The Jolly Gardeners

Sympathetically restored by the brothers behind popular tapas bar Porta, the Jolly Gardeners has all the stained glass and dog-friendliness required of a local, and is far enough outside the city walls to build a loyal following. Downstairs, they’re pouring a small selection of quality beers and it’s walk-ins only; if you book you’ll be in the upstairs dining rooms, which still feels a touch sterile.

Chef George Prole (last seen at Covino) has understood the brief for a menu that balances pub snacks such as a really porky Scotch egg plus a smear of mustard, with more evolved dishes including crab risotto or crisp courgette coins, super-salty against a generous plateful of Crowdie and lemon zest. Perhaps in honour of the small plates that rule at Porta, everything is served on almost defiantly tiny vintage crockery, which does not enhance the grandeur of a jam-packed ham hock and parsley sauce pie with a buttery braise of lettuce and peas, or do much for a smash-style cheeseburger that’s one of several BBQ-flamed options.

Even summer berries get the barbecue treatment, the smoky metal of the grill offset by milk ice cream and elderflower, but it’s the treatment of Victoria plums, in a frangipane tart with excellent pastry, that’s more likely to make the eponymous gardeners jolly. As for wine, expect a lively modern list with a generous choice by the glass or carafe.