From its magical setting over the village stream, The Fontmell is a gleaming example of the very best sort of 21st century British dining pub, bridging high end cooking and a pint at the bar with casual confidence, finds Jo Rees

From the handsome restaurant and pared-back rustic bar, to the upmarket bedrooms and wood fi red pizza ovens in fairy light-strewn garden, this north Dorset inn has got it covered – and in some style. Sophistication flows through the emphatically relaxed local pub, which has won it fans from far and wide.

VISIT FOR a bit of everything – depending on the mood and the hour. Get chums together for a smart supper in the restaurant, chow down on Sunday lunch in the bar, or order 48 hours ahead and wow your squeeze with a feast of roasted shellfish including mussels, clams, crab, scallops, and prawns with parsley, chilli and garlic, direct from Brixham’s fish market.

DON’T VISIT for a quiet night out – well maybe on a Monday night, but generally, this is a lively joint where you’ll even get drawn into communal chat when you stop for a quick homemade sausage roll and pint at the bar.

WE LIKED the triple cooked chips – dare we say the best we’ve ever had – and the patio area, which is buzzy on summer evenings, as the wood oven spits out crisp pizza after pizza for the expectant throng.