The Churchill Arms Hotel

Paxford

Charactersied by caramel-coloured villages nestling in the cleft of voluptuous hills and well-heeled residents, there’s no doubt that The Cotswolds is idyllic. This can have drawbacks. Pubs in the area often become interchangable in their adoration of Farrow and Ball paints and desire to serve food on slates.

With its ramshackle interiors and noisy regulars, The Churchill Arms bucks the trend. This good-value, 18th-century inn is owned by Nick Deverell-Smith, who trained under Gordon Ramsay, Marco Pierre White and Eric Chavot. Unsurprisingly, the food is fantastic. Start in the garden with a pint of locally brewed Winston house ale, then move on to chicken livers on toast, expertly cooked and infused with sage. The lobster mac ‘n’ cheese is superb: decadent, creamy and with a pleasingly chewy crust, while home-made chocolate truffles are powdery bombs of flavour.

There are just two rooms, both somewhat on the snug side but with very comfortable beds. The blue room has original beams and a window seat where you can savour a morning coffee before heading downstairs for a full cooked breakfast. Doubles from £120.