Our favourite pubs with beautiful gardens
Published 30 June 2026

‘It's the kind of place you want round the corner, but it's in the middle of a very beautiful nowhere,’ comments one reporter who loves everything about this terrific hostelry. The barman pulls pints and entertains everyone, chef/co-owner Stosie Madi sends out glorious plates of food, and Kathy Smith out front is the epitome of peerless hospitality. Farmers, fishing folk and walkers with dogs congregate here, and the pub’s close-knit family team does them proud, serving all and sundry ‘without faff or fuss’. The main menu is shot through with seasonal Lancastrian produce, from confit Tarleton tomato tart to chargrilled 40-day aged Bowland beef – although the pub is renowned for its majestic pies, constructions of exemplary roast-fat hot-crust pastry, generously filled with good things. To finish, the kitchen procures everything from Yorkshire rhubarb to Kentish cherries, as well as garnering elderflowers from the garden. The Bowland Brewery's exceptional ales top the drinks list, wines are accessibly priced and the Negronis infused with foraged wild pickings are a must. All of this, plus ‘long views of the fells’.

Rattlesden is a ‘whole package’ Suffolk village. It’s got pastel-painted thatched cottages, a magnificent church, a little river running through it and, above all, this gem of a pub. Given half a chance (and a summer weekend) you’ll find head chef Matt Avery tending Big Green Egg barbecues in the Brewers' lovely garden, turning a deft hand to Texan smokehouse flavours and the likes of pork ribs, beef short rib, loaded fries and avocado tacos. He’s a chef who likes to take his time, whether barbecuing and ember-cooking, or teasing flavour from ingredients by aging and brining meats, or reducing wine- and port-rich sauces to their essence.

Order a glass of Chalklands fizz from Kentish winemakers, Simpsons, and settle in for snacks that could include ham hock terrine with a crisp little quail’s egg or scampi, but not as you know them – these are crisp, airy puffs containing monkfish and are delicious when swooped through a warm, lightly curried sauce. Follow with a fresh beef tartare – made using the trim from the Sunday roast and topped with the classic orb of egg yolk flecked with sea salt – or prettily plated mackerel pâté with a little pile of sourdough croûtons and pickled cucumber.

Lamb rump gets a patient 48-hour brine before arriving at table, roasted – the preceding hours’ care no doubt playing a part in its tenderness and seasoning. It comes sauceless with a little chard and crisp, butter-laden panisse – these moreish chickpea-flour chips slide onto a plate of beef fillet and short rib on the evening menu too. Date pudding with salted caramel and freshening vanilla ice cream delivers every ‘sticky toffee pud’ vibe, while a chocolate crémeux, sharpened with blackberry, ticks a box silkily.

Monday evening brings a fire pit ‘MeatUp’ between the pub and chef Matt Avery's ‘Smokefire’ brand, while Sunday sees a choice of well-balanced, contemporary roasts ‘with the focus on taste’ (think pork belly with ham hock and apple). The midweek set lunch (with choices) is also a steal. A standard wine list does its job admirably.

It’s all change at the historic Crown, with the arrival of restless, talented chef-patron Simon Bonwick, who has installed dozens of his own artworks and now offers various menus with the accent on old-style French cooking. Thankfully, the cosy 16th-century pub remains largely unchanged: locals still come to sup pints of ale among its ancient beams, low ceilings and wood-burning stoves, while checked tablecloths and a soundtrack of soulful jazz ballads add to the mellow bistro vibe in the dining area; outside is a large beer garden.

A blackboard bar menu is served through the week, with poshed-up pub nosh such as pie and mash or exquisitely presented, flavourful rabbit rillettes with pickles, while the first-rate bread is baked fresh for every sitting. From Wednesday onwards, a slightly more ambitious choice comes into play, perhaps starting with sharp pickled herring on a disc of potato salad, followed by poached chicken with mash or a lemon sole ('market fish, like when in Paris,’ says the menu). At our meal, both main courses had highs and lows: excellent braised carrots with the chicken, but the unremarkable chunks of skinless breast arrived in a tangy, vinegary sauce lacking the promised notes of tarragon, while the fillets of pan-fried fish came folded over and short on succulence, although the buttery meunière sauce was textbook.

For afters, there were no caveats about a properly weighty syrup sponge and a lemon curd crumble (crisp crumble, thick curd). Knowledgeable, engaging young staff add to the Crown's polish, likewise a lengthy wine list where even the house options have character. To sample Bonwick’s undoubted culinary flair to the full, book a seat at the ‘Troublesome Lodger’ Snug (Thursday to Saturday), where a six-course tasting menu encompasses his idiosyncratic take on French cuisine and traditional British specials.

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.

‘Eat, Drink, Sleep’ is the mantra at this ever-popular pub with rooms from Charles and Edmund Inkin, who also run the Gurnard’s Head and the Old Coastguard in Cornwall. In many ways the Griffin is an archetypal dream of a country inn – all fireside sofas, knobbly brickwork, low beams and quarry-tiled floors, with craft ales at the bar and fresh, home-cooked food. But for all its heritage vibes, this is a slick, modern operation, with polished service and a kitchen headed by Tom Kerridge alumnus Gwenann Davies. Her repertoire includes traditional ideas such as crab risotto with crème fraîche alongside more contemporary dishes – perhaps brill with silverskin onion, pancetta, cavolo nero and bourguignon sauce. Each dish is carefully considered, right through to dessert – chocolate and coffee crémeux with Chantilly cream, for example. Sunday lunch is an ultra-traditional feast featuring beef and lamb from the lowland hills, greenery from the kitchen garden and plenty of homely touches. In addition to regional ales and Welsh spirits, drinkers can pick from a personally annotated wine list with plenty by the glass or carafe.

A ‘tip-top’ local asset since 2004, James and Bianca Rix’s relaxed, unstuffy pub a few miles from Ware combines its roles with great panache. The casual bar serves as a dedicated drinkers’ den (real ales but no food), while the restaurant is airy, spacious and lit by an ornate gold chandelier – although most plaudits are reserved for the ‘fabulous’ ever-attentive staff. Outside is a pretty garden for all seasons, and the kitchen is also noted for its calendar-driven approach.

Contemporary, ingredients-led Anglo-European cooking is the style, with springtime menus delivering everything from whole Cornish plaice with Jersey Royals and salty fingers (aka ‘jellybeans’, a cousin of marsh samphire) to perfectly pink, crisp-skinned French duck breast with gratin dauphinois and green peppercorn sauce. To start, readers have praised the three-cheese and hazelnut soufflé with spinach, and a dish of sautéed rabbit livers with fairy-ring mushrooms, peas and wild garlic on toast. To finish, a 'beautiful' saffron-poached pear and an almond tart with crème fraîche have gone down a treat. Roast rib of dry-aged Hereford beef with Yorkshire pud and all the trimmings is the highlight on Sundays, when lunch meanders on until 5pm. 

The kindly priced wine list favours France, with a decent smattering of organic bottles and by-the-glass selections. Also check out the owners' pop-up shop, a handy spot for coffee, pastries and deli produce.

With its neat mop of thatch, crowned with figures of a fox chasing a pheasant, this thoroughly spruced-up, contemporary pub – a country cousin of The Ginger Pig and The Gingerman (in Brighton and Hove) – is an idyllic-looking place right out of central casting. With the Downs looming in the distance, it boasts a pretty garden shielded from the road by tall trees, a smart children's playground tucked away in a corner, and a proper bar with cask ales and keg lagers. But dining is king here (booking is advised), with a menu of modern British food reflecting current trends. ‘It feels smart but not overly posh.’ Crispy jalapeños with Brighton Blue cheese is a snack to get you fired up, before a starter of, say, ham hock and cornichon terrine, where traditional flavours get the gel and pickle treatment (piccalilli and cauliflower, respectively). Monkfish tail with paprika crumb is the closest you'll come to fish and chips here (served with a cassoulet of haricot beans and chorizo), although you can get a fix of duck-fat chips with a 35-day aged rump steak. Daily specials might include a pie (chicken and mushroom, say), and fish is a winner judging by a perfectly cooked fillet of hake with summer vegetables and fish velouté. Sunday roasts such as leg of lamb and belly of pork are crowd-pleasers, while non-meat eaters fare well across the board. Finish with cardamom frangipane, poached apricots, apricot gel, honeycomb and clotted-cream ice cream. Classic cocktails and an intelligently gathered wine list support the beers at the bar, with Sussex vintages getting proper appreciation; a dedicated local flight truly celebrates its fabulous terroir.

The tidy 17th-century Kinneuchar Inn sits alongside Kilconquhar Loch, famous for its winter ‘bonspiels’ – outdoor curling jamborees for the uninitiated (hence the pub’s sporty signage). These days, however, its regulars have something different on their minds: the place is still a cosy local haunt capably run by a superb team, but most interest now centres on the food coming out of James Ferguson’s kitchen. Drawing on the full range of the East Neuk’s formidable natural larder, he creates ‘hearty dishes laced with Mediterranean vibrancy’. Menus change daily, so expect anything from creative seafood dishes such as grilled line-caught squid with Sivri Bibir peppers, chill and parsley to roast partridge with celeriac mash or grilled lamb leg with braised turnips, pearl barley and anchovy. And ‘you won't find a better pie for two anywhere,’ proclaims a devoted fan. On Sunday evenings, the kitchen serves up ‘herb-fed’ rotisserie chicken feasts for the whole family, and there are fried chicken buns to nibble on special occasions. Drinks include craft beers and cider, plus a short but enterprising wine selection.

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.

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.

One local who has been frequenting Andrew Pern’s country inn for more than 50 years now feels like part of the family, making new friends along the way while being ‘treated like royalty’. Pristinely re-thatched and restored, the Star 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. The bar is always buzzing with drinkers, while the serious culinary action takes place in the restaurant extension. The ‘rich man, poor man’ starter (pan-fried foie gras paired with grilled black pudding) is rightly renowned as a signature dish, although the carte and tasting menus are stuffed with fulsome, richly flavoured delights – consider pan-roasted halibut with roast hazelnut pease pudding, homemade blood sausage and smoked bone cream. To conclude, carefully matured cheeses and desserts also play with the local theme – Yorkshire strawberry and white chocolate parfait with wild strawberry sorbet and heather-honey syrup, say. Wine pairings have been thoughtfully chosen, and the full list includes ample drinking by the glass.