Best Pubs for a pint of Timothy Taylor’s Landlord
Published 07 November 2025

‘From the exceptional food to the divine range of beverages and the ever-loving chatter,' this ancient inn is a real star. Reached via a narrow passageway alongside St Andrew’s lichen-covered churchyard walls, the aptly named Church House has serviced the parish for more than seven centuries. The interior comprises an atmospheric wood-panelled room with fluted oak beams and a huge fireplace, all lit by flickering tapered candles – the perfect backdrop for a scrawled menu of born-again British dishes. Chef/landlord Tim Blanchard earned his stripes at nose-to-tail pioneer St John in London, but here he takes inspiration from South Devon’s fertile larder. The result is cooking that chimes with the setting without ever seeming archaic – welcome to the world of spring broth with bread dumplings, lamb faggots with mash and grilled John Dory with nettles and chips. Blanchard’s ‘house sausages’ are a fixture, while the smashed-patty cheeseburger with chips is a populist triumph. A pool table, quizzes, Sunday lunch 'feasts' and well-kept beers maintain the spirit of a proper watering hole. The wine list is notable for its friendly prices.

‘If you want a blueprint for what a local pub should be, this is it,’ insists a fan of this handsome Tudor building in St Albans’ Cathedral Quarter. ‘Personalities abound’ out front, the welcome is always friendly, and the pub’s interior evokes bygone days with its beamed ceilings and burnished wood surfaces. Much depends on the food, and chef Josh Searle is up to the task, delivering dishes that sit happily between dyed-in-the-wool pub cooking and grander restaurant-style creations. Anything involving steaks and chops gets a resounding cheer; otherwise, the repertoire might run from spiced Devon crab ‘soldiers’ with citrus fennel to pea and broad bean risotto with goat’s curd. One reporter also reckons the smoked potatoes with red miso and lime butter are among the most incredible things they've ever tasted. To conclude, indulge in a knickerbocker glory or a passionfruit Daiquiri sorbet. The pub also does ‘one of the best Sunday roasts ever,’ while the superb drinks selection ranges from a well-pitched wine list to cask ales dispensed from a green-tiled ‘beer wall’.

Overlooking the Gothic remains of medieval Byland Abbey, this dream-ticket pub ‘hits that sweet spot between effortless village local and divine destination dining’. Inside, it’s pure, cosy magic, complete with flickering fires, ancient stonework and genuine Yorkshire hospitality. Pull up a stool for a pint of hand-pumped ale or graduate to one of the three dining rooms for seriously appealing food with a punchy regional accent, underpinned by produce from owner Tommy Banks’ family farm. Classics such as beer-battered haddock or Saddleback pork pie sit alongside upmarket ideas ranging from confit chicken and nasturtium velouté to BBQ fallow deer haunch and braised shoulder with sour cherries. And you can now enjoy the pub’s ‘absolutely incredible’ smash burgers indoors during the colder months. For afters, it’s hard to see past the luscious soft-serve ice creams – ‘nostalgic bliss in a bowl’. Brilliant Sunday roasts are a winning ticket too, with everything from Yorkshire hogget to rare-breed Berkshire pork reared at the Banks’ family farm. Aside from real ales and botanical cocktails, there’s a decent selection of wines with plenty by the glass.

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. 

Between the Tyne and Gateshead Millennium Bridges, the Broad Chare stakes its claim to be a 'proper' pub in every sense. There are no fancy-dan decorative touches here; instead, bare wood floors, painted brickwork and a frosted-glass partition protecting the Snug set the scene. Eat upstairs or down, or in a garden at the back where the parasols and grassed areas feel faintly rural. When it comes to food, expect well-wrought versions of Scotch eggs and ploughman's lunches, but those in the market for more ambitious cooking will encounter an extensive menu of contemporary classics such as whipped cod's roe or a terrine of parsleyed brawn with pickles, followed by pedigree beef dishes, respectfully treated fish including hake or sea bass, with perhaps chargrilled summer squash for vegetarians. Properly filling sponge puddings and apple strudel complete the deal. Weekday 'worker's lunches' are a steal for the likes of Irish stew followed by greengages with Jersey cream, and Sunday roasts are a good way to top off the weekend. Beers are every bit as good as you would expect.

‘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.

Are Oisín Rogers, Charlie Carroll and chef 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) and looks set to become an institution. Ingredients are impeccable and the strong meat-focused menu delivers hugely appealing dishes in the lively environment of a central London watering hole. If you’re after value as well as quality, look for no further than the fixed-price lunch, which delivers prawn and langoustine cocktail, skirt steak with duck-fat chips and béarnaise sauce, plus luscious sticky toffee pudding – all for £29. Otherwise, flames are at the heart of things, with wood-fired Ibérico pork chops, lamb cutlets, steaks and lobsters keeping company with the likes of lamb hotpot or ‘a pile of langoustines’ on the hand-scrawled menu. On Sundays, roast ribs of beef carved from a silver-domed trolley have helped to restore the tradition in this part of town. Guinness is the tipple of choice in the permanently rammed bar, but you can also drink well from the mainly European wine list. The pub has a rooftop terrace for fine-weather dining, too.

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.

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.

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.

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.

‘A really unique spot’ set within 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 there’s a feel of ‘inviting, lived-in elegance’, thanks to soft, warm furnishings, lots of varnished woodwork, leather, blazing fires and the owners' unrivalled collection of contemporary British art. Despite its impressive credentials, the place has never lost its pub atmosphere, with ‘locals enjoying a pint in the bar, a well-used pool table, darts, dogs and muddy-booted walkers’ adding to the country vibe. However, much attention focuses on the mighty Elk Room fire where joints of locally sourced venison, Blickling beef and South Creake pork are dramatically cooked over open flames. Also look for rich, carefully seasoned pies and fish from the coast (perhaps whole grilled mackerel with heritage tomatoes from the walled garden and herb aïoli). For afters, buttermilk pudding with raspberries is suitably comforting. Sunday means roast joints, while drinks range from Norfolk ales to a short, fairly priced wine list.

‘It’s such a gorgeously considered pub,’ commented one reporter after visiting the born-again Highland Laddie. Reenergised by the team behind the Empire Cafe in 2025, this is everything that a proper English pub should be – 'oh, and they have a mustard menu!' Inside, the Laddie ticks all the boxes, preserving the essentials of a traditional old-school boozer and maintaining a genuine sense of community while letting the good times roll. As for the food, it’s ‘both high-end and accessible’, pulling in ideas from all over, whether you fancy a freshly shucked Lindisfarne oyster, a keema toastie or an elevated ham roll with bread cooked over the coals. Dig deeper and you might find a lobster madeleine with Yorkshire chorizo butter, a treacle onion tart or pork schnitzel with two fried eggs. Club steaks are served by the inch, there’s no creative let-up when it comes to sides, and the nostalgia is ramped up with the likes of strawberry and Champagne trifle with ‘sprinkles’. But never forget that this is a self-proclaimed ‘drinkers’ pub’ dispensing everything from ‘properly served’ British brews and ’the best Guinness in Leeds’ to a staggering line-up of whisky optics.

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.

Set in ravishing open moorland near the Cumbrian border, the Kirkstyle has been a watering hole since the 19th century but now attracts customers from far and wide. It manages to be ‘a proper village pub’ with a telling sense of community and a genuine commitment to the area and its produce – although reporters agree that the owners and staff are what make it special: ‘their warmth, personality and attention to detail run through everything the Kirkstyle does.’ In the kitchen, Connor Wilson is prepared to ‘push the boundaries’, letting local produce define his enterprising, contemporary approach to all things gastronomic. Dinner might open with a game terrine partnered by damson and hazelnut, while immaculately presented mains could run from cod with artichokes and bisque to seasonal grouse paired with hen of the woods mushrooms, chicory and pickled walnut. To finish, Darling Blue cheese panna cotta dressed with guelder rose is an offbeat winning ticket. There are crowd-pulling Sunday roasts, too, while the wine list is a marvel to behold, stuffed with French classics and goodly vintages from around the globe – at remarkably fair mark-ups.

Alistair Myres (owner of Rafters restaurant in Sheffield) added this seriously creeper-clad country inn to his portfolio early in 2025, and since then its stock has risen considerably. ‘Our “go to” pub,’ affirmed one regular. This is a traditional hostelry through and through, complete with a central horseshoe bar and a tap room that nods to the history of the place, where drinkers congregate by the open fire to chat, drink pints of well-kept local ale, and play dominoes or cards. For a menu of well-tried pub classics, head to the main dining areas. The Guinness-laced beef cheek suet pudding and fish pie are best sellers but also expect local game and capably handled seafood dishes such as roasted monkfish with saffron potatoes and sweetcorn chowder. For afters, homemade carrot cake vies with fruit crumbles and salted caramel tart. Children are well served and Sunday lunches feature a choice of two roasts. Expect attentive, engaged service and very reasonable prices. The short, affordable wine list matches the food admirably.

‘Consistency’ is a watchword at the handsome Olive Branch: ‘We first visited this pub 22 years ago and, in that time, have only ever experienced fabulous food, amazing service and a warm welcome,’ noted one ardent fan. A ‘justifiably proud’ early adopter of local sourcing, it's now one of Rutland’s shining stars, renowned for its community spirit and forward-thinking approach to food and drink. The kitchen delivers the pub classics with aplomb (including ‘the best English seafood platter ever’) while also creating ‘some truly diverse offerings’ ranging from beef tartare with smoked egg-yolk ‘jam’, pickled shallots and Marmite butter to roast hispi cabbage with yeast butter, truffle, herb emulsion and pink fir potatoes. For afters, the Eccles cake with Colston Bassett Stilton and Earl Grey is a must-have, or you might try chocolate torte with marmalade ice cream. Sunday lunch is a bonanza headlined by roast 28-day beef sirloin with horseradish hollandaise and a harvest festival of veg from the pub’s growing patch. To drink, top-notch regional ales vie with an ever-changing list of good-value wines.

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.

‘We did a big walk around Kinder Reservoir, and to come here after for wine and some great food was bliss,’ noted one couple who sought refuge in the ever-welcoming Pack Horse (circa 1577). All-comers are greeted with a mix of friendly familiarity, genuine warmth and professionalism: ‘you can turn up in your tiara or your muddy walking boots’. In return, you’ll be treated to superb hospitality and cracking food based on sustainable supplies from local sources: meat butchered just four miles away, for example, might appear in a pie of beef shin, Guinness and mushrooms. Snack on a ‘Manchester egg’ (aka a black pudding Scotch egg) before tackling a smoked haddock fishcake with warm mussel tartare or a bacon chop with pease pudding, spring greens and cider. Sunday roasts ‘for two’ receive high praise for beef wing rib on the bone or pork shoulder chop – and if you still have room, gorge on one of the creamy desserts (gooseberry and sherry trifle, perhaps). Quality growers abound on the inspiring wine list, and the pub champions local breweries too.

Reinvented, resurrected and reconstituted, but ‘deeply rooted in its neighbourhood’, this landmark hostelry is ‘everything great local pub should be’. The front bar keeps things affable for drinkers, while those after a bite to eat head to the dining area at the back. Impressive stained-glass windows, a scrawled blackboard menu and an open-to-view kitchen set an informal tone that suits the feel-good contemporary menu. Dishes cooked over fire are the highlights of Ben Allen’s bold, produce-led repertoire, creating an impression of sophistication and flair (ancho chicken with sweetcorn velouté) while remaining down-to-earth and wholesome (jerk pork chop). Elsewhere, one reporter raved about the wood-fired leeks – ‘a masterclass in how a humble ingredient treated with extraordinary skill can become one of the most memorable dishes you’ll eat anywhere in London.’ Combos such as Flourish tomatoes with redcurrants and horseradish are typical of the seasonally aware approach, while all-day Sunday roasts promise the likes of hay-smoked chicken and beef fore-rib (to share). There’s good drinking too, from cocktails and draught beer to a confident, modern wine list.

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.

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.

‘Fantastic renovation’ has transformed what was a ‘grotty backstreet boozer into the glorious find it is today,’ notes one reporter about this smartly remodelled Victorian hostelry, which is now a ‘super-cool, go-to place for all ages’. Divided equally between drinking and dining, it scores with ‘top-notch’ service and value for money. Regularly rotated guest ales, local beers and ciders keep the drinkers interested, while a cavalcade of thrilling global flavours puts the place in a different league to its local rivals – thanks to talented Filipino head chef Niel Talan. Top billing goes to the brilliant sourdough flatbreads, proved overnight and topped with the likes of crispy Filipino-style pork belly, soy-cured egg yolk and guanciale, but the menu pulls in everything from Sicilian arancini with beef cheek and cave-aged Manchego to ember-roasted chicken pointed up with lemongrass, atchara (pickled papaya) and shiso leaves. You can also get pasta, grass-fed steaks and burgers, while eclectic desserts might feature roasted apple with coconut jam, chilli and palm-sugar crumble. The excellent-value wine list includes a decent selection by the glass.

Sitting atop a hill with spectacular views of the Tyne Valley, this revamped 18th-century drovers’ inn proves its worth as a local watering hole, with an old-school bar, up to six ales from North Country microbreweries on tap (plus one craft lager) and lots of quirky items dotted around. The cooking has real character too, and the kitchen is passionate about provenance – 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’ (a must-have, by all accounts). Even more alluring is the list of daily specials, which offer ‘homely, rich pub food with a twist’ – from baby lemon sole with cucumber, grapes and fennel butter to slow-roast, honey-glazed pork belly with turnips and grilled peaches. Skilfully fashioned desserts could range from pear Bakewell tart to lemon meringue panna cotta. The personally selected wine list includes a dozen selections by the glass.

Its scores of fans would happily upgrade this unpretentious pub with rooms on a busy road to a Gold Cup, with additional praise ladled on to the Sunday roasts (‘simply wow’) and the ‘exceptional’ steaks. Sadly, we arrived for a late lunch on what must have been an off day. Service had too many slips and the main course of oxtail and beef-cheek pie was a rather sloppy (and expensive) version of cottage pie, without any accompanying vegetables. That said, there’s undoubted talent in the kitchen.

A first course of lobster and crab tartlet was terrific: the prawn cocktail-like filling was abundant, creamy and flavourful, encased in a crisp, brittle cup resting on a purée of avocado. Our dessert was also a rich indulgence: the Silver Cup 'Snickers Bar'– a chocolate mousse with a nutty, chocolate casing topped with vanilla ice cream and surrounded by caramel.

Several main courses (roasted turbot with crème fraîche or Gloucester Old Spot pork chop with burnt apple, for instance) are for two to share, and a menu of snacks (merguez Scotch eggs or baby burrata with leek and walnut pesto, for example) is now served in the separate saloon bar and the garden. There's also a well-annotated, globetrotting wine list that’s several notches above the pub norm. The local siblings who have run this place since 2020 know how to please their regulars.

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.

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.

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.

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.