Peat Spade Inn

The Test Valley may be a magnet for fly-fishing fans, but this well-heeled country dining pub – set at the heart of picture-perfect Longstock village – reels in the savvy locals. Oozing style & relaxed charm, the interior is an eye-catching mix of rich-coloured paintwork, old photographs, polished-wood floorboards & jumble of chairs & scrubbed-wood tables. There’s a small bar at the front, a patio & smart bedrooms for those disinclined to drive home. The kitchen delivers unpretentious, modern British dishes, the repertoire revolving around prime seasonal produce sourced from the well-stocked local larder. Accomplished, clean-flavoured dishes such as halibut with Jerusalem artichokes & wild mushrooms or rib-eye steak served with chips & bearnaise sauce, are typical of what you can expect for mains, while a walnut & date pudding with caramel sauce & vanilla ice-cream is a good indication of the dessert offering.