5 North Street

The pint-sized stature of the Ashenford's restaurant belies its stellar standing on the Cotswolds foodie scene. The chocolate-box bow-fronted building is propped up by wonky timbers, and sits just off the town's winsome high street. Inside, a brace of heavily-beamed rustic-chic dining rooms decked out with high-backed chocolate leather chairs and warm russet walls project an ambience of unaffected contemporary style, and with Kate Ashenford leading front of house in an amiable, easygoing but professional way, service follows suit. A range of fixed-price dinner menus, plus a seven-course gourmet blow-out, has something to fit most budgets, and showcases Marcus Ashenford's pedigree. He cooks in a highly intelligent, assured style that brings together some of the earthier elements of British cooking with finely-tuned French classical technique. The results are stunning: remarkable depth of flavour delivered in expertly judged combinations is the hallmark of starters such as grilled scallops with home-cured salmon, watercress pannacotta, crisp Serrano ham and white balsamic. The modern European approach continues in a main-course that teams fillet and braised blade of Longhorn beef with wild mushrooms, mash, baby onions and truffle essence sauce, and might culminate in an assiette of classic British desserts. All the extras - an amuse of roast pumpkin and chive soup with truffle oil, for example - are equally tip-top, and superlative breads, such as a walnut and apricot mini loaf, come straight from the oven.