Few pubs have dining rooms this romantic: wax cascading down silver candlesticks, tables covered with heavy linen, every face gorgeously lit. Staff bustle past in brown smocks (her) and chore coats (him), pulling Morgon gamay from temperature-controlled cabinets and changing heavy silver cutlery between courses. (And this is a place where you’ll want more than a counter meal.)

To start, chicken liver parfait for the high-minded, chunky sausage rolls for nostalgia hunters, sourdough focaccia for all. Pub purists will delight in a pair of stonking pork sausages, peppery and juicy and resting on baby-soft mash.

The pie is a pie floater, pureed peas the colour of grass all around. Its thick gravy unites crust with 12-hour-cooked beef cheek, and it’s served with buttery mash. One room away, the footy’s on, pool cues clack, pints are spilled: it’s the pub, deluxe edition.

Must-order: The espresso martini with Guinness is a very 2025 update to an enduring favourite.

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