The Three Tuns

Squirreled away in Romsey ‘village’, elbow-to-elbow with period cottages, this rejuvenated 400-year-old pub has thankfully not gone all clever-clogs gastro. Dark beams & timbers, exposed brick & slate flagstones retain traditional character, while thoughtful refurbishment delivers modern-day comforts in keeping with its country pub outlook. The Tuns’ new owners (the team behind the Chesil Rectory in Winchester) take a seasonal & local approach to food, serving up dependable classics such as devilled lamb’s kidneys on toast or beer-battered fish with hand-cut chips, mushy peas & homemade tartare sauce. Blackboard specials show more ambition, perhaps Isle of Wight sea bass teamed with a casserole of lentils & roots, cauliflower purée & red wine sauce, while puds pay closer homage to the comfort agenda with Hampshire rhubarb & pear crumble or New Forest strawberry Eton mess. There’s a restaurant-quality wine list, or you can quaff hand-pumped real ales from the traditional bar.