The Sun Inn

As slices of English heritage go, Piers Baker’s 15th-century yellow-washed coaching inn right in the heart of Dedham is nigh-on perfect. The rear terrace looking onto the garden is a hidden gem, while inside there are atmospheric drinking areas, a split-level, heavily beamed dining room, clattering floorboards and real fires galore.

There’s a sense of seasonality, too, in menus that offer a winning mix of updated pub classics (a thick-cut ham bagel with Keen’s Cheddar, piccalilli and fries; a rare-breed burger) and more inventive, Italian-accented dishes built around prime seasonal ingredients.  Violetta artichoke bruschetta with green olive, confit tomato and Katherine goat’s cheese is a winning combination, but if pasta is your thing (always a strong suit here), spaghetti with clams, cream and samphire is equally accomplished. Aged British steaks get the proper treatment, or there could be a full-flavoured pork côtelette with anchovy, egg, green beans, beetroot and watercress. Comforting desserts such as burnt cheesecake or limoncello syrup cake with berries and mascarpone close the show.  And it’s worth noting that the weekday ‘house menu’ (lunch and early evening) is a steal.

While the Sun is an emphatically laid-back place, there’s no corner-cutting, and the attention to detail extends to an interesting wine list weighted towards the Old World, with plenty of fine options by the glass and carafe at refreshing prices.