The Sun Inn - Cottesmore

Pretty as the proverbial picture, this delightful seventeenth-century inn looks like everyone's idea of the quintessential English country pub, with its tidy thatched roof, whitewashed walls, hanging baskets and flagstoned courtyard.

Inside it maintains its charms, thanks to flagged floors, solid pine furniture and beamed ceilings. Real ales are kept in good order and there's a decent choice of wines if you fancy grape rather than grain.

The kitchen delivers honest British cooking with a few Mediterranean touches and a liking for seafood. Chicken, ham and leek pie, braised beef with dumplings or steak and kidney pudding might rub shoulders with haddock and spring onion fishcakes, mussels topped with Parmesan or grilled tuna steak and chilli dip. Daily specials could include chicken Wellington, while desserts tend to be old favourites such as treacle sponge or sticky toffee pudding.