The Crown Inn

A quaint, cosy inn with good, traditional English grub. Grab a bite, then stay the night.

Where? The Crown, 16 High Street, Amersham, Bucks, HP7 0DH (01494 721 541, www.thecrownamersham.com)

What? An historic, timber-framed inn is given a modern makeover in this charming country hideaway. Settle down in the bar for a cosy drink, tuck into the simple, traditional English cuisine in the restaurant, or rest your head for the night in one of its 27 rooms.

On the menu? The kitchen is under the very capable care of Rosie Sykes - author of The Kitchen Revolution - and specialises in serving up quality, locally-sourced foods. Although the menu changes daily, you can be pretty sure that it'll include wholesome, un-fussy home comforts. We went for the Organic smoked salmon on potato pancake with creme fraiche, and seared scallops with saffron creamed leeks to start, and the smoked haddock fishcakes with spinach and the Sirloin steak for main - all of which we'd highly recommend.

Any pointers? Just make sure you save room for dessert - the hearty portions might have you forgoing your pudding (and we couldn't have you missing out on the rhubarb crumble or the marmalade bread & butter pudding!)

To drink? You can't go to The Crown without sampling a glass of its delightful rhubarb or marmalade fizz (delish!), which is made using natural produce leftover from the aforementioned desserts. For those of you after something a little more traditional, there is an extensive wine list, which boasts a large selection at perfectly reasonable prices. Need to know? The Crown Inn is open seven days a week, with its all-day menu available from 7am-10pm, and its restaurant menu from noon-3pm, and then 6-10pm. Note that the use of seasonal produce from hand-picked suppliers dictates the constantly changing menus.