The Unruly Pig

A roadside pub where superlative cooking, sharp service and stylish plates of food meet a dose of easy irreverence. The name’s a giveaway, as is the quirky decor and the art on the walls, starting with a bronze pig’s derrière behind the bar – now a regular talking point at this ‘well-established’ venue of high repute. Have fun here but eat and drink seriously too. Kick off with some oysters or a wild mushroom arancino, then proceed to the velvetiest of seasonal veloutés (perhaps Jerusalem artichoke with Taleggio). This is a broadly ‘Britalian’ kitchen, so pasta is made with silky finesse – perhaps ricotta gnudi with delica squash and brown-butter dressing or tubular paccheri with a rich venison ragù. Steaks often get the Italian treatment too: well-rested sirloin might be served ‘tagliata’ style with outrageously good Parmesan chips and deeply savoury bone-marrow sauce. To finish, tiramisu and semifreddo fit the bill. The whole place is ‘expertly and enthusiastically run’, and tapping into the expertise of the well-led front-of-house team yields delicious rewards when it comes to the noteworthy European wine list.