WALES
The Felin Fach Griffin
Felin Fach,Powys, 01874 620111
Chef-owner Charles Inkin wanted the Felin Fach Griffin to feel as relaxing as someone's home, and indeed this is one of the most laid-back, comfortable and characterful pubs in the country. Charles was trained at Ballymaloe Cookery School in Ireland and the menu has rural seasonality written all over it: creamy parsnip soup with chives, Tregoyd pheasant with wild mushrooms and mash, Welsh venison with braised red cabbage. Garnet wine-poached pears with thick streams of Welsh cream running down their sides was one of the most beautiful desserts I'd ever seen. DH

COTSWOLDS
The Churchill Arms
Paxford, Gloucestershire, 01386 594000
A defiantly unpretentious L-shaped room in a part of Britain, the Cotswolds, too well-known for its unnecessary flounces. There are no fake horse brasses here. Fish was a strong point when I last visited: mussels in a saffron broth, hake with citrus- butter sauce and sea bass with wilted spinach, but they also did a good line in sticky toffee pudding. What's not to like? JR

SOUTH
The Cherry Tree Inn
Stoke Row, Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, 01491 680430
This pub exudes 17th-century charm and 21st-century luxury. From the bar's minimalist good looks - low beams and brick walls, bare boards and fl ags, - to gorgeous bedrooms in the barn, it's no regular inn. On the menu you might fi nd braised shank of Chiltern lamb with garlic and herb mash; wild mushroom linguine; or grilled squid and chorizo salad with roast peppers. Puddings are classics - treacle tart, strawberry pavlova with a raspberry sorbet - with local cheeses an alternative. Beers are from Brakspear, there's a very decent selection of wines by the glass and the front lawn and terrace are perfect for relaxing outdoors. AS

WEST
Lord Poulett Arms
High Street, Hinton St George, Crewkerne, Somerset, 01460 73149
There's an upbeat yet elegant feel to this wonderful 400-year-old inn. And it sits in a truly ravishing village. Traditional trappings - hops, pewter tankards, country antiques - rub shoulders with quirky bits: Carry On posters on the wall, a hammock in the summer garden, a chess set laid out to play. The chef trained in Japan so the Dorsetshire fish and the Exmoor game might come with a fresh, oriental touch. Try spinach and pea soup and wild sea bass with exotic mushrooms in a sake and teriyaki sauce. Contemporary wallpapers set the tone for super bedrooms upstairs - along with open-stone walls, brass bedsteads and seagrass floors. Roberts radios add a fun touch. AS