Fiona Stapley - The Good Pub Guide 2016

Civilised with contemporary dcor and up-to-date food; bedrooms

ITS A PLEASANT surprise to walk through the doors of this traditional-looking red-brick town house to find a comfortable and stylish interior. Set on two levels, its more of an open-plan bar-brasserie than a straightforward pub, with good lighting and modern prints on mainly cream walls (dark green and maroon accents at either end). The slightly sunken flagstoned area with a log fire in the exposed brick fireplace leads to a partly ply-panelled dining room with dark leather dining chairs set around a mixed batch of sturdy tables, and there are plenty of church candles and big leather deco-style armchairs and sofas at low tables on wood-strip flooring; background music. Charles Wells Bombardier and Eagle on handpump, plenty of wines by the glass and good coffee. The nicely planted two-level lawn has picnic-sets, with more on a terrace by the car park.

Quite a choice of food includes lunchtime sandwiches, coconut tempura prawns with sweet chilli sauce, tomato, asparagus and basil tagliatelle, sausages with red onion gravy and mash of the week, Jack Daniels and coke-marinated barbecue ribs with corn on the cob, coleslaw and southern fries, chicken breast wrapped in smoked ham with a tomato, black olive and basil sauce, pork loin with cider jus and apple and blackberry compote, and puddings such as banoffipie and pineapple and malibu cheesecake. Benchmark main dish: beef fillet wellington 24.00. Two-course evening meal 18.50.

Wells & Youngs ~ Lease Richard and Neia Heathorn ~ Real ale ~ Open 11-11 (midnight Fri, Sat); 12-5 (8 in summer) Sun ~ Bar food 12-2.30 (3 weekends), 6.30-9; 7-9.30 Fri, Sat; not Sun evening ~ Restaurant ~ Children welcome ~ Dogs allowed in bar and bedrooms ~ Wi-fi ~ Bedrooms: 55/70 Recommended by Pip White, Edward May

Civilised and individual oasis a great asset for the town

THIS EASY-GOING PUB is open all day, so theres a good, bustling atmosphere and a wide mix of customers dropping in and out. The dcor throughout is appealing with thoughtful touches added here and there and you can choose where to sit according to your mood: a more or less conventional bar with heavy beams, panelled dado and leaded lights in big windows, a light and airy conservatory sitting room with easy chairs well spread on a carpet, and an extensive series of softly lit rambling dining areas, carpeted or flagstoned. Charles Wells Bombardier, Eagle IPA and DNA and a guest beer on handpump, inventive bar nibbles and an excellent choice of wines by the glass; background music. The sheltered brick-paved terrace has good timber furniture, some under dark red canopies, and attractive shrub plantings.

Popular food served all day includes lunchtime ciabattas, potted mackerel with cranberry jelly, carpaccio of duck with cauliflower, hazelnut and pickled fennel salad, sharing platters, a pasta and risotto dish of the day, smoked salmon fishcake with bubble and squeak, a poached egg and sorrel cream sauce, pork loin stuffed with spinach in light puff pastry with wild mushroom and port ragot, corn-fed chicken with parmentier potatoes, beetroot and balsamic syrup and puddings. Benchmark main dish: Salmon supreme with polenta croutons and tarragon and pea pure 16.50. Two-course evening meal 21.00.

Little Gems Country Dining Pubs ~ Manager Tyrone Bentham ~ Real ale ~ Open 11.30-11.30 (midnight Fri, Sat); 12-11 Sun ~ Bar food 12-3, 6-10; 12-10 Sat; 12-8 Sun ~ Restaurant ~ Children allowed in one bar and restaurant ~ Dogs allowed in bar ~ Wi-fi ~ Comedy Sun evening every two months Recommended by Pip White, Harvey Brown

Simply furnished and friendly village pub with bar and dining area, real ales, interesting food and seats in the garden

NESTLED BETWEEN THE 13th-c church and Flitton Moor, this is a friendly pub in a quiet village. The minimally decorated front bar has dark leather tub chairs around low tables, contemporary leather and chrome seats at pedestal tables, and Farrow & Ball painted walls. B&T Dragon Slayer and a guest such as Buntingford Twitchell on handpump and 20 wines as well as champagne and prosecco by the glass; TV. Steps lead down to a good-sized, simply furnished back dining area with red plush seats and banquettes on dark wooden floorboards. The nice garden has neat shrub borders, and teak seats and tables on a terrace shaded by cedars and weeping willows.

As well as their renowned steaks, the highly thought-of food includes crayfish, prawn and apple cocktail, chicken liver pt with caramelised onion marmalade, line-caught cod with ratatouille, sesame-crusted chicken breast with teriyaki and orange pak choi, pork belly with apple mash, crackling and cider jus, and puddings such as rum and raisin crme brle and lemon, lime and ginger posset; they also offer a two- and three-course set menu (not Sunday, Monday or Friday and Saturday evenings). Benchmark main dish: aberdeen angus steak with home-made chips 15.95. Two-course evening meal 20.00.

Free house ~ Licensees Phil and Clare Hale ~ Real ale ~ Open 12-2.30, 6-midnight; 12-3, 6-1am Sat; 12-5 Sun; closed Sun evening, Mon ~ Bar food 12-2, 6.30-9 (9.30 Fri, Sat); 12-2.30 Sun ~ Restaurant ~ Children welcome ~ Dogs allowed in bar ~ Wi-fi Recommended by Richard and Liz Thorne, Alison and Michael Harper

Contemporary dcor in old building, impressive food, good wine list and lovely garden with attractive terraces; bedrooms

ATTENTIVE, HELPFUL STAFF welcome you into this 17th-c pub and although it would be a huge shame to miss out on the particularly good food, the bar is warm and relaxing with inglenook fireplaces, beams in low ceilings and timbering and they do keep a fine range of drinks: Adnams Bitter and Sharps Doom Bar on handpump, 24 wines by the glass, a dozen malt whiskies, Westons cider and good coffee from the long green-slate bar counter. There are leather armchairs and comfortable wall seating, a mix of elegant wooden and high-backed leather dining chairs around attractive tables on polished oak boards or sandstone flooring, original artwork, and fresh flowers on each table. French windows open from the restaurant on to various terraces with individual furnishings and pretty flowering pots and beds. The comfortable, well equipped bedrooms are across the courtyard in a separate building; continental breakfasts are included and taken in your room. The Birch at Woburn is under the same ownership.

From seasonally changing menus, the thoughtful choice of excellent food includes lunchtime ciabattas, chicken and tarragon ballotine with piccalilli pure, stilton pt with roasted beetroot, a pie of the day, wild mushroom and sun-dried tomato pasta with basil sauce, steak burger with toppings, battered onion rings and fries, bream fillets on pea and lemon risotto, local pork steak with spiced apple jam, venison with spiced red cabbage and redcurrant jus, and puddings. Benchmark main dish: beer-battered fish and chips 13.95. Two-course evening meal 23.00.