Lapwing Cottage Docking

The Peyton sisters behind nearby Sculthorpe Mill have taken on this historic pub dating back to 1790 and given it a new lease of life. The eye-catching interior design fuses eggshell blue with bright orange upholstery, lending the room a Mediterranean vibe that chimes with cooking that borrows from both Spain and Italy. Start with homemade focaccia or a topped flatbread, then move on to generous, full-flavoured dishes like pan-seared hake with butterbeans, chorizo, saffron and lemon. If you feel like staying longer, there are comfortable bedrooms upstairs.

One meaning of the Latin word 'socius' is ‘sharing’, making it an apt name for this friendly restaurant that's best enjoyed with a group of friends and family so you can give the menu a thorough going over. The barn-like space is bright and airy, with seating on either a steel-framed mezzanine level or the smart ground floor where you can watch the chefs at work. The flexible, constantly evolving menu draws on a range of influences for the unfussy, flavoursome small plates – among which are a good selection of vegetarian choices.

A welcoming couple run this intimate, laid-back restaurant: Aga works out front, assisted by a friendly serving team, while Lewis heads up the kitchen. As the name suggests, it's a former bank and the old banking counter now acts as the bar. The well-balanced tasting menu comes in two forms – ‘Shorter’ and ‘Longer’ – and has a real generosity to it, using produce from their allotment and the surrounding area in ambitious dishes with numerous flavours and textures. The passionately described wine pairings are the way to go.