Chef Frances Atkins is still very much at the helm of this spoiling country restaurant-with-rooms, despite new ownership; superb food and an indulgent stay are guaranteed. ‘This inn remains a top place to stay and dine,’ declares a regular. The creeper-covered 18th-century shooting lodge, with extensive gardens, dominates tiny Ramsgill. ‘The vegetable, fruit and flower gardens are wonderful, a real joy to walk around.’ Inside, antiques and squashy sofas – plus hand-painted hessian wallpaper in the dining room – are set against flagged floors and beamed ceilings, creating a ‘calm, unhurried yet unstuffy’ atmosphere, though ‘service is seriously efficient’. Dinner is the star turn with food that’s ‘confident, imaginative and full of the unexpected’. Dishes might include halibut, celeriac and sea kale, or rabbit with morel and wild garlic. Refreshed rooms feature earthy colours and quirky themes: ‘Brew’ has teapot-patterned curtains. There are classy bathrooms and monogrammed linen, too. ‘Breakfasts are as fine as one can find anywhere’ – perfect fuel for walks from the doorstep. (Anthony Bradbury, HP) 
NOTE: As the Guide went to press, The Yorke Arms announced that it was changing to become an exclusive-use venue.