The Bull & Willow Room at Great Totham

The Bull is an Essex pub with lots of period charm and a good deal of contemporary appeal. It really does look the business with its splendid 16th-century façade neatly spruced up, its characterful bar packed with original features, and decorative colours chosen from the favoured neutral and natural palette. There's just the one menu throughout these days, whether you stick in the bar or head into The Willow Room, which offers a touch of refinement in the shape of elegant upholstered chairs and tables dressed in white linen. On the menu is some smart, modish cooking alongside some old favourites. So you could choose to go for prawn cocktail with brown bread and butter followed by steak and kidney pudding, or kick off with smoked ham hock terrine with piccalilli and knacker bread, before moving on to honey-glazed Gressingham duck breast with roasted red plums and endive. To finish, the British artisan cheese platter offers stiff competition to desserts such as chocolate tart with black olive caramel (or you could always have both).