Yalbury Cottage

Deep in Thomas Hardy country, this picture-perfect thatched cottage is a popular restaurant-with-rooms run with great charm by Ariane Jones and her husband, Jamie. They extend guests a ‘very warm welcome’ while staff are ‘friendly and efficient’. One reader’s country-style bedroom in a modern extension was ‘on the small side but quiet and comfortable, overlooking fields’ with a ‘good shower’ in the ‘compact bathroom’. Lounge and dining room are cosy with low beams, exposed brickwork and a wood-burning stove. Take drinks in the former before moving on to what many regard as the highlight of a stay. ‘The real attraction here is the food,’ says a regular who praises Jamie’s short menu of dishes such as braised beef and dauphinoise potatoes. ‘The lemon roast chicken breast with tabbouleh salad was one of my best meals this year.’ Another reader was delighted to have a ‘gluten-free menu with the same level of choice as the main menu’. Breakfast is a feast of omelettes, smoked haddock, the full grill, and croissants baked to order: ‘delicious and meant we did not need lunches’. (Peter Anderson, Steve Hur, SP)