White Hart Hotel

The handsome White Hart is a good example of the wonders that can be worked when updating an old coaching inn. With lots of dark wood & leather, the bar goes in for a comfortable clubby look, while the restaurant combines ceiling beams, timbered walls & a huge inglenook with flock wallpaper in ornate gilt frames, heritage colours & white-clad tables. Add in welcoming staff, a great atmosphere & affordable & tasty dishes made from well-sourced ingredients & you have a very welcome addition to the Hertfordshire dining scene. Cooking is a pleasing mix of modern European creations & pub classics: butternut squash soup with a hint of cumin & chilli, say, followed by spot-on mains such as a homemade pie of the day or a rosemary Barnsley chop with garlic butter. A substantial dessert of tiramisu with marinated black cherries is worth saving room for, while the drinks offering includes a well-structured wine list. Sunday roasts & elegant bedrooms are incentives to stay the weekend.