The George Hotel

A pretty 16th-century house plays host to this sweetly run restaurant, situated in a prime spot overlooking the small square of this characterful Dorset town. Inside, the bright, colourful décor adds to the endearing feel, with its countryside shabby-chic style. The concise, Mediterranean-inflected menu moves with the seasons to show off excellent produce, delivered with a palpable simplicity and textbook technique by the confident kitchen team. If you want to go all-in on the Brassica brand, visit their homewares store, Brassica Mercantile, across the road.

Few restaurants come with as delightful a setting as this. You arrive via a slow drive through the majestic tree-lined Parnham Park estate, culminating at a wonderful walled garden filled with impressive objets d’art. Take your seat in either the rustic-chic dining room in full view of the open kitchen, or in the glasshouse behind with its glorious garden views. Seasonality is the name of the game in the natural, flavour-forward dishes, from the ‘Parnham Pintxos’ snacks to foraged mushrooms with Jerusalem artichokes and Cornish gouda.

Dating back to the 18C, this lovely stone-built inn sits in a picture postcard village and its back garden and terrace is a real jewel. The chef-owner’s personality, his experience in previous kitchens, and his knowledge of the locale, all inform his appealing menu of modern, balanced dishes that are big on flavour and guaranteed to hit the spot. Four bedrooms occupy what was once the skittle alley.