Chestnut Horse

The Chestnut Horse ticks all the boxes required of a 400-year-old country inn: a fantastic location (squirreled away in the lovely Itchen Valley), warming winter fires, a forest of timbers, & a labyrinth of rooms oozing higgledy-piggledy charm. The darkly painted interior is lined with tankards & teapots, pastoral pictures & ephemera, while patterned carpets complete the traditional cottagey look. But the place is also a well-behaved foodie destination, fuelled by a kitchen that deals in fresh local produce. Classics such as beer-battered cod, calf’s liver & bacon or rib-eye steak keep it real, while caramelised fig & haloumi salad with roasted pine nuts or baked tilapia with dauphinoise & wilted spinach step outside the box. Thoughtfully selected wines, hand-pumped ales & a sunny decked terrace complete the picture.