Barnard Castle, British, Modern Restaurant Guide

This polished 18th-century former coaching inn lies in a picturesque village where the Durham and North Yorkshire dales dovetail, with plenty of walks on the doorstep. It’s a “very popular” spot which is “very good all around”, from the “delightful” cooking (which spans souped-up bar snacks, sandwiches and sophisticated, locally sourced mains) to the “good surroundings”.

“Always buzzing”, this “family-run” fixture is very consistently praised in reports for its “great pizza menu” while also offering British and international classics. (After two decades, the owner-operators put it up for sale in summer 2024.)