Mytton & Mermaid Hotel

The Mytton and Mermaid is a stately red-brick 18th-century former coaching inn on the banks of the River Severn a short drive from Shrewsbury. When the weather plays ball, an alfresco aperitif at one of the riverside tables makes a fine prelude to dining in the elegant restaurant, where antique oak tables laid with fresh flowers and candles, and rugs on wooden floors lend the venue the comforting, upmarket elegance of a country house. Local seasonal produce is a big player in the kitchen's ambitious modern British repertoire, with local suppliers given a name check on the menu. Fine pastry skills get things on the road with a lobster and crayfish tart served with roasted red pepper coulis, and mango, caper and anchovy relish. Keeping food miles to a minimum, the main ingredient in venison Wellington literally crosses the road from Attingham Park to appear with butternut squash purée, roasted toffee carrots, fondant potato, sprouts and bacon, and gingerbread sauce.