The Dial House Hotel & Restaurant

The Cotswold stone-built house has seen the ages pass in Bourton, having been standing here since the end of the 17th century, and so named in honour of the sundial mounted above the front porch. Today, it's a plushly furnished hotel run with impressive attention to detail, where Paul Nicholson heads up a kitchen team specialising in an up-to-date version of country-house cooking. Combinations work with the grain of culinary logic yet still manage originality, as when mousseline of foie gras is teamed with a tempura duck leg, caramelised hazelnuts and brioche. Following that might be brill poached in truffled butter, accompanied by glazed oxtail and a purée of ceps. Turn up the volume for dessert with a 64% Valrhona hot chocolate fondant, served with cooling raspberry sorbet.