The Sun Inn
Dedham, Essex
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A fixture of touristy Dedham (this is Constable country, after all), Piers Baker’s sunny-yellow inn opposite the village church is a proper pub success story. Culinary aspirations are high, but there’s still room for ale-supping locals at the elm bar, while the split-level beamed restaurant has a relaxed, congenial vibe. East Anglia meets Italy on the seasonal menu and there are plenty of colourful, incisively flavoured treats in store, all fashioned from impeccably sourced ingredients. Vegetarians might fancy the bruschetta of Suffolk oyster mushrooms, artichoke, truffle and egg, while fish fans could plump for gurnard served with fennel, fregola and a shellfish and tomato broth. Pasta is always a strong suit (linguine with cockles and 'nduja, say), and British rare-breed steaks get the full treatment. If something ‘casual’ is required, order a cheese sourdough toastie with greengage jam before rounding off with an espresso custard tart, chocolate and amaretto mascarpone. Real ales from East Anglian breweries and elsewhere please the locals, but the Sun’s brightest draw is its wine list – an intelligent, well-spread collection complete with quirky categories (‘anything but Italian’, for example), lesser-known producers and helpful notes on food and wine matching. Around 20 gently priced selections are available by the glass or carafe.
