Pesto at the Cabbage Hall Restaurant

As the quirky name might suggest, this one-off bar and restaurant in rural Cheshire is shot through with a sense of fun. The smart interior is an eclectic affair involving herringbone parquet floors, bold floral wallpaper and deep blue velvet chairs at darkwood tables, and an easygoing air to the place. There are sharing platters to foster a convivial mood, as well as two and three-course fixed price menus and a carte offering a wide-ranging choice of ambitious modern ideas from a kitchen that is tuned to the market and the seasons, and whose roots are clearly in the French classics. A sauté of pancetta, black pudding and potatoes topped with a poached egg makes a simple, vibrant-looking starter, followed by suprême of pheasant with caramelised red cabbage, roast parsnips and potatoes, and redcurrant and juniper sauce. Sticky toffee pudding with clotted cream provides a sweet-toothed finale.