Bishops Dining Room & Wine Bar

With its relaxed, low-key buzz, reasonable prices & cooking to match most expectations, the Bishops Dining Room certainly has a great deal going for it. Carefully sourced British produce is used for a deceptively simple, seasonal menu that delivers gutsy flavours in well-judged combinations: starters of anise & citrus-smoked Gressingham duck breast with clementine & winter shoots or scallops with crispy squid, pork belly & onion confit are executed with flair, while pork tenderloin wrapped in crispy ham, stuffed with wild mushrooms & black pudding & served with an orange cream sauce makes a satisfyingly rich main course. Puddings are equally accomplished renditions of, say, dark chocolate marquise with orange sorbet or a magnificent version of spotted dick with spiced mixed peel & cinnamon custard.