Star Inn at Tytherley

This off-the-beaten-track country inn – secreted away in the Test Valley – has instant curb appeal. There’s a pretty courtyard-style garden to catch the eye out front & views over the village cricket green out back. But don’t be fooled, this is not your average local, rather a remodelled country inn with rooms & restaurant. Thus leather sofas, tub chairs & red carpets rub shoulders with beams, log-burners & homely object d’art & prints, while the adjoining dining area comes in ‘60s-style pine-clad walls. Lunch is a light affair, while the evening menu takes a modern British approach driven by local seasonal produce, assured skill & careful presentation. Expect roasted pork tenderloin, served with sage polenta, savoy cabbage & a haricot bean, smoked bacon & vegetable casserole, & to finish, perhaps a panettone bread & butter pudding with apricot coulis.