The Boar's Head

A solid-looking half-timbered building in a leafy Downland village, The Boar's Head has a triple function, as pub (it's been pulling pints for over 150 years), restaurant and accommodation. Drop in for a pint and a light bite in the bar or head for the full works in the restaurant, with its sturdy wooden furniture, fresh flowers and Mediterranean hue on the walls. The kitchen makes everything in-house, from bread to pasta, and the regularly-changing menu is market-led, with fish supplies delivered daily from Cornwall. Turbot is steamed and served with a bean salad and chick pea purée, while fillet of cod comes with red wine vinaigrette. The same skills are applied to meats: fillet of Scottish beef comes with seared foie gras and rösti, and roast woodcock with a pheasant croustade and mushrooms. A labour-intensive starter of terrine of pheasant and sun-blush tomato with pressed ham hock and port jelly could get things going, and Grand Marnier soufflé will round things off nicely.