Fern

An agreeable feeling of pastoral prosperity characterises the ancient market town of Uppingham, and Fern, housed in the honey-coloured Falcon Hotel on the edge of the market square, fits right in. Once you step out of the rather traditional foyer, the restaurant has a very distinct vibe and its roster of Mediterranean-inspired dishes suits customers to a T. The best bit, explained one regular, is the reasonable pricing – ‘you can comfortably give in to temptation and order several things which are perfect for sharing’. The kitchen looks to the Shires landscape (and the nearby market) to provide many of the ingredients for the table, while the menu changes regularly depending on what’s in season; there's also plenty of 'ingenuity and boldness of flavour’ on show here. Recent highlights have ranged from a dramatic-looking Snowball onion with rose-petal harissa and moreish confit garlic aïoli to a generously packed raviolo of braised beef and a red mullet dish pointed up with sharp grapefruit and umami pickles. Staff are lovely, house wine is £29, cocktails are good, and on a Friday there’s a £15 ‘Market Plate’ with a glass of wine.