Mr Underhill’s Hotel

Dinham Weir, Ludlow, Shropshire

For more than 30 years, Mr Underhill’s has gained an enviable reputation for its food, retaining a Michelin star for its much-lauded inventive, modern European dining. Plates such as duck liver custard on sweetcorn cream with lemon grass glaze; cones of dill-marinated smoked salmon; and beetroot veloutés with crème fraîche ice-cream have kept it at the forefront of a picky Ludlow scene. Add to the equation its location on the banks of the River Teme, at the foot of Ludlow Castle, and the four deluxe rooms (including one in the timber-framed, two-storey Shed), and you’ve a combination that’s hard to beat. And in pretty Ludlow too. Doubles from £220.