Doncaster’s best-known independent hotel, the Earl is superbly placed between the centre of town & its famous racecourse (home of the St Leger). Following a £4.5m refurb, it now boasts luxurious new suites & bedrooms as well as a tasteful art deco restaurant offering a broad mix of carefully sourced British dishes & international standbys. Corned beef terrine is made from home-cured Dexter beef, rope-grown Hebridean mussels are steamed in perry, & loin of venison is served with celeriac & oxtail jus, but you can also fill up on pizzas, burgers, pasta, veggie tagines & grills. Friday night is steak night (£29.95 for two, including a bottle of wine) & afternoon tea is available every day from 11am to 6pm. There’s also a decent choice of cocktails in the adjoining bar.