The Dawnay Arms

Some of today’s most lively cooking is happening in rural kitchens, & this born-again boozer is no exception. With an elegant Georgian exterior, a tasty location in the middle of an ineffably posh, picture-perfect village & a stylish interior that pitches pale colours, bright funky cushions & contemporary artwork against original flagged floors, beams & old church pews, it’s an impressive piece or gussied-up rusticity. Local ingredients are deployed for hearty, incisive dishes including game pâté with pear chutney, & roast saddle of lamb teamed with a little shepherd’s pie, minted peas & baby carrots. The cooking is wholesome but not remotely provincial – this is metropolitan food at midweek prices.