Eaton Socon, British, Modern - Restaurant Guide

“Far and away an outstanding pub/restaurant in this part of the world” – this atmospheric and much commented-on 15th-century inn is “pitch-perfect in every way” after 20 years under Martyn & Jayne Lee’s direction, with “assured cooking for every course” – “we hadn’t been for a while and I would say the cooking has actually gone up a level”. Top Menu Tip – “the soufflés are truly amazing”.

This “lovely” ivy-clad riverside hotel on the outskirts of town is “well worth a visit”, having changed hands from former owners, John (Master of Wine) Hoskins & wife Julia to the East Anglian Chestnut group without event a couple of years back. The à la carte and afternoon teas usually garner respectable reports, but “the real highlight is the wine shop in the hotel”, packed with bottles and benefitting from an Enomatic machine for samples, with “excellent, knowledgeable staff who will help you find something you like”.

“A nice old thatched pub just off the A14 with a considerable history of offering fine food and drink to locals and travellers alike”. Most feedback is positive, but the odd “inconsistent” or “disappointing” report this year dragged down its ratings average – perhaps the arrival of new landlord Stevie Norman a couple of years ago will steady the ship: he first worked here as a 17-year-old catering college student before spending 20 years at the highly rated Old Bridge Hotel in Huntingdon.