Wiltshire, British, Modern Restaurant Guide

In the Vale of Pewsey, north of Stonehenge, this 18th-century thatched pub has been run by Guy & Britt Manning since 2008 and it continues to inspire very high ratings from its fan club in our annual diners’ poll: “superb cooking, imaginative menu, relaxed impeccable service. What’s not to like?”

“If ‘Cheers’ was a restaurant, this would be what it felt like” – a local indie (now with a marquee) that has built up a “good reputation locally”, and where Aussie owner “Dan (Bond), Charlotte and their team produce great grub” by most (if not all) accounts; however, “what really matters is the embracing atmosphere, defining the phrase ‘neighbourhood restaurant’”.

Since 2006, chef Hywel Jones has been at the helm of the kitchen of this traditional, period dining room which provides a very classical country-house retreat in a rural Palladian mansion: go somewhere else if you want stripped floors and open kitchen, as here you will get swagged curtains, tablecloths, silverware and aperitifs in the lounge. Limited feedback this year, but remaining positive on its high-quality, classically rooted cuisine: there is a tasting menu, but the à la carte offers three courses for £115 per person.

“Great pub food at the funky end of gastro” and “amazing Sunday roasts” are crowd-pleasers at this 18th-century coaching inn in the centre of town, which also ticks the boxes for “friendly staff and good service”.