Old Swan & Minster Mill

Doing something different for this pretty Cotswolds town, Wild offers an interactive dining experience in the uber-stylish Bull hotel, where Banksys and Damien Hirsts adorn the walls. The restaurant occupies a purpose-built marquee in the courtyard, with guests sat around a copper-topped counter and fire pit. The personable chef cooks over the flames in front of you while demonstrating an understanding that less is often more. That means dishes where finely balanced accompaniments marry well with their prime central ingredients, such as Indonesian butter with Orkney scallops.

The quaint village of Charlbury is the setting for this 17C pub, which looks gorgeous thanks to a lavish makeover. The bar and dining areas ooze charm and character, with exposed Cotswold stone walls and crackling log fires among the many appealing features. In summer, the garden and orchard come into their own with a covered terrace and even a small stream. Many ingredients come from their sister operation, Daylesford Organic Farm, and are used in comforting, full-flavoured dishes like Cornish fish pie. Tastefully decorated bedrooms complete the picture.

The duo behind London pub hits like The Pelican and The Hero also run this 16th-century inn back in their native Cotswolds. The space oozes character, boasting flagged floors, timbered ceilings, plenty of exposed golden stone and twin open fires. There is a relaxed and intimate feel to the place, and an understated quality to the tersely described dishes that simply let the first-rate ingredients shine, such as cod with smokey kipper sauce and juicy leeks. The bedrooms in The Barn are the icing on the cake.