The Talbot Inn at Mells - Pub in Somerset

A timeless feudal village is the setting for Matt, Charlie and Dan's beautifully restored 15th-century inn. Huge oak doors open to a cobbled courtyard and tithe-barn sitting room on one side (big sofas, a Sunday cinema), and bar and dining rooms on the other. Inside, a warren of passageways, low doorways, nooks, crannies and beams. Rugs on stone or wood floors, flickering candles on old dining tables, crackling log fires and elegant hues draw you in for local ales, fine wines and lovely pub food. Tuck into roast beef sandwiches with horseradish, rocket and chips; sea bream with white beans, chorizo, fennel and salsa verde; leg of lamb with roasted garlic; vanilla rice pudding. At weekends, eat simply grilled meat and fish at shared tables in the Coach House Grill, a finely renovated barn. Effortless hospitality is a further plus.