Queen’s Head Hotel

This village-centre hostelry reveals quite an eye for metropolitan sophistication. With sanded oak floors, contemporary lighting & leather furnishings in abundance, the clean lines of the bar & eating areas are as spare & attractive as the food. The menu is lively, reflecting modern ideas & imaginative pairings – especially in the restaurant. It raises the bar with starters including slow-cooked pork belly with apple & Swiss chard, while mains such as fillet of brill with fennel & capers or roast rump of beef & braised oxtail with swede, potato mille-feuille & red wine jus keep up the tempo. The kitchen also caters for simpler tastes too, with a bar menu listing burgers, fish & chips, sausage & mash & suchlike. The sheer friendliness of the place is a big plus – this is still a real local serving real ales to loyal regulars.