The Whitebrook

The bounty of the ‘lovely’ Wye valley – including foraged pennywort, hedge bedstraw and nasturtium tubers, ‘all firsts for us!’ – inspires the ‘fresh, attractive’ food at this modern, Michelin-starred restaurant-with-rooms run by chef/patron Chris Harrod and his wife, Kirsty. ‘The experience is absolutely spot on, not least because of the kind and helpful staff.’ Sample ‘delicious’ canapés before taking a seat in the ‘atmospheric’ restaurant (‘well-spaced tables, proper tablecloths’) for ‘super’, ‘unpretentious’ meals that are ‘full of new flavours’ – perhaps ‘amazing’ parsnip croquette, salsify, charlock; ‘unusual’ halibut, rainbow chard, foraged fennel. Fed well, retire to a ‘restful’ bedroom, upstairs in the ‘refreshed’ 17th-century drovers’ inn. ‘Our good-sized, well-decorated room had a big, comfy bed and two chairs; there were excellent toiletries and plenty of towels in the bathroom.’ A ‘small but comfortable’ room overlooking the rear garden was less liked. At breakfast, tuck in to ‘very freshly squeezed’ orange juice, ‘good’ cafetière coffee, ‘interesting’ cooked options, including scrambled eggs ‘elegantly served in a “bird’s nest” of smoked salmon’. (T and GA, Pat and Jeremy Temple)