The Greyhound

The Greyhound seems an unlikely name for a one-time 15th-century coaching inn set on the main street of well-groomed Stockbridge, the country’s fly-fishing capital. It’s no dusty old country local either, but sports an unbuttoned, yet cosmopolitan-styled, food-focused operation; a restaurant of pedigree draped in pub clothing. Chef John Howe produces modern brasserie-style dishes driven by prime seasonal produce & accomplished skill; perhaps sautéed haunch of venison served with goats’ cheese mash, wilted spinach & a raspberry & juniper jus, or pan-fried halibut with confit baby aubergine, poached egg & basil, pine nut & anchovy potatoes. The dining area has solid wood tables partnered by fashionable leather chairs, dark beams & wooden floors, while the adjoining lounge offers modern sofas, armchairs & a big inglenook. And, round the back, there’s a small garden overlooking the winding, clear-running chalk waters of the Test, perfect for fair-weather drinks. Eight swish bedrooms upstairs, too.