Joiners Arms - Bruntingthorpe

A modest-looking, eighteenth-century village pub with big ambitions, the Joiners Arms has made the leap from local watering hole to serious dining destination. There's still a bar for those who want a drink, but it's tucked away in one corner on the main beamed room. Most the space is taken up with tables unfussily laid up for those who want to eat; watercolours by a local artist enliven the walls and candles illuminate proceedings in the evening.

The kitchen responds with a sharp menu of modern bistro-style dishes. You might begin with sauté duck livers with smoked bacon and black pudding or scallops on pea and asparagus risotto. Mains are hearty, stomach-filling offerings including rump of lamb, pot-roast pheasant and venison pie with champ and roasted parsnips, although fish is treated with a lighter touch - perhaps turbot with wild mushroom gateau and truffle oil. To finish, look for the soufflés (perhaps blueberry or raspberry) or something like iced tiramisu parfait. The concise wine list has a good spread from the Old and New Worlds.