The Bell at Sapperton

Great care has gone into the renovation of this 18th century building, where Paul Davidson & Patricia Le Jeune have produced a modern vision of a Cotswold village pub. Well along the path to gastro-apotheosis, you can still call in & enjoy real ale at the bar or a glass of wine from the list, but diners keep returning for local delicacies such as Lighthorne lamb, Gloucestershire beef or Cotswold crayfish, as well as notable seafood from Cornwall, Devon & Billingsgate. Start with local pigeon breast pan-fried with olive & potato polenta, before a wonderful pave of poached hake in a crayfish sauce. But you may have to waive Bramley & cinnamon pie with clotted cream or chocolate & red wine crema for the cheese selection, which is worth the journey alone. No music, no children younger than 14 & no garish bar decorations appeal to many, but the convivial hum, the creaking of ancient hinges & the crackle of burning logs is most people's idea of bliss.