The Red Lion & Sun

There’s been a watering hole on this site since the 16th century, but in its present guise, The Red Lion & Sun is reckoned to be a “top gastropub” noted for its great atmosphere, two beer gardens and “wonderful food”. One reader singles out the Sunday roasts, but the daily menu covers a lot of ground from ‘pub grub’ staples to eclectic restaurant-style dishes. On a typical day you might kick off with Dorset crab on toast or confit duck leg with Chinese pancakes and dipping sauces ahead of char-grilled Ibérico pork chop with a warm potato salad, asparagus and apple sauce, seafood curry, a cheeseburger or pan-fried brill fillet with buttered new potatoes, samphire and salsa verde. After that, consider Eton mess or peanut butter parfait. Drinks include some decent ales, international wines and a prodigious list of whiskies from around the world. The pub also provides a sterling local service by offering takeaway fish and chips every day (12N-10pm).