Dining pubs, gastropubs
Brown’s Hotel is a lovely place, a cosy inn nestled in the estuary village of Laugharne on the coast of Carmarthenshire. Like the village, the pub is closely associated with Dylan Thomas, indeed it was basically his local. And I think the man liked a beer. They’ve modernised since then, with handsome wood furniture and …
How have I never been to The Three Oaks before? Hmm. Perhaps because it’s in Gerrard’s Cross! Far enough out of town that I’d have no reason to come this far as a Londoner, but not far enough to be part of a weekend break. Well, the folks of Gerrard’s Cross and the Chalfonts have …
I really loved The Bell at Ramsbury. For starters, Ramsbury itself is a beautiful village nestled beneath the hills of the Wessex Downs, clearly one that was more like a small town back in the mid-20th century but has been forgotten by time (and by everyone dashing past to more well-known points west). The Bell …
I like the decor at the Wensleydale Heifer. It’s cheerfully bright and unashamedly personal: they like the things they like, and that’s how they’ve decorated. No attempt to design for an expected demographic or conjure up a particular aesthetic. Except I guess that “cheerfully individual” is an aesthetic in itself? Anyway, the cheerful individuality and …
The Sandpiper is a classic country pub in the diminutive but charming little market town of Leyburn. The dining room is very no-nonsense, just serried ranks of wooden tables at which two, four or six people sit quietly devouring dinner. Because the food is jolly good. I picked the grilled goat cheese salad to start, …
