The Olive Branch

Once a row of tiny farm workers' cottages, the Olive Branch was knocked through as long ago as 1890 to make the rustic pub we see today. It's lost none of its bucolic charm, as is indicated by the whitewashed interior stone walls and antique tables, which are simply laid up with placemats. All that stands in pleasant contrast to the surprising degree of refinement there is in the cooking, which uses regional produce to essay some interesting spins on modern-classic pub dishes. Start with pea and ham soup served with black pudding and apple ravioli, and move on to roast sea bass with scallop mousse and broccoli in tarragon butter, or excellent honey-roast breast of duck, alongside a pasty of the confit leg and carrot, and some glazed beetroot. Afters could be egg custard tart with blackcurrant sorbet, or a choice of some of Britain's and France's most pungent cheeses.