-topped crumpet with cucumber and almond cream.

Burgers, pies and battered fish keep the traditionalists happy, but there's room for invention too: a well-balanced goat’s cheese brûlée delivered on all fronts, with a fine lavosh cracker alongside, while cod fillet was perfectly pan-fried, with impressive accompaniments including a crayfish beurre noisette, silky-smooth celeriac purée, savoy cabbage and crispy Parmesan-crusted potatoes. Meaty choices range from Surrey ribeye steaks with peppercorn butter to haunch of local venison richly embellished with a braised shoulder tartlet, quince poached in mulled wine, potato terrine and a boozy sauce. And on Sundays, the prospect of three ultra-traditional roasts guarantees regular full houses.

The kitchen puts on a show when it comes to desserts: our deep-filled lemon tart had bags of citrus tang, with blackberry purée and blackberry sorbet on the side, while a dark chocolate terrine was lifted by a raspberry sorbet and maple-flavoured honeycomb. The well-considered wine collection offers oodles by the glass, including a range of Sussex sparklers.

‘Our local’ noted one reader proudly. For anyone with misgivings about pubs with restaurant inclinations, this urban hostelry should set you straight. As befits a sibling of Southwark’s Anchor & Hope, Stoke Newington’s Clarence Tavern, and the Magdalen Arms in Oxford, the Canton Arms is fully committed to its role as an old-fashioned city boozer. Low-lit and friendly, there’s pretty much a 50/50 split between drinkers knocking back pints of real ale in the front bar and diners in for some consistently delicious food in the dining area at the back.

Ingredients are seasonally spot-on, with the daily changing menu delivering anything from labneh with walnut and pomegranate dressing or crispy blood cake with homemade quince jam to roast hake with crab bisque, steamed potatoes and gremolata or duck confit with Puy lentils. After that, there might be bread-and-butter pudding with praline sauce, which was recently reported as ‘something I dream of weekly’.

It’s all considered good value, and that includes the line-up of drinks, which range from an ‘amazing’ selection of real ales on rotation and an impressive list of classic cocktails to a perfectly judged European wine list.

With pubs closing week on week, you might wonder why Tommy Banks would take on a tired old roadhouse between Knaresborough and Boroughbridge and transform it into a modern inn for the 21st century. But Banks has form: in 2005 he took his local village boozer, the Black Swan at Oldstead, to stellar status in just five years; later, he bought a mock Tudor tavern in York and made Roots a destination, and recently revived the beautifully located Abbey Inn at Byland.

The General Tarleton is the first restoration in Banks’ new group, Jeopardy Hospitality, and good money has gone into the smart makeover. The homely bar with old-style oak tables and Windsor chairs is dedicated to drinkers, while the sunlit atrium is a fresh, modern space filled with light ash tables. Beyond is ‘the barn’, another dining room with attractive beams and exposed stone walls.

The tight menu is packed with pub classics: oozing Scotch eggs and twice-baked cheese soufflé to start, then pork schnitzel with a fried egg or fillet steak with fabulous triple-cooked chips. There are Dexter beef burgers and handsome pies too, laced with Black Sheep ale and served with 'baked potato' mash. Dishes are refined and carefully executed, as in a snow-white fillet of cod with deep-fried cockles and a roast onion or a chocolate pot with sour cherry, miso and almond.

This is elevated pub cooking, so don’t expect average pub prices, but there's also a terrific-value three-course set menu at £30 (available most sessions).  Bar snacks of pork crackling and Old Winchester croquettes go well with pints of Timothy Taylor’s Landlord and Knaresborough’s Turning Point on tap; there's also a strong selection of wines by the glass, including some New World highlights. If this is what it takes to keep a village inn thriving, they may be onto something.

You can drop into the Anchor for a pint of Adnams Broadside and a packet of crisps, half a dozen bracingly fresh rock oysters (from Mersea or Orford) and a glass of crisp Muscadet, or go full-throttle on a three-course meal that sings with local and seasonal produce. Either way, the Anchor is firing on all cylinders as a good pub should. 

Expect straightforward, generous food. Evergreen fixtures such as tempura-battered halloumi fries, smoked haddock fishcakes, and voluminous fish and chips sit alongside specials that make the most of allotment vegetables and local meat – perhaps pork belly with sweetheart cabbage and salsa verde. The chocolate fondant has earned its very own fan club over the years, not surprisingly given its dark, molten deliciousness.

Publican Mark Dorber, who has run the place with his chef/wife Sophie since 2004, layers the drinks list with his beer and wine expertise – he’ll happily engage on the subject with interested guests while pouring everything from local ales and complex Belgian Trappist beers to everyday wines and push-the-boat-out vintages such as a Domaine des Comtes Lafon, Mersault Clos de la Barre at £110. If you need to walk all that off, the beach is minutes away; and if you need to sleep it off, there are rooms in the pub or in spacious garden chalets (our recommendation). There’s praise, too, for the ‘lovely warm welcome’ and the ‘superb atmosphere’, especially in the charming fire-warmed bar area.

Describing their venue as a neighbourhood restaurant inside a 19th-century pub, the good folk at The Camberwell Arms have an appealing proposition on a busy road that slices through SE5. 'Compelling, simple, seasonal' food is the real deal, served up in relaxed, pared-back spaces where the bones of the old pub remain in its stripped floors, fireplaces and high Victorian ceilings. There's a hatch window out front so drinks can pass to thirsty locals on the pavement, and a private dining room with its own bar at the other end of the spectrum. The gauntlet is thrown down with 'Scotch bonnet pork fat on toast' – a dish of fire and fat, and not for the faint-hearted. Share a few small plates such as semolina gnocchi in a 'bright, fresh' San Marzano tomato sauce or charred onions with artichoke pesto and pistachios; otherwise, stick to the trad two- or three-course format. A bigger helping of grilled fish (wild bream or plaice, maybe) arrives with chips and aïoli, while thinly sliced porchetta is dressed with white peaches and rosemary. Two like-minded people can go for sharers such as half a spit-roast chicken (with blistered hispi cabbage and crème fraîche enriched with chicken fat) or aged Hereford rump steak with anchovy dripping. To finish, a 'beautiful' apricot and chocolate galette with crème fraîche and sour-cherry molasses sent one reader away very happy. Sunday lunches catch the eye with more of those sharers as well as roast potatoes cooked with sage and lemon. The drinking options include cocktails and well-chosen wines (from £26.50).

Hiding behind its full-length green ivy coat is a north Norfolk inn with rooms that has plenty of fanatical support. ‘An absolutely fantastic local restaurant with exceptionally friendly staff and quality food every time,’ is a typical endorsement. The place is done up in a nice mix of old and new decorative touches, with a shiny wood floor, walls in jade-green or undressed brick, and old settles or kitchen chairs to settle on, and there's the bonus of two acres of garden to enjoy in fine weather.

It wouldn't be a proper dining pub without a steak night (Tuesdays), but there is also an enterprising modern menu that wouldn't look at all out of place on one of London's leafier fringes. Try sautéed kidney and smoked bacon on toasted sourdough to start, then cod fillet with roasted cauliflower and Norfolk asparagus with mash and leek oil for that distant waft of the coast, or chicken and ham pie with mash and seasonal greens. Indeed, well-sourced meats are the star attractions of main dishes such as grilled pork loin steak with sweetheart cabbage, apple sauce and sautéed potato.

Puddings, crumbles and brownies await the pure in heart at the finishing stage, or perhaps consider a rhubarb flan tartlet with rhubarb and custard ice cream. The Sunday lunch prix-fixe looks like a bargain. Hand-pumped ales and a serviceable wine list complete the picture.

As a place where classy, contemporary design collides joyfully with a half-timbered country pub, the Swan is testament to what can emerge when you have what estate agents call ’vision’. By preserving the 16th-century original and adding contemporary amenities in the form of a low-slung, modern steel, wood and glass bar-restaurant overlooking a stunner-for-summer terrace, Mark and Sophie Dorber (who also run the Anchor in Walberswick), have created a new breed of country dining pub – and a godsend for tourists exploring Constable country.

Slickly turned-out modern British food defines the menu, with equal emphasis laid on freshness and revitalised classicism. This is simple, reliable cooking that can range from heritage tomato panzanella to a rare-breed burger with Keen’s Cheddar, bacon and truffle mayonnaise. Our visit kicked off with orange- and gin-cured sea trout jumbled with strips of pickled fennel and cucumber, then two delicious roundels of cumin-infused pressed shoulder of lamb served atop giant couscous with mint yoghurt, and plump fishcakes with buttered new potatoes, tenderstem broccoli and sorrel crème fraîche. 

For dessert, an orange, almond and polenta cake, and a burnt Basque cheesecake with virgin olive oil and Malden sea salt, both made a brilliant final flourish. Like the food, service strikes a great balance, while drinkers have craft beers (including Dorber’s own Harvest Ale) and a wide-ranging wine list that’s pitched just right.

Off the beaten track, and not an easy place to find, this 16th-century half-timbered building stands on the banks of the river Lugg, positioned by an old stone bridge on the Mortimer Trail (a 30-mile walking route from Ludlow to Kington). Inside, a warren of heavily beamed rooms with wonky floors and open fires provides nooks for a quiet tête-a-tête and separate spaces for louder crowds or those with their four-legged friends; the terraced garden comes into its own on fine days. Service is friendly and welcoming. In the kitchen, Andy Link and his team take sustainability, ethical sourcing and food miles seriously, seeking out the very best that the region has to offer from local farms and artisan suppliers, backed up by their own kitchen garden (and their own hens). We noticed that lunchtime regulars tended to favour the perfectly cooked rare-breed Herefordshire steak sandwich with truffle chips, but we enjoyed a light meal of crispy garlicky Herefordshire snails with truffle mayo, followed by eye-catching river trout cured in beetroot and local Chase gin, plus a delightful poached pear accompanied by a scoop of assertive blue-cheese ice cream to finish. Many other items have been singled out for praise, from a generous piece of grilled and lightly caramelised cod served on a pile of peas and mangetout with a lovely lovage sauce to a dish of chicken with courgettes, garden chard and wild herb pesto that 'had some body’. For afters, readers have endorsed the nettle cake and the rhubarb purée with 'custard mousse'. A good chunk of the decently priced wine list is vegan or vegetarian – though given the impressive ethos of the place, there are surprisingly few English offerings.

It could be just another whitewashed roadside inn, briefly glimpsed along the A149 as you drive past, but the White Horse is something special. Set on the marshes, it provides one of the best views along the coast and manages an impressive balancing act between pub and restaurant. A rustic public bar caters for drinkers who can spill out onto the front courtyard when the sun shines, while the light-filled conservatory dining room and terrace maximise the views – big skies, tidal creeks, little boats.

Here, chef Fran Hartshorne presents a strong 'when in Norfolk' case for choosing the exceptional mussels, half a dozen oysters served classically or tempura, dressed Cromer crab or delicious smoked salmon from the tiny Staithe Smokehouse on the premises. Elsewhere, pan-seared sea trout with leeks, local cockles, clams and brown shrimps, smoked cream and potato is a straightforward pleasure, as is marsh-grazed sirloin with Café de Paris butter and skin-on fries – one of the few meat options. For afters, the signature lemon tart with blueberries, Dann's Farm yoghurt sorbet and poppyseed crumb beckons.

If you want something more casual, head down to Marshside, the pub’s seasonal, alfresco hangout for a cocktail, glass of wine or beer plus a few small sharing plates – a robata-grilled scallop, devilled mussel crumpet or Cheddar doughnuts, say. You might, however, like to keep large plates of grilled lobster and chips or crayfish poutine to yourself. In both dining areas, the well-targeted, international wine list offers plenty by the glass.

Slaggyford's finest, the Kirkstyle, has been a watering hole since the 19th century, although it did service as the local rectory for many centuries before that. In ravishing open moorland near the Cumbrian border, it capitalises on its rugged location by bringing in pedigree produce from across the county of Northumberland. Pasture-raised sheep and cattle, together with seasonal game and fish, adorn Connor Wilson's enterprising menus, and the immaculate presentational style is full of contemporary chic, although it doesn't occlude the essentially straightforward approach to its distinguished ingredients.

A party who undertook an intrepid three-hour drive weren't disappointed, but instead sang the praises of a pigeon pie starter in cherry gravy, as well as the concluding Darling Blue (cheese) panna cotta with plums and walnuts ('a work of alchemy'). Lucky locals also take full advantage of this 'fantastic community hub'. Diners might kick off with a scallop alongside mushroom and spelt ragoût and hollandaise, while mains pump up the volume for pork collar and crispy jowl with carrot and fermented hispi, or pollock and mussels with celeriac and kale. There are, of course, crowd-pulling Sunday roasts, and if you're after something offbeat to finish, look to madeleine with blackberries and woodruff.

The magnificent wine list wouldn't let the side down at a Mayfair boutique, albeit at mark-ups that Mayfair hasn't seen in half a century. French classics lead the charge, but are followed by a Brazilian Chardonnay, a German Pinot, Swiss Dôle, Uruguayan Tannat – it's all good.

Everything you could want from a country pub (except perhaps a large garden) can be found in this attractively solid, Grade II-listed thatched inn. The low-ceilinged, oak-beamed room has a flagstone floor, a large open fireplace and almost every inch of wall space filled with ceramics, paintings and fascinating memorabilia. Landlord Robert Smallbone has been here for over 20 years and treats all his customers like old friends – an enthusiasm that inspires his friendly and helpful team.

Proudly listing local suppliers (‘The Mad Butcher of Winkleigh’ particularly catches the eye), the menu is best described as hearty Devon grub, and perhaps not the best place to take a strict vegetarian. A changing selection of soft-yolked Scotch eggs, served warm and crunchy from the fryer, and an individual beef Wellington with dauphinoise potatoes are highlights. Elsewhere, a wild venison burger topped with tangy Taw Valley Cheddar and a generous starter of breaded 'small fry' with garlic mayonnaise are reminders that the county is rich in both game and seafood. 

The list of desserts is almost as long as the main menu and ranges from sorbets to a chocolate and Devon stout steamed pudding, while the burnt cream made with blackcurrants grown in the village is big enough to share. The drinks list helpfully groups wines by character, although the pub is known for its well-kept local beers and ciders – so exploring what’s on tap is a good call.

‘It’s the whole package’ affirms one of the White Hart’s many advocates. The setting is a sprawling 15th-century pub a short drive from Oxford featuring a stunning dining hall with a soaring beamed ceiling, weighty wooden furniture and a stone fireplace. A mezzanine, a bar serving local ales, and an ‘orangery’ (popular for summertime pizzas) are further enticements. Happy young black-clad staff help to lighten the mood, aided by an all-encompassing drinks list and a menu of tempting modern assemblies ranging from posh fish and chips to more ambitious French-accented dishes.

Co-owner Mark Chandler has handed over the day-to-day cheffing duties to Grahame Wickham, who is maintaining the pub's reputation for assured, seasonally attuned cooking. Our November visit opened with a pairing of goat's cheese mousse and deep-fried goat's cheese bonbons with fig chutney and fresh figs from the owners' tree, while a main course of pan-roasted duck breast upped the ante, the juicy, tender meat well-matched with zesty preserved plums, kale and mashed sweet potato. Fish is also impressively handled, witness a handsome serving of succulent on-the-bone monkfish ‘bourguignon’, presented with pommes Anna and smoked pancetta in a tasty red wine jus.

Best of all was a gratifyingly large portion of lusciously creamy custard tart with poached pear, pear ice cream and a crunchy mouthful of honeycomb, full of bonfire-night flavours. There's also high praise for the Sunday roasts, topped up with seasonal vegetables from the pub's own garden and served with ‘pride and enthusiasm’. Small wonder that this package is often bursting at the seams with customers.

The sensitive renovation of traditional pubs has become one of the design achievements of the UK hospitality trade, and here, in a historic white-fronted hostelry on the edge of Harpenden Common, is another triumph of the art. There is a traditional bar area for well-kept beers, ciders and superior bar snacks, but the main dining room plays host to Matthew Reeder's artfully crafted and elegantly presented modern cooking, offered in the form of fixed-price set menus at lunch and dinner.

A gathering sense of anticipation distinguishes the repertoire as it progresses, hitting one highlight after another – perhaps encompassing tuna crudo with red pepper, capers and pine nuts, a fish course of Cornish cod with salsify, Parma ham and pecorino, and a main dish teaming Old Spot pork with oyster mushroom and black garlic in Madeira. The intermediate offerings are not to be scanted either, from the fine sourdough with yeast butter to a pre-dessert of blood orange and yoghurt, prior to a gathering of Yorkshire rhubarb, buttermilk and ginger to end things on a high.

Sunday lunch has its devotees too, none more so than the reader who was won over by principal roast dishes of dry-aged Hereford beef and Sutton Hoo chicken that came with salt-baked carrots, tangy cauliflower cheese, ‘great roasties’ (always essential), and more besides. A dessert homage to the Snickers bar has them gratefully returning.

The wine list finds space for such relative rarities as Canadian Chardonnay and one of the unsung Beaujolais crus, Saint-Amour. Sparklers, meanwhile, include a white and a rosé from Sussex's Rathfinny Estate. 

One of London's first 'dining pubs' in the 1990s, the Anglesea Arms may have a lower profile these days, but we were heartened by the fact that little appears to have changed – a mix of locals, their friends, children and dogs all contributing to the relaxed neighbourhood vibe. And there’s no doubt that it remains a proper local boozer where you can happily pop in for drinks. It’s quite a rustic retreat, too, with wooden floors, chunky furnishings and a dedicated 'long brick wall' hung with an ever-changing exhibition of photographs and paintings by local artists. 

The menu has a Mediterranean streak running through it, so expect the likes of ham croquetas alongside pappardelle with beef ragù. A generously portioned fritto misto with spiced aïoli was a simple but satisfying start, although the battered seafood (prawns, squid, sea bass and whitebait) could have done with a wee-bit less time in the fryer. But we had no misgivings about a brightly coloured dish of gilled sea bream fillet teamed with new potatoes, sweet datterini tomatoes and thinly shaved courgettes, all lifted by a zesty sauce of white wine, olive oil and lemon. To finish, a panna cotta with poached rhubarb in a light rhubarb syrup sent us away on a happy note. 

Service is generally reckoned to be 'warm and friendly’, while the drinks list spans everything from bottled beers, ciders and monthly changing real ales from the likes of Fuller's to a tight and well-edited wine list with fair prices and more than 20 selections by the glass. 

From bar to beer garden, the Heathcock majors in laid-back sophistication: expect simple white walls, reclaimed furniture, a decent selection of beers, and warm, efficient service. Here, informality never equates to idleness, and the same is true of the food, which – for all its rustic edges – is intelligent and considered. A big, chunky sourdough doorstep, say, quilted with the cheesiest, beeriest Welsh rarebit you could wish for, a bottle of Worcesterhire sauce on the side. Or grilled Wye asparagus teasingly dressed in grated Welsh black truffle and breadcrumbs then laid on a swirl of wild garlic purée. Native ingredients are trumpeted: a clutch of fluffy ricotta dumplings luxuriate in a heritage tomato sauce, with chunks of fresh tomato tasting of the summer sun thrown in for good measure. Game makes frequent appearances, as do native fish and seafood: smoked eel might be breadcrumbed, deep-fried and served with horseradish, rhubarb and chard on sourdough toast, while native mussels go Welsh with a leek and cider sauce. This is a small-plates menu, so expect to try at least three dishes each – and be sure to order dessert: a flawless, cloud-like rhubarb soufflé was a ‘sparkling highlight’ for one diner, while a perfectly crisp and syrupy pear tarte tatin delighted another. A good spread of European wines includes plenty by the glass. A recent addition is a Champagne and oyster bar upstairs.

A centuries-old village local atop a hill midway between Hadrian's Wall and the conurbations of Tyne & Wear, the Feathers continues to provide sustenance for locals and visitors alike. Inside, it looks the part with beams, log-burning stoves, Northumbrian ales and old-fashioned pub games as part of the offer, although the place has built its current reputation on locally sourced seasonal food, industrious home production and a commitment to ethical practices. The kitchen cures its own charcuterie, makes black pudding and pickles North Sea herrings (‘as good as most I’ve had in Scandinavia,’ noted one visitor) – as well as producing bespoke spirits including mulberry gin. They have a published list of more than 60 local suppliers, including foragers and growers, Northumbrian farmers specialising in rare breeds and day-boat fishermen catching sustainable species off the East Coast. An outdoor fire pit works its magic on flatbreads, grilled vegetables (used for vegan meze) and Haydon Bridge beef patties (slotted into brioche buns with Gorgonzola piccante and dill pickles). Otherwise, the kitchen’s eclectic approach sees battered haddock and fillet of wild halibut with chilli and rosemary velouté alongside braised local roe deer with celeriac purée, English lentils and emmer wheat or Spanish-style home-cured pork chop with fried potatoes and bravas sauce. For afters, the Northumbrian cheeses are well worth a punt, as are the homemade ices and homespun desserts such as blackberry and apple sponge with custard or steamed gingerbread pudding. To drink, vermouth-based cocktails and keenly priced, well-chosen wines fit the bill nicely.

Since opening its doors back in 2003, the laid-back Anchor & Hope has maintained strong pub credentials, making it a great, buzzy bolthole for drinkers and diners alike  – and offering something completely different to the chain restaurants in the immediate area. Indeed, when it comes to food, 'it's definitely still the place to go post-Old/Young Vic if you can get in’, advises a reporter, adding ‘it would always be my choice in the area.’

Comfort levels are basic, but diversion comes in the form of views into the busy kitchen, where seasonal ingredients feature heavily on the short daily menu. It’s a zesty assortment of dishes, the tone set immediately by the likes of a couple of hand-dived Brixham scallops teamed with green tangerine, capers and mint, or a three-cheese and hazelnut soufflé with winter chanterelles and radicchio.

Braised wild venison Provençal with spätzle and Parmesan, or seven-hour lamb shoulder with preserved lemon, cumin, tomatoes and gratin dauphinois (for two), are just a couple of comfort-zone main courses the kitchen does well, followed perhaps by quince and almond tart with clotted cream. There’s a worker’s lunch, too, starting at £11 for one course, and a reasonably priced European wine list with a good choice by the glass or carafe.

Located in what is possibly Perthshire’s prettiest village (with glorious river views), this aptly named all-purpose destination is an asset to any community. Factor in some very decent cooking and you also have a bright spot on the local dining scene. It's all down to Fraser Potter, who took over this live music venue (once owned by singer-songwriter Dougie MacLean) and turned the riverside car park into a beer garden partly sheltered by a stretch tent (this is Scotland, after all), complete with firepits, a pizza oven, long tables for communal feasting and an outdoor bar. The Taybank even has its own riverside cinema, while the original bar remains charmingly rustic with musical instruments ready and waiting for weekly live sessions.

On the first floor, sheepskin-strewn seating sets the tone in the high-ceilinged two-room restaurant, which also makes the most of the dreamy river views. Here, the cooking is well above the local norm, with homegrown produce from the walled garden adding some zingy freshness to fiercely seasonal dishes that seem to please just about everyone. Food miles mean a great deal here.

A starter of creamy garden pea velouté with a slow-cooked egg, broad beans, sugar snap peas and a punchy apple-smoked Cheddar foam was thick, creamy and suitably moreish, while tender slabs of Perthshire venison haunch were accompanied by earthy beetroot, shredded venison in a flaky pastilla parcel, turnip gratin, asparagus tips, Drambuie-spiked venison jus and a nasturtium-leaf garnish. For dessert, lightly poached chunks of still-squeaky garden rhubarb came with a sharp rhubarb sorbet sweetened with white chocolate and a sprinkling of crumble. A thoughtfully assembled wine list offers sound drinking at fair prices, plus a handful of ‘fine wines’ if you want to splash out.

For those in the know, the Queen’s Arms and its green and pleasant surrounds are more than just a handy pit stop near the A303 – they are a destination in their own right. In 2020, local resident and Ballymaloe alumnus Doune Mackenzie-Francis took on the pub with her family, transforming it into a model of contemporary country elegance. 

Along with charmingly renovated bedrooms and a cottage to rent, there’s a ‘pub hub’ offering coffee and provisions in lieu of a village shop. A rose-fringed garden and pleasant terrace allow visitors to drink in glorious views while inside, flagstone floors, open fires and the day’s papers on the bar make for an inviting space to lounge or dine after walking the Corton Denham Ridge.

In the kitchen, head chef Rich Townsend (who hails from the Newt, near Bruton) strikes an artful balance between pub classics and proper cooking. Refreshing tomato terrine with Westcombe ricotta and earthy lovage pesto wouldn’t feel out of place in a fancier establishment, but avoids being prissy. Chicken and mushroom pie comes stuffed with full-flavoured ceps, while the aged beef burger patty is paired with thick-cut smoked bacon from down the road and a potato bun made in-house. Pub classics are moored around the £20 mark and don’t require sides but it would be a shame to miss the crispy smashed pink fir potatoes adroitly seasoned with salt and vinegar.

Cocktails take up more real estate on the drinks menu than beers but a very good £10 ‘marg of the month’ – ours with a dash of spicy jalapeño syrup – is justification of sorts. Wines are a rung above the average pub line-up, with bottles starting at just under £30.

Stablemate to The Heathcock in Cardiff, this snug village pub brims with folksy features: wonky whitewashed stone walls, stripped floorboards, a Welsh dresser loaded with jars of preserved fruits, and a wood burner in an inglenook that contrasts with the polished metal of the open kitchen. The ever-changing menu takes its cue from the setting – traditional by inclination, but shot through with contemporary freshness. Executive chef (and local boy) Tom Watts-Jones previously worked at Fergus Henderson's St John in Clerkenwell, and it shows. Welsh rarebit (unctuous, glossy and perfectly charred) arrives on a chunky piece of sourdough (from the Hare & Hounds Bakery in Cowbridge) with a bottle of Worcestershire sauce on the side, while seasonally attuned starters might range from a thick, silky soup of new-season's asparagus and wild garlic topped with a runny-yolked crispy egg to a fresh, light risotto incorporating plump mussels and more wild garlic. To follow, our braised, crisp-skinned duck leg – an absolutely wonderful combo of crunchy and fatty – was teamed with velvety butter beans, chunky bacon and a rich cider sauce cut through with the spiky brightness of aïoli. We also enjoyed a tender, perfectly rosy hanger steak with flawless chips and a punchy peppercorn sauce. For dessert, dainty brown butter cakes – oven-fresh and nutmeg-spiced, fluffy in the middle and caramelised on top – were a huge hit, as was the almost impossibly thick and creamy honeycomb ice cream. A compact list of European wines offers plenty by the glass or carafe.

The Applecross Inn is legendary for its food, craic and location. At the end of the nail-bitingly vertiginous Bealach Na Bà Pass, it’s the highest and one of the hairiest passes in Britain – and a highlight of the famous North Coast 500 road trip. A sign at the bottom reads ‘normally impassable in wintery conditions.’ The less intrepid can curve around the coast from Sheildaig.

Run by Judith Fish MBE since 1989, this whitewashed pub with rooms attracts a steady stream of bikers and campervan holidaymakers ready for a nerve-calming dram (there are over 50 malt whiskies on offer) or a pint of ale from the locally owned Applecross Brewery. Outside, a smattering of picnic tables huddle above a rocky beach with dreamy wide-angle views over to the Isle of Skye and Raasay, while a converted silver airstream caravan (the Inn-Side Out) offers fish and chips, ice cream and coffee to go.

Inside, it’s properly old-school, shabby but not chic: red carpets, orange pine panelling, the bar strung with fairy lights, a large wood-burner. The menu naturally showcases local seafood: Applecross Bay prawns or langoustines swimming in hot, garlicky butter; plump hand-dived scallops; local oysters; smoked salmon and crab. In terms of portion size, read: huge. Haggis flambéed in Drambuie is a plate-scraping show-stealer, while a luxurious special of seafood linguine in Champagne butter sauce is worth the hefty price tag. The menu also includes excellent fish and chunky chips (haddock, of course, as this is Scotland) alongside steaks, burgers, Thai curry and vegetarian chilli. Desserts are in the same vein, huge portions of pub classics ranging from fruit crumble to cranachan, a muddle of fresh raspberries, cream, whisky, oats and meringue. 

A serene village in the verdant Lyth Valley, complete with a pretty church and rolling hills, is home to this upmarket hostelry. Originally a blacksmith's forge at the beginning of the 19th century, its old bones make for a magnificent country inn, where beams and slates, real fires and real ales feel right at home across several spaces. It's been a dining destination for several decades and continues to deliver a menu that keeps its feet firmly on the ground, with produce from the owners' farm ensuring that food miles are kept to a minimum.

Lancashire cheese soufflé with caramelised red onions is a cross-border favourite, comforting and rich, or you could try a lighter option such as beetroot and pomegranate salad with goat's cheese and raspberry vinaigrette. Cumbrian lamb arrives with a miniature shepherd's pie, while fish might feature pan-roasted cod with cider and mussel sauce, plus a serving of mash to soak it all up.

During the week, lunchtime brings similar dishes, with the addition of pub staples such as fish and chips or local wild boar and damson sausages (with mash and gravy). Those damsons also appear as a sorbet with the Punch Bowl's renowned lemon tart. Sunday lunch (a weekly changing blow-out) brings roast beef sirloin with Yorkies and seasonal vegetables (some courtesy of the owner's farm). Well-chosen wines from £27.

Halfway up the Southern Upland Way, alongside the Galloway Forest park, the Clachan is in a world of its own. Get off the M74 and turn left at Gretna Green. A whitewashed village inn with slate floors, antique panelling and a bar festooned with dried hops, it runs to a template that will have your metropolitan friends turning green with envy. The bothy takes the overspill from the main dining area – and there is nearly always overspill, so popular is the locally sourced, smartly presented cooking.

A game-season starter might partner Gelston partridge with pickled pear, golden raisins and a hash brown done in duck fat, or look to potted shrimps with pickles of kohlrabi and cucumber. Loin of the local venison goes into a labour-intensive main course with a pie of the braised shank, with fondant swede and red cabbage for company, while the marine option might team monkfish and mussels against a backdrop of celeriac, 'nduja, black olives and samphire.

At the end, there might be buttermilk panna cotta with rhubarb and gingerbread, or a platter of Scottish cheeses with oatcakes and chutney. The short wine list is founded on a bedrock of seven wines by the glass, from £3.25.

By all means, go full tilt at the Bull's classical-leaning menu: from a crisp little Reuben's croustade brimming with beefy-pickly-cheesiness to a superlative soufflé. But, above all, the Bull is still a rural village freehouse (think lit fires, comfy old furniture, board games, quiz nights) where you can chat with the genial young owners, Sam Darling and Ben Davenport, who are invariably pouring drinks and running food to tables. 

Simpler dishes lean deliciously into that identity. Drop in for a cheese ploughman’s sandwich and a pint of the Bull’s own Rascality beer. An excellent pork pie has the fullest of fillings inside robust hot-crust pastry and comes with zippy homemade piccalilli purée. Mussels that teeter and steam in a heaped bowl are perfect partnered with bouncy garlic milk bread. 

The wine list suits the scope of the food. There are plenty of by-the-glass options below £10, but a ‘Push the Boat Out’ page tempts with three-figure bottles from classic domaines such as a St Estèphe Bordeaux (Les Pagodes de Cos, Cos d’Estournel 2012) – a fine choice with a shared côte de boeuf. There are also beautiful rooms in the pub's neighbouring guesthouse, the Pear Tree Inn, should staying over be the plan. But whatever your mood, occasion or budget, the Bull is a pub to have firmly on your Suffolk radar.

The earliest licence was granted to the current inn's predecessor, once a smugglers’ drinking den, at about the same time as they were storming the Bastille over the Channel. Having seemingly played an incidental role in the action of Lorna Doone, the pub is now owned by the Greenall brewing family, who have extensively refurbished the place in tasteful contemporary style.

Chef Prim Lapuz's kitchen is justly proud of its meat supplies, which mostly originate from nearby sources, and it's no surprise that the place has garnered many nominations for its Sunday roasts: ‘I have never had such amazing beef,’ is typical of readers’ comments. The sausages are pretty good too, perhaps made from a blend of Exmoor venison and pork belly, served with wild garlic mash and Cumberland sauce. Fish dishes are equally convincing, too, with a slab of hake in a rich sauce incorporating brown crabmeat among the possibilities.

With the likes of grilled squid and chilli jam or a satisfyingly chunky country terrine with onion marmalade among the starters, it's clear nobody will turn faint for lack of nourishment. Crumbles and puddings bring up the rear in stout fashion, or you might consider something like a chocolate, orange and prune frangipane tart served with clotted cream. The drinks side of the operation is as comprehensively furnished as you would expect from proprietors who have been in the alcohol business since the 18th century.

Is this old whitewashed Northumbrian inn a pub-lover's paradise? Its location by the beach is perfect for long walks along the unspoiled coast, the village green is adjacent for outdoor pints, there's a real fire for winter-warming, and an accomplished microbrewery for great ale all year round. Dogs are welcome (though if noisy, they'll be politely but firmly asked to sit outside), there's regular folk music too, and the interiors are all rough-hewn stone walls, wooden floorboards and fairy lights.

From the snack selection (fancy olives, Sesame Snaps, bars of Green & Black’s chocolate) to the impressive output from the little kitchen, it's clear that owner Christine Forsyth cares deeply about food. The specials board might include handmade Moroccan vegetable pies and bratwurst in a pretzel bun with sauerkraut and crispy onions but the highlight of the main lunch menu are the sandwiches stuffed full of brilliantly fresh local crabmeat. The ploughman's with locally made seeded sourdough is also a treat.

In the evenings, the options are a little heartier – ribeye steak with red onion marmalade, crispy potatoes and salt-and-vinegar greens is the headline act, although Saturday night is all about pies. Made all the better with a pint of their subtly salty Sea Dog stout.

From its hillside perch in a village a couple of miles outside Stroud, the Bell at Selsley commands a quintessentially Cotswold panorama – watching over five converging valleys, looking up to blustery commons above, and down to venerable mills beside rushing streams.

The inn itself is also easy on the eye, built of honey-hued stone, with a cosy beamed bar as well as a more contemporary dining room, where floor-to-ceiling windows allow guests to watch the last slanting rays of sunset illuminating the rooftops of the town (if the weather is kind).

The menu brings together British and European influences, with ingredients drawn from the region and much further afield. Bright ideas and deft execution are the kitchen's hallmarks: Italian black fig, burrata and home-smoked duck made for a spirited medley at our June dinner, likewise salmon tartare topped with wild garlic.

Local flavours loom large among the mains – notably a mighty blade of Gloucestershire beef presented regally atop roast garlic mash and king oyster mushroom – although the real highlight for us was a serving of beetroot gnocchi with courgette, rocket pesto and Parmesan cream, a dish positively bursting with bright notes.

Desserts have some old-school flourishes (baked Alaska, for instance), but many will prefer to go for the cheeseboard with its heavy West Country accent. House wines start at £22, and the locally brewed Uley Bitter is also a winner.

Following on from the Tamil Prince in Barnsbury, Prince Durairaj (of Roti King fame) has repeated the formula in what was the old Charles Lamb pub on Elia Street, just behind Angel station. The Tamil Crown is almost a carbon copy of its predecessor, although it feels calmer and there’s more space: the venue is spread over two floors with a traditional dining room upstairs and a ground-floor space including a bar, complete with a cosy fireplace, candles and a sofa – ideal if you fancy a pint and a quick bite.

Staff are keen to upsell, but we prefer to keep it cheap and simple by ordering just one dish – the beef masala uthappam (like a smaller, thick dosa spread with spicy meat) is an ‘absolute standout’. Quite a few staple dishes have made the move from the Prince to the Crown, notably regional classics from the eponymous Tamil Nadu region of the subcontinent: the crispy okra fries, robata lamb chops and Thanjavur chicken curry are all present and correct, although our prawn moilee suffered from cloying coconut overkill.

The billowing, flaky roti breads are excellent (as you would expect given Prince Durairaj’s background) and drinkers have plenty of ales on tap, as well as some spiced-up cocktails and well-chosen wines. Also check out the Sunday menu, with its masala-roasted chickens and lamb shanks plus Indian veg, roast potatoes and gravy. 

*Elly Wentworth (previously head chef at The Angel) has been appointed as executive chef overseeing The Millbrook Inn and Fowlescombe Farm from 1st July 2025.*

In 2021, new owners gave the Millbrook Inn a much-needed makeover, but thankfully the refit has been done with restrained taste and the place still retains its identity as a local pub in a pretty south Devon village. There's a spruced up outdoor terrace with parasols, a pair of new holiday cottages across the road for tranquil getaways, and an extra dining space on the upper floor, where spindly old rafters and a paper globe lantern set the tone. 

Better still, the menu is now buttressed with organically produced rare-breed meats from the family farmstead (Fowlescombe) and the cooking is now in the experienced hands of Tom Westerland (ex-Gilpin Hotel in Cumbria), who is nudging the Millbrook in the direction of destination dining. Look at the precision and quality in a starter of pickled and salted farm cucumber with miniature cucamelon, sheep's curd and mint, or the savoury indulgence of beef carpaccio adorned with truffled horseradish cream and crispy capers.

Dressed Salcombe crab is every bit as fresh and toothsome as is proper, although it could do with a little more of the gribiche and farm herbs that partner it, while the Manx Loaghton hogget (cut into thick chops) is sensational, its fatty fringe blistered, the interior rosy-pink, sauced with its own jus at the table and accompanied by surprisingly delicate charred spring onion and courgettes. The day's fish is done in the charcoal oven and presented with smoked potatoes and samphire in caper-strewn brown butter.

Afters might offer bitter chocolate tart with raspberry sorbet or buttermilk panna cotta with strawberries and elderflower, but the sticky toffee crowd isn't ignored. Fans also say that Tom Westerland's Sunday lunch is ‘absolute perfection’, with superb meat, copious quantities of veg and other traditional accompaniments. In the drinking stakes, South Devon beers and ciders are given a spotlight of their own, while the adventurous wine list reaches for the stars, with glasses starting at £6.80 for a light Lisboa red.

Ambleside is well served by the Drunken Duck. It is not one of those pubs that has left its drinking side behind (not with that name); instead, it throws a welcoming arm around locals in an atmosphere of free-and-easy conviviality. That said, an appreciable attempt has been made to give the dining area its own identity with some framed art prints of flowers, a festooning of dried hops, and an open-to-view kitchen. Last booking for food is 8pm.

Staff are expertly clued-up, not least with knowledge of the Barngates beers brewed on site. The food is distinguished by nutritious heartiness, seen to impressive effect in a vegetarian main course of roasted cabbage and mushrooms topped with capers and horseradish, served with potato cakes, which might be preceded by a fricassée of Jerusalem artichokes with apple, black garlic and sunflower seeds.

Homely main dishes make great cold-weather sustenance, even when the cold weather comes round in late June: a bowl of fortifying marjoram-scented rabbit stew arrives with chunky veg, potent gravy and a cloud of lovely mash. Sides of perfectly textured chips and aïoli will help fill any holes.

In the context, the afters seem pleasantly light: yoghurt mousse and rhubarb sorbet team up for a refreshing finish, under a summery dusting of dried raspberries, or there may be a raspberry and fig version of Bakewell pudding. Gluggable wines by the glass head up a no-nonsense list.

Only a few miles from Hay-on-Wye, this former drovers’ inn close to the Welsh border is so peaceful and secluded that it's no surprise many visitors remark on the ‘spectacular setting’. Sympathetically renovated and reopened in 2021 by local regenerative food and farming company Wild by Nature, the pub has a timeless charm. Inside, the split-level dining rooms have thick stone walls, wonky-beamed ceilings, slate floors and a large open fireplace. Outside, a large, pretty garden offers tables with stunning views under the watchful presence of Herefordshire’s imposing Black Hill.

A strong connection to the land and a deep respect for ingredients shine through the seasonally changing menu. Dining here is farm-to-table and nose-to-tail, with ingredients grown or reared at a nearby farm owned by the restaurant group. Almost everything, from the charcuterie to the cheese biscuits, is made in-house. Whether this is a wild garlic soup with a fried hen’s egg and prosciutto, Black Mountain hogget and merguez with white beans and green sauce, or a buttermilk pudding with rhubarb jelly, hyper–local ingredients are treated with a respect and care that enables their flavours to sing. 

Everyone has a good word to say about the friendly and attentive staff, while drinks feature local beers and ciders as well as a short list of minimal intervention wines, which offers a better choice by the bottle than the glass. Accommodation is in four bespoke 'wild cabins' in the grounds of the pub.

A pub with deep roots in the city the Romans called Verulamium, the Kings Arms occupies a handsome Tudor building in the Cathedral Quarter. Its beamed ceiling and burnished wood surfaces evoke an atavistic note of bygone days, and the history extends even to the name, Dylans, which commemorates a gone-but-not-forgotten chocolate Labrador.

There is a seam of stylish grandeur running through much of Josh Searle's repertoire, and yet it never severs its connection to pub cooking. Chargrilled onglet with chimichurri, beef–fat chips and brown butter gravy could well be the best steak and chips you'll eat this year, or there might be Cornish sea bass with ratatouille, rouille potatoes and grilled artichoke. Familiar dishes are given productive tweaks to keep the regulars interested, so buffalo burrata might come with chestnut and pumpkin-seed panzanella, while a riot of spice inflames the punningly named Scotch Bonnet egg and habanero jam. Locals lavish special praise on the meat offerings – astonishing dairy cow burgers, luscious lamb chops, the lifetime's best roast pork belly. Olive oil typically plays a resourceful role in desserts such as dark chocolate mousse with sea salt and oil, or lime sorbet with olive-oil vodka.

When it comes to drinking, a surprisingly extensive list of Champagnes must wait its turn behind Nyetimber's superlative Sussex sparklers, while a baker's dozen of wines in all three colours come in three glass sizes. Cask ales and a selection of guest brews dispensed from a green-tiled 'beer wall' are a strong draw too.

The stone-built St Kew, dotted with hanging baskets, and with an expansive trestle-tabled garden full of mature trees behind, dates from the reign of Edward IV, and aims to cover as many of the requirements of a village pub as possible. There are four dining areas, all imbued with an infectious air of country-inn conviviality, and the kitchen also works to the principle of broad choice.

In between the chicken Caesar salad, beer-battered haddock and short-rib cheeseburgers with pickles and fries, there are some more speculative options for the adventurous: raw scallop with ponzu, brown crab emulsion and apple; beetroot gnocchi with courgettes, romesco and feta; pork chop with pea and bean fricassee, Cornish new potatoes and cider sauce, for example. 

Desserts cover a lot of ground, from sticky toffee pudding with toffee sauce, ginger crumb and clotted cream to poached pineapple with coconut ice cream. There's usually some Cornish cheese too (perhaps Trelawny from Whalesborough Farm Foods in Marhamchurch), while Sunday roasts might bring apple-smoked sirloin and rare-breed pork belly with their time-honoured seasonal  accompaniments – all cooked with consummate care and attention to detail. Local beers and ciders are the jewels in the crown of a drinks list that also takes in some well-chosen mainstream wines.

Independently owned and independently run by chef Brett Newman and his wife Nadia, this cheery, ‘incredibly welcoming’ hostelry ticks all the boxes as a genuine community-minded village local. It hosts quizzes and open-mic nights, stages summer BBQs in its expansive garden, raises money for the local primary school and is cherished by the residents of North Marston and beyond. Food-wise, the owners buy what’s local and seasonal for a repertoire that runs from tapas plates to Sunday roasts, all big on flavour and generosity. Menu formats vary with the seasons, but sharing is normally the name of the game, whether you’re into mac ‘n’ cheese, devilled mushrooms or hispi cabbage with smoked almonds, crème fraîche and Berkswell cheese. Bigger plates could bring sriracha-glazed chicken thighs studded with sesame seeds or line-caught pollack with creamed corn and chipotle chilli. Rare-breed steaks and burgers satisfy too, while desserts might usher in calorific old dependables such as treacle tart, lemon posset or chocolate truffle cake with clotted cream and praline. Locals drinking real ales in the bar can also eat from a reduced menu of similar items, right down to bowls of chips and ketchup. Proper draught cider and a refreshingly priced, varied wine list complete a thoroughly likeable local package.

Some pub restaurants flatter to deceive, with fancy menus that don’t deliver. Others offer a short repertoire of dishes that transcend expectations. The Howard Arms is of this second happy breed – and some. A handsome and venerable Cotswold hostelry, it is well-used by locals who gather in the bar to sup pints of local ale. Up a few stairs is the restaurant, which provides decorum as well as conviviality (note the old pictures of country scenes, all fashionably decorated with allium seeds in November). 

Chef Chris Ellis (formerly at the Killingworth Castle) has produced a brief menu that has space for the classics (burgers, fish and chips) as well as more elaborate dishes. Choose the latter and you’re unlikely to be disappointed. For us, a thick chunk of pork belly set the tone: luscious fat, crisp skin and tender meat, accompanied by mouthwateringly tangy homemade brown sauce, plus crunchy rémoulade and a mound of flavoursome black pudding. To follow, a perfect, plate-filling lemon sole was cooked with split-second accuracy on the bone and matched with an abundance of potted shrimps, samphire and new potatoes in a pool of butter. Meat-based mains more than pass muster too, judging by an equally generous portion of juicy duck breast with Puy lentils and beetroot.

To round things off, an exemplary apple and blackberry crumble with custard was zesty, crunchy and creamy in all the right places. The concise wine list provides admirable back-up, service is informative and friendly, and prices are moderate for the Cotswolds. What’s more, Sunday lunch receives special acclaim for ‘melt in the mouth’ meat, a ‘great veggie option’ and (our favourite) ‘unlimited gravy’. How civilised.

Having conquered the populist bistro scene in the north-west, serial crowd-funding restaurateur Gary Usher turned his hand to the pub sector in 2023. The result was the White Horse – a pleasingly spacious and sensitively renovated old hostelry in a pretty village near Chester.  Soft colours, vibrant food paintings and glittering light fittings set the tone, with a big conservatory opening out onto the garden.

The menu is short but suits all-comers: a solo lunch of whitebait, steak frites and panna cotta hit the bullseye for one diner, while others have raved about the Korean chicken wings with pickled ginger, the melting pulled lamb shoulder, an ‘incredible’ dish of John Dory in tarragon beurre blanc and the mighty handmade cheese and onion pie. Usher’s legendary truffle and Parmesan chips are present and correct, while puddings are of the hearty, calorific variety (unless you prefer a triple chocolate brownie). And it’s all served by absolutely charming staff who know how to look after their regulars but welcome everybody with a smile. 

Weekday two-course deals are a steal at £25, and Sunday lunches receive a round of applause – as does the terrific line-up of beers. Cocktails and fairly priced wines also pass muster. Regular community-based events, a prolific guest chef calendar and a bakery pop-up on Saturday mornings 'help to keep things fresh,’ notes one fan.

According to one reader, the Alford Arms sets the ’gold standard’ for pubby excellence in this neck of the Chilterns. Others concur that it's 'consistently top notch', and we reckon this born-again Victorian hostelry is a thoroughly likeable proposition with plenty of box-ticking attributes – not least its glorious location in a bucolic hamlet on the fringes of Ashridge Estate (NT).

Fans are also quick to applaud the pub's tasteful farmhouse-chic interiors, hand-pulled ales and savvy all-European wine list, although the venue’s trump cards are its unwavering commitment to local produce and its community spirit – from supporting the village cricket team to doing the milk run when it’s snowing. Much of the credit for its enduring appeal must go to David and Becky Salisbury, who have been running the show and championing the cause since 1999.

To eat, bubble 'n' squeak with oak-smoked bacon, free-range poached egg and hollandaise has been on the menu since day one, but everything else changes on a weekly basis. Expect a rolling repertoire of appealing seasonal dishes ranging from chargrilled Padrón peppers (grown in nearby Northchurch) or Ashridge venison bonbons with bramble sauce to an apple and pear strudel made with fruit from the Chiltern Heritage Orchard.

Given the pub’s landlocked location, fish has to make the long journey up from the West Country, but the haul speaks for itself: how about Cornish crab with chilli-buttered courgette linguine or hake fillet with crushed new potatoes, buttered kale and caper sauce. Chatty, well-informed staff provide ‘first-class service,’ whether you’re popping in for a pint or contemplating the full three courses. Dogs are ‘welcomed rather than tolerated,’ too.

Martin and Jayne Lee have been at the helm of the white-fronted Tudor pub in the north Bedfordshire Wolds for nigh on 20 years. The Plough still wears its age proudly, with winter fires and low beamed ceilings inside, and garden tables within sight of the river outside. Menus are coded as 'seam' and 'furrow', representing what we might otherwise call lunch and dinner, and proceedings begin with sourdough made from the kitchen's own cultivated yeast, accompanied by cultured butter and marjoram pesto to spread on it. Dayboat fish and thoroughbred meats are given the Josper grill treatment, as in whole lemon sole with pink fir potatoes and buttered spinach or a chump chop of Cornish lamb with peas à la française and rosemary jus. Beef from grass-fed suckler Hereford herds is naturally top-drawer. Dishes tend to have a lot going on – witness a starter that combines fried monkfish with charred courgette, pickled shallot and a sturdy romesco made with roasted almonds – but it all comes together with beguiling ease. Nor does the food drift into pastoral clichés: a serving of crisped Blythburgh pork belly, for example, comes tricked out with grilled asparagus, red onion and smoked tomato hollandaise. A brightly flavoured veggie main course might see a tian of ratatouille components served with roast gnocchi. Desserts tend to the seasonal farmhouse way of thinking, so expect anything from gooseberry crumble tart to a fragrant raspberry posset – albeit one booming with grappa. Wines from Noel Young of Cambridge add lustre to the occasion, from citrus-sharp Hungarian Furmint to the Dandelion McLaren Vale Shiraz that has an aromatic dash of Riesling in it. Glasses and half-bottle carafes allow for intrepid experimentation.

Found down narrow lanes a few miles from Chard, this remote but civilised hostelry of some character encapsulates many people’s idea of what a rural inn should be like. The Englishness of the setting – quietly hugging a gentle, verdant slope at the foot of the Blackdown Hills – combined with wood-burners, a medley of old wooden tables and chairs, local ales, beer garden and all, create a feel of well-ordered rusticity.

Maddie Beaumont and Ben Porter run their business very personally, the relaxed atmosphere and easy-going service working well with the comfortable, simple interior and stunning location. Apart from the views and the glorious summer dining terrace, people come here for the sourdough pizzas and for the Cotley Estate Ruby Red burger (with Monterey Jack, spiced beef brisket, roasted garlic aïoli, chilli relish, house slaw and chunky chips) that was proving so popular on our visit.

Indeed, the seasonal menu reflects a strong relationship with local suppliers, the dishes a familiar combination of quality ingredients along the lines of grilled Cornish monkfish tail with braised baby gem, marie rose sauce, king prawns and violet artichokes, plus a warm tomato salad on the side. There are steaks too, popular Sunday roasts, a British cheese slate and generous desserts that play the comfort card. The wine list is very reasonably priced (from £28), and mainly European, with a handful from the New World. Comfortable bedrooms are in the former stables,

Let's all get over the fact that it isn't geographically Cornish, but resident on a town-centre street in the west of Devon. This is a lively venue that manages an impressive balancing act between pub and restaurant, the more so since the extensive refurbishment it underwent back in 2022.

While the menu format rests on broad choice, as before, there is a distinctly more adventurous air to the nibbles, which now embrace buttermilk king prawns with smoked paprika mayonnaise or teriyaki chicken wings. The main menu continues to offer a broad range of options, with a mixture of traditional pub fare and modern classics. Expect ham hock Scotch egg with blue cheese and beer-pickled onions to open the show, ahead of roast cod with brown shrimp vinaigrette in béarnaise or a distinctly elegant butter-roasted breast of guinea fowl, served with Jerusalem artichokes, pearl barley and hazelnuts in sherry gravy.

Fifteen minutes seems a small investment of time to be rewarded with a mango soufflé, served with the full regalia of pineapple compôte, coconut sorbet and clotted cream or you could get instant satisfaction from a Yorkshire strawberry trifle in season. Fans also dote over the traditional Sunday lunch, which offers the likes of roast sirloin with sublime brisket to best end of Saddleback pork alongside maple-glazed pork belly. A user-friendly wine list is arranged by style, and the glasses come in all three sizes.

If you are visiting Oban, we strongly recommend making the short detour to this family-run pub with rooms close to the shores of majestic Loch Awe. Once an 18th-century trading post, and set against a dramatic mountainous backdrop, it still functions as a local but is also an all-round destination run by a brilliant team overseen by owners Pip Pedley and Phil Carr.

The cosy restaurant offers a ‘top-tier' dining experience, whether you are hankering after a pub classic or something more fancy. The Kilchrenan’s signature Scotch eggs with celeriac rémoulade get a regular thumbs-up, likewise the locally sourced lamb, but expect anything from mussels in cider or wild chanterelles on sourdough toast to beer-battered ‘angel-cut’ haddock, venison and pheasant pie or pan-fried pork belly with salsa verde, onion purée, braised peas and new potatoes.

Lunchtime sandwiches, soups, burgers and suchlike make handy fuel for passing walkers and cyclists, the Sunday roast is regularly booked up, while desserts might include old favourites such as a chocolate brownie with ice cream. To drink, join the throng in the bar for a pint of locally brewed beer (from Fyne Ales just down the road), dip into the line-up of whiskies or pick something from the reasonably priced, accessible wine list. 

As befits its name, the Red Lion is a real pub, not a restaurant that looks like a pub. It's down-to-earth, perfectly homely and full of drinkers. Although it stands on a bit of land that has boasted a hostelry since the 11th century, the present brick-built entity is a little more recent than that. Uneven surfaces come as standard, from the rough wood tabletops to the flagstoned floor, and the jumble of furniture indicates that the place hasn't been subjected to the 'designer' treatment.

Chef Sean Jeffers has brought the kitchen up to appreciable speed, running a repertoire that isn't shy of turning out ambitious dishes while keeping the pub classics and robustly filling fare that drinkers expect. The suet pie of steak and ale is a case in point, its pastry gradating texturally from crisp to solid, a jug of gravy on the side, with either veg and mash, or chips and salad, to accompany. 

The more aspirational offerings land in the evenings, none more so than an ethereal twice-baked Parmesan soufflé, its outer crust all cheesy intensity, the interior a cumulus cloud of savoury delight. A dish from the old school of fine dining involves packing moussed scallop into an ink-black raviolo, saucing it with light choron, and garnishing it with zinging chorizo jam, shredded kohlrabi and a whole scallop. To follow, a serving of pedigree pork fillet comes with a cabbage-wrapped nugget of braised cheek, along with truffled fondant potato, grilled oyster mushroom and black garlic purée for a dish that evinces attention to detail in every element.

For dessert, there could be a 'chocolate bar' with a glossy tempered coating and light white chocolate interior, topped with candied hazelnuts and superb malt ice cream, but there's also sticky toffee pudding for the diehards. The beers are as good as one has a right to expect from a pub, although the wine selection is a ghastly throwback to the days when hostelries could hardly be bothered with this libation. The cooking deserves a lot better than that. 

Set in the picturesquely named Vale of White Horse, in a village not far from Wantage, this Greyhound is a thoroughbred if ever there was one. Its interior spaces have been fashioned in accord with best modern style, with plenty of light wood, walls in primary colour schemes and a dining room that boasts white-clothed tables. A couple who found the place bathed in unseasonal February sun after a fogbound 50-mile car journey had their spirits lifted – especially when presented with the ‘lunch for less’ menu, enjoying Camembert with black garlic aïoli, and then sensational roast guinea fowl from a three-course deal that comes in at under £35.

The principal menu deals in ambitious modern British food full of enticement from the get-go, with preliminary nibbles such as venison croquette with gribiche dressing and watercress to consider. For an opening salvo, mackerel might be soused and scorched, partnered with rillettes of its smoked version, and energised with a beef-fat crumpet and grated horseradish – a spectacular composition of flavours. The vegan main course is hardly lacking in imagination, either – think Crown Prince squash accompanied by dressings of hazelnut dukkah and pistou, along with Swiss chard, apple and pickled walnut. Otherwise, look to Cornish skate wing with smoked leeks, cockles and capers in beurre noisette, or harissa-fired pork tomahawk steak with Guinness-infused onion purée and pearl barley.

There are the almost-obligatory pub classics too (when only a plate of fish and chips will suffice), and proceedings conclude with, say, banana pain perdu, torched banana, peanut-butter ice cream and butterscotch. British and Irish cheeses are top-drawer selections served with spiced pear purée and boozy chutney. A wine list with helpful tasting notes adds to the cheer.

‘Excellent hosts, great food and great service,’ was one verdict on this inviting vision of stone-built Cotswold rusticity, and they were delighted to see the place packed with diners and drinkers (the pub is a great favourite with Cheltenham racegoers). Outside, there’s a garden geared up for summertime BBQs and beers, while the interior is a mix of polished chesterfields, chunky farmhouse furniture and fancy touches. Above all, the Halfway is known for its appealing blend of rustic charm and modern dining based on finely honed technique and respect for seasonal ingredients.

Opening salvos keep it simple, perhaps a bowl of pea, courgette and mint soup with Otis & Belle sourdough or creamed wild mushrooms on toast with hazelnut and truffle pesto. To follow, home in on the grilled steaks (from Paddock Farm in Lower Brailes), while the famed celeriac and mushroom pie is guaranteed to win over just about anyone. Otherwise, there might be local venison loin with Evesham tomato, courgette and venison haunch ragoût or baked Cornish plaice with new potatoes and samphire. Also look out for the £16 ‘classic of the day’.

Sunday roasts get a resounding thumbs-up from readers, likewise classic desserts such as apple and blackberry crumble or the pub’s famous steamed sponge pudding sticky with black treacle and dates. Ales from the local Donnington Brewery are the drink of choice in the bar, although there are also some zippy cocktails and a fair selection of fairly priced wines.

‘Encapsulates everything I love about a pub – comfort, cosiness, and community’ is one reporter’s appraisal of this family-run red-brick watering hole that’s considered the beating heart of Hastings’ Old Town. It hosts many community events, exhibits local artists, and is welcoming to all ages (it even has a snug full of toys), all backed up by cooking that puts the emphasis on fresh seasonal and local ingredients served with minimal fuss.

The kitchen team makes everything in-house – we’ve had many an endorsement for the stuffed courgette flower with labneh and chips, served with mayo and ketchup that were ‘markedly homemade’, according to one reporter. In addition, the sensibly short carte ranges from bar snacks (say broad bean and pumpkin seed dip), via roast lion’s mane mushroom ragù with handmade gigli pasta to venison and red wine sausages with green lentil cassoulet, salsa verde and braised carrots.

And who could resist such a finisher as Pevensey Blue cheese with treacle tart and a ginger and prune compôte? As for drink, the selection of hand-drawn ales (alongside keg beers) is from mostly local breweries, while the wine list offers European and local vintages at sensible prices.

In a town where it feels like there are as many greens as gardens, it’s fitting that the Bonnie Badger, Tom Kitchin’s East Lothian culinary bolthole, sits in what was the Golf Inn on Gullane’s main drag. Behind the coach house’s 19th-century frontage lies an extensively modernised hotel, bar, restaurant and garden, with dining divided between the Broch Bar and the more formal surrounds of the Stables. The owners’ description as 'a pub with rooms' feels like a knowing understatement.

Dining in the Broch on a recent visit, a concise menu flitted between traditional pub classics and more modern, creative dishes. Starters were the standouts of the meal: delicate, supple pork gyoza served in a punchy broth, laden with chilli heat and umami, while a plate of Shetland mussels centred around a homemade crumpet was lavished with a fragrant, richly herbal ragoût – the ideal dish to cap a bracing coastal hike. Mains tend toward hearty classics (expect pies, fish, burgers and bangers), while desserts head in much the same, satisfying direction (think ginger crème brûlée or apple crumble with crème anglaise and cinnamon ice cream). 

Drinks cover all bases, from craft ales (courtesy of Stewart Brewing Co on the outskirts of Edinburgh), 'Sassenach' cocktails and malt whiskies to an outstanding wine list founded on a fine choice in two glass sizes and half-litre carafes.

Tucked away in a remote valley in the southwest corner of the North York Moors National Park, Hawnby is an estate village of mellow sandstone, with a church, a pub and a village store. John Wesley visited here in 1757 calling it ‘one of the pleasantest parts of England’ – and we agree. Surrounded by forest and the heather-covered Hawnby Hill, it is a beautiful spot attracting walkers and shooting types who pay handsomely for a day on the estate’s grouse moor. The Owl (a former drover’s inn) sits at the top of the village and gives a commanding view over this stunning countryside.

Here Sam Varley, who previously ran Bantam in Helmsley, has created a welcoming retreat, a place to come for unfussy food and a comfortable bed for the night. Whether you eat in the stone-flagged bar in front of a warming stove, the dining room or the splendid terrace on sunny days, you'll find crowd-pleasing dishes such as chicken, leek and bacon pie or pork T-bone with roasted peach, green beans and pine-nut vinaigrette. Back in the day, cheap monkfish was often passed off as scampi; nowadays it’s a luxury fish and Varley’s monkfish scampi with curry mayo is fabulous.

Also expect devilled kidneys on toast, piles of hot, melting cheese gougères and cracking Sunday lunches – generously sliced aged sirloin of beef with horseradish cream, rolled shoulder of Yorkshire lamb or game birds in season (red-legged partridge or pot-roast grouse, perhaps). Puddings might be a refreshing grapefruit and Campari sorbet or a homely rhubarb sponge and custard. To drink, there are hand-pulled Yorkshire ales, while low-intervention wines figure prominently on a list that offers plenty by the glass.

Dating from the 12th century and secluded even in this quiet corner of the Peaks, this classic (and beautifully restored) country pub – real ales, open fires, dogs – has a seriously ambitious kitchen. But make sure you arrive hungry in order to make the most of the ever-changing seasonal menu, which shows off the owners’ dedication to local producers. The main action is on the ground floor, where there are comfy armchairs around the hearth for drinkers and a conservatory space that puts food first. Upstairs, a handful of tables are laid out within metres of the open kitchen, which allows you to scope out the full range of food on offer. 

On weekday lunchtimes, the bar menu ranges from proper bar food (battered sausage with curry sauce) to more experimental light bites (seaweed-cured cod with pickled cucumber, buttermilk and caviar). Roast lamb rump, shoulder, braised carrot and Cambridge sauce was a great example of the kitchen’s ability to make even the most everyday ingredients into something memorable, but an undeniable highlight of the main courses was the many-layered flavours that were piled into wild mushroom and Hartington Bomber twin ravioli with king oyster mushroom and gremolata.

Desserts are elegant takes on pub classics in very manageable portion sizes, from warm Bakewell tart to sticky toffee pudding with a superb sauce and ginger ice cream. Save for a few extra wines by the glass, the drinks options are roughly what you’d expect from a historic coaching inn in the UK’s original National Park. It’s the food that brings it bang up-to-date.

Taking its name from the warship HMS Surprise, this neighbourhood pub has stood on a quiet spot, a short walk from the King's Road, since 1853. In keeping with its neighbourhood vibe, green leather banquettes, a fireplace and peach-painted walls create a vintage/cosy feel. Indeed, the inviting ambience and good-natured staff are enough to encourage those popping in for a drink to linger and perhaps explore bar snacks such as seafood croquettes or Wiltshire cocktail sausages with mustard and honey dip. 

The straightforward menu runs from fish and chips to Somerset pork tomahawk and Sunday roasts (including a veggie option of pearl barley, celeriac and wild mushroom Wellington). We started with cured sea trout paired with thick-cut fennel finished off with apple slices and a lemony crème fraîche and dill, followed by a juicy Creedy Carver duck breast teamed with bubble and squeak, savoy cabbage and a topping of thyme crumble and blackberries. A seasonal dessert of English plums and Bramley apples with a light dusting of crumble and Cornish clotted cream made a pleasant way to finish. 

The drinks list leads off with cocktails, followed by craft beers, whiskies, and some delightful wines (especially if your tipple is Burgundy or Bordeaux), ranging from £34 right up to a Château Lafite Rothschild from the sensational 2003 vintage, at a whopping £950.

This beautifully restored, ancient village pub with rooms is proving to be a popular venue with readers and locals alike. The quaint beamed public bar with real fires is a cosy place to hunker down, especially with a pint of Larkins ale (brewed just up the road in Chiddingstone), while the airy wood-panelled dining room overlooking a terraced garden and the stunning countryside beyond puts the focus on food. The kitchen manages to pull off the pub classics with aplomb, delivering everything from black pudding Scotch eggs with mustard mayo to 'an excellent cheeseburger with fantastic chips', alongside generous portions of homemade chicken liver parfait with tangy, spiced Cavendish plum compôte, duck confit, and well-reported Sunday roasts.

Named in honour of its original owners, this picture-perfect country pub is now in the hands of Alistair Myres (the man behind Rafters restaurant across the border in Sheffield). He sees his new acquisition as a ‘trip down memory lane’ and a chance to celebrate the virtues of the traditional country local. A central horseshoe bar and tap room nods to the history of the place and is where the drinkers congregate to chat, drink pints of local ale, and play dominoes or cards. For a menu of well-tried pub classics, head to the main dining areas.

A starter of confit duck terrine with pickled plums from the garden resembled a coarse rillette and was perfectly seasoned. For main course, we missed out on the best-selling beef-cheek suet pudding, but our choices both hit the mark: calf’s liver cooked pink as requested and served with streaky bacon, buttered mash and onion gravy, while pan-fried plaice fillets came herbed potatoes, broccoli and tomato and chive beurre blanc – a textbook example of fresh fish cooked properly.

Desserts could be Arctic roll with roast peaches or fig Bakewell tart with poached pears and Chantilly cream. Service is attentive and engaged without being overbearing, prices are very fair, and a short but well-priced wine list matches the food admirably.

‘So consistent, cosy and welcoming,’ commented one regular visitor to this fine old 16th-century inn a short detour from some of the National Park’s best trails. Since taking over in 2019, the Barker-Jones family have given the oak-beamed, slate-floored interior a satisfying makeover, with lots of attention to detail (note the lovely hand-painted photos on the walls). ‘You would feel welcome to just pop in for a drink,’ noted a reporter, but it would be a sin to miss the pub’s main attraction – its menu of carefully sourced local and seasonal food.

The kitchen delivers ‘deep full-on flavours’ across the board, from hunks of warm home-baked bread with Netherend butter and bowls of verdant pea soup topped with seasonal ramsons to panna cotta with rhubarb and shortbread or treacle tart given extra zing with confit orange, candied zest and crystallised ginger ice cream. In between, Jail Ale-battered haddock with triple-cooked chips is a winner, likewise the cider-braised West Country pork fillet and the stone bass and Teignmouth mussels with fennel, samphire and mussel velouté. It’s also worth working up an appetite for the effusively praised Sunday lunch with its offer of roast moorland sirloin and the like. 

Service from really professional, welcoming staff is all you could wish for, as is the wide-ranging drinks list, which covers everything from local Dartmoor Ale to classic cocktails and a small but varied list of mostly Old World wines.

What’s not to love about this handsome pub set in beautiful Wiltshire countryside – especially as it also has a serious reputation for food. Poke your head through the door and it’s a welcoming sight: low ceilings, a flagstone floor, well-worn tables, a mixture of chairs and church pews, a woodburner under the mantelpiece, fairy lights twinkling in the windows. Chef-patron Rob Allcock cooks hearty renditions of modern British food, mixing pub classics such as battered haddock with mushy peas, chips and tartare sauce with more adventurous fare – say a starter of home-smoked salmon with cucumber, yuzu, oat and linseed granola, keta and lemon oil.

Provenance is immaculate (a lot of produce comes from the pub's own kitchen garden), and Allcock’s skills shine through – from the delicious home-baked warm sourdough at the start of our meal to the refreshing blackberry sorbet accompanying a generous slice of Liverpool tart with rhubarb and nougatine that concluded proceedings. Although there are occasional missteps, recent praise is not misplaced: Allcock’s ‘love of cooking comes out in all his dishes,’ noted one fan.

There are plenty of by-the-glass selections on the well-researched wine list, but do try the excellent local ales in this free house. Prices suggest that the Longs Arms may be more of a 'special occasion' destination rather than a weekly haunt, but if you want to make a night of it, the recently converted ‘Piggery’ offers a luxurious prospect for an overnight stay.

In historic Hereford, on the fringes of the Wye Valley, this coaching inn with rooms has been sympathetically renovated by its current owners. Delightfully wonky wooden beams divide the high-ceilinged dining room with large stone fireplaces at either end. Tartan banquettes in warming colours offer comfy seating at polished wooden tables and everyone praises the ‘welcoming, friendly and helpful staff’. Using excellent local produce, the kitchen makes almost everything in-house, from the bay-infused butter accompanying the complimentary olive focaccia to the ice cream laced with Wye Valley Butty Bach ale that is teamed with a moreish (indeed Moorish) sticky medjool date pudding.

You are welcome to mix and match between the carte and bar menus, which is good news because the warm, runny-centred Welsh Dragon Scotch egg with fruity brown sauce from the former is a cracker. Otherwise, choices from the main menu might include a Lancashire Bomber cheese soufflé with red onion jam followed by fillet of cod on a bed of monk’s beard and herby potato cake dressed with a slick of hot homemade tartare sauce. Generous desserts might feature a ‘coffee lover’ duo of tiramisu and affogato puddings, and there's a tempting, locally sourced cheeseboard too.

Sunday roasts featuring perfectly aged sirloin of Herefordshire beef or leg of lamb garner particular praise from locals.‘Every element is reliably spot on; comforting, indulgent and absolutely delicious,’ notes one fan. The short, workaday wine list is supplemented by excellent local ales and cider on tap, plus an enticing cocktail selection.

Bearing all the hallmarks of a traditional, country pub, the 19th-century Duck sits at the heart of its community and offers everything its locals could dream of – a welcoming bar, a generous, partially covered beer garden, dining in an assortment of rooms (including a private dining room), takeaways (extending to Christmas lunch, no less), and a village shop – all overseen by James and Sarah Parkinson. Veteran chef James takes care of all things culinary while Sarah ensures front of house maintains what our readers call a warm, family-friendly, 'nothing’s-too-much-trouble' vibe.

Keenly priced menus are concisely curated to make the most of local ingredients, while being sustainable and resourceful at the same time. Generosity is key, with a hunk of warm, salty, home-made focaccia serving as a teaser to rich, velvety chicken liver parfait (topped with grape jelly made from the pub’s own vines) plus Melba toast-style sourdough, and an unexpectedly liberal smoked duck breast salad interlaced with a creamy mustard rémoulade. To follow, crisped-up pieces of tender, slow-cooked shoulder of Penstone lamb arrive flanked by an intricately layered potato terrine, braised leeks, peas and deep, earthy thyme jus. On Sundays, roast beef sirloin is perfectly pink and tender, served with textbook roasties, a giant Yorkshire pud and seasonal vegetables.

Poached pears from a relative's garden brought a light and floral note to our flawless almond tart, which was given a further dimension with cinnamon mascarpone and a refreshing pear sorbet. Locally brewed Devon ales, including the pub’s own-label Muddy Duck, are offered alongside Devon lagers, Sandford Orchards cider and an eclectic list of over 40 wines, nearly half of which are sold by the glass.

Opened under new ownership at the end of 2023, this old red brick pub on a city-centre backstreet has a deceptively large and modern interior. For drinkers, there’s a bar and a cosy snug (along with high-quality real ales and cider on tap), while diners have various options: a section off the bar with round tables as well as seating for couples, a first-floor space (the Gallery) for private parties, and a bright ground-floor ‘Orangery’ overlooking the little urban garden.

Like the decor, the food is contemporary in style – a collection of small and large plates (available all-day on Fridays and Saturdays) served by enthusiastic young staff who also get an honourable mention from readers. There’s ambition here, both in the drinks selection (pairings from the well-thought-out wine list are offered with main courses) and the food, which incorporates fusion assemblies as well as pub food of the burger/meat-platter ilk.

Results can vary, with the stars at inspection being an expertly judged ‘small plate’ of three ox cheek tacos (tender meat and crunchy cucumber salsa, topped with a generous squiggle of spicy chermoula), and a moreish pudding of warm carrot and pecan cake with delectable ‘beurre noisette’ cream cheese and ice cream. Less accomplished was a ‘large plate’ of smoked tofu laksa (one of several diverting vegetarian options), where authentic Asian flavours were hard to discern among the general creaminess. A convivial hubbub and a groovy soundtrack of obscure 60s and 70s tunes (chosen by the staff) add to the vibe, and we've had abundant praise for the Sunday roasts.

Named after a brooding rocky promontory which is said to resemble the grotesque head of a gurnard, this gloriously remote clifftop inn is unmistakable, with its moniker emblazoned on the roof and its mustard-yellow exterior positively gleaming in the sunshine. Inside, all is cosily weatherproof, with open fires and comfy sofas for those who fancy a pint of real ale or cider in the bar. There’s an equally unfussy vibe in the dining room, where vivid primary colours, scrubbed-wood tables and paintings set the tone. Given the location, it’s no surprise that locally landed seafood is a mainstay of the menu – and that includes the ugly old gurnard from time to time. More likely are dishes such as cod paired with braised beef short rib, roasted shallot and gremolata or hake jazzed up with a global grab-bag of vada pav, aubergine pickle, dukkah and coriander. Otherwise, home in on duck leg with wild garlic and goat’s cheese orzo or roast broccoli with nettle and Stilton purée. Desserts are the heart-warming, comforting kind – perhaps sticky toffee pudding topped with a dollop of Cornish clotted cream for good measure. The owners’ slogan is ‘eat, drink, sleep’, so expect some idiosyncratic libations and guest rooms for those wanting to stay over.

‘It’s a good local’ thought one reporter of this 17th-century village inn next to the church. Mixing traditional country pub virtues with a 'modern and worldly flourish’, it oozes character and charm. There are various dining and drinking spaces leading off one another, while mismatched tables and chairs, hop-strewn beams and warm lighting create a cosy feel. The kitchen pleases a dedicated pub clientele up for some ale-battered fish and chips as well as ‘top-class’ pizza and the likes of chicken Caesar salad, whole megrim sole with rainbow chard or roasted squash with Puy lentils and Westcombe ricotta. Local ales and cider are complemented by a reasonably priced, mainly European wine list.

A staple of the Pontypridd scene since 1851, this forward-thinking community pub is a veritable hive of activity. Not only a staunch champion of Welsh produce, it’s also home to the Otley Brewery, which sits in the grounds behind the building. There's a tap room if you want to chill out, as well as a craft beer shop selling an astonishing range of cans and bottles, and assorted special events from live music and cheese nights to macramé workshops.

As for food, local and sustainable ingredients dictate the show, with Welsh heritage proudly showing its colours in the form of cockles on toast with laverbread or a Merthyr brisket pie with mash – although much of the action centres on the charcoal barbecue. On Mondays and Tuesdays, the menu is limited to eclectic small plates – pork belly burnt ends with pickled ginger or home-smoked salmon fishcakes, say. From Wednesday to Saturday, a full repertoire takes over, so expect anything from beer-glazed charred chicken with grilled leeks to buttermilk-crusted sea trout to a vegan laab salad with enoki mushrooms.

Sunday means roasts, while desserts could bring lemon meringue tart or whisky and orange cheesecake. Beer is the drink of choice, with a rolling roster of Otley ales (and others) at the bar.