Clipsham Restaurant Guide

Co-owner Ben Jones together with two friends rescued this property off the A1 25 years ago to create a then-cutting-edge gastropub, and it’s an “old and reliable friend” to long-term fans, with the “atmosphere is of a bubbling country pub that attracts regular clients from a wide area” (and is still one of the top-100 most commented-on destinations in our annual diners’ poll). Probably it’s fair to say it’s “not quite as good as it was in its heyday, but it’s still a very good bistro-esque pub” serving “an interesting and varied menu of seasonal delights”. “Have a pint at the bar or in the summer outside in the garden, and then sit down to an excellent, comfortable meal. The well-appointed rooms in a house opposite are ideal for those that like to sleep where they have eaten”.

2021 Review: This “very smart and much-renovated old coaching inn” sits on the village green of one of the settlements bordering Rutland Water, and serves “high quality” fare in a cosy traditional setting.