The Bat & Ball Hotel

Cuddesdon, Oxfordshire

Cricket is the theme of this gourmet pub with five rooms in the sleepy village of Cuddesdon, Oxfordshire. We’re not talking excessive memorabilia or staff in full whites, mind. Just subtle nods to the sport in the form of shiny red balls for door knobs, rooms named after iconic players and the odd cricket-inspired artwork.

Gentleman’s game aside, the star of the show at The Bat & Ball is the food. Opened in January by the brains behind The Lamb Inn in nearby Little Milton, the team here are toiling to ensure it reaches the same standard achieved at its Michelin-recommended sister venue; a job made easier thanks to ex-Le Manoir chefs.

The seasonal menu combines pub classics with more complex dishes, thoughtfully presented without being fussy. Pea and asparagus arancini make for a fresh start to the meal, continued by the delicately fried stone bass served with melt-in-the-middle pillows of olive-oil gnocchi, sea herbs and lemongrass velouté. The stand-out main is the lamb rump, which comes, perfectly pink, on a bed of braised peas and drizzled with jus. Its accompaniment? A joyous rectangle of fried potato with a tender, pulled-lamb filling.

Once full, retire to the more casual part of the pub or ascend to your Cotswold-style, colourdrenched bedroom to welcome dreams of scoring a century.

Words by Victoria Beardwood.

Doubles from £140, including breakfast. 01844 885776, batandballcuddesdon.co.uk