Midway between Midhurst & Petworth on the busy A272, this remodelled 17th-century inn offers a modern take on the traditional hostelry-with-lodgings theme. A series of cosy interconnecting rooms includes a bar with a polished wood counter & fashionable leather seating which emanates a modern wine-bar vibe, while beams & winter fires in other traditional areas evoke something more conventionally pubby. Food is a driving force wherever you sit, with fresh, quality ingredients & a crowd-pleasing menu of safe British cooking spanning everything from classic beer-battered cod (with chips & tartare sauce) or pan-seared calf’s liver (with bubble & squeak) to more upmarket whole baked sea bass or rib-eye steak (again, offered with mainstream accompaniments). Puds are in the comforting mould of upside-down treacle & apple sponge, while a sheltered alfresco terrace & garden provide that fair-weather drawcard.