Given the photograph in pride of place by the bar of The Five Alls inn, in the cute village of Filkins, I was a little anxious about the welcome a leftie Guardian journalist like me would find here. David Cameron beams down from the wall, flanked by owners Lana and Sebastian Snow, and an accompanying letter on Downing Street notepaper says how delicious lunch was and adds, “I must try and pop in one day with Samantha and the kids.” (I resist making cheap gags about whether he had the pork or left any of his children behind.)

But my pinko prejudices are clearly unfounded, because Sebastian, the chef, and Lana turn out to be as warm and friendly as can be. Neither is there to greet me, however, as they are crazy busy: as well as having just added new bedrooms here, they had recently opened a second pub, The Plough, in nearby Kelmscott, after a lengthy refurb. I’m here to spend a night in the new rooms at each of the old inns.

My spacious bedroom at The Five Alls is out the back, across the car park. It’s comfortable and very tastefully decorated – by Sebastian’s sister – in a symphony of pale greys and off-whites, but is a little minimalist for a cosy country inn. It lacks not only colour on the walls but also basics like tea and coffee equipment (thumbs up, though, for the rain shower and REN toiletries).

But it’s not just that. Being away from the pub – even only 15 metres away – I feel totally removed from the warm pubby atmosphere; the solitude makes for a perfect night’s sleep but it feels like a place to crash rather than a country inn experience. The four older rooms in the main building, though smaller, are more characterful, and the minimalist colour scheme has been embellished – by Lana, I’m guessing, who jokes “my sister-in-law works in 50 shades of grey”. In contrast the bar and restaurant area is warm and inviting, full of bright textiles, vintage-style wallpaper and leather Chesterfields.

I don’t agree with Cameron on much but he’s right about the food here. A deliciously refreshing English garden mojito (Hendrick’s gin, elderflower cordial, mint, apple and lemon juice) sets me up nicely for a starter of chicken liver and foie gras parfait, which is indeed perfect. The main of lobster and rabbit fricassée couldn’t match that, being tasty but as overly rich as it sounds.

The next day I head down the road to The Plough, in the equally pretty village of Kelmscott. It’s Saturday lunchtime and it has the hum of a country pub in full swing, drinkers and diners spilling out into the beer garden. The 17th-century inn already feels like the hub of this village of just 200 people, and they all want to say hello to and befriend Lana – she has the midas touch for front of house work.

Inside, it’s small, cosy and flagstoned, with hand-pumps of Doom Bar, Butcombe Bitter, and the Plough’s own beer, brewed by Hook Norton.

The upstairs rooms are almost identical to those in its sister pub, and downstairs the food is just as good. Chef Matt Read, who has worked at The Ivy and Langan’s Brasserie, serves upscale gastro pub food to a small but buzzing restaurant. For me that’s Cornish crab with avocado on toast, followed by a stew of monkfish, salmon and mussels.

Kelmscott was the country home to 19th-century textile designer and poet William Morris, whose grade I-listed former home is well worth a visit. He described Kelmscott Manor as “a heaven on earth”, which may have used a little poetic licence, but both here and neighbouring Filkins are divinely pretty Cotswold villages, and both now have well-run vibrant country pubs at their heart.

• Accommodation was provided by The Plough (doubles from £120, single £90 B&B, 01367 253543, theploughinnkelmscott.com) and The Five Alls (doubles from £115, rooms for four £140, family room for five £170 B&B, 01367 860 875, thefiveallsfilkins.co.uk)

Ask a local

Richard Martin, owner, Cotswold Woollen Weavers

• The village of Filkins is kept lively because of the legacy of former resident Sir Stafford Cripps (chancellor in Clement Attlee’s post-war government). Look out for the village swimming pool, the community centre and shop, the village museum (next to the old one-cell village lock-up), and some of the only listed social housing in Britain. More people work in Filkins today than have ever worked here, and you can’t say that about many small English villages.

• Lodge Park, Aldsworth is a jewel box of a 17th-century grandstand, built by John “Crump” Dutton for watching deer coursing. Adapted to all sorts of uses over the centuries, it has been restored by the National Trust.

• Buscot Tea Rooms is delightfully old-fashioned, with a garden full of flowers, and perfect for Sunday breakfast, too. And, for pub quiz lovers, it’s 200 metres from the oldest concrete agricultural building in England (1870).

• Witney is a gem of a thriving small town. Loads of independent traders set the tone, with hardly an empty shop along the ancient high street. There are lots of good eateries, and free parking throughout the town. What’s not to like? Check out particularly the recently restored 18th-century Blanket Hall for fabulous woollen throws and a traditional pie shop.