The Old George

You'll find this proper village pub tucked away in Ickleford, where locals prop up the bar nursing pints while families pile in for Sunday lunch. The dining room fills up fast at weekends – and for good reason. The kitchen knows its way around a Sunday roast, turning out properly crispy potatoes and beef that actually tastes of something. The menu reads like gastropub greatest hits done well rather than groundbreaking, but that's exactly the point. Fish and chips arrives as a generous portion of flaky cod, while the burgers are the kind that require strategic napkin deployment. Service can lag when they're rammed, but the staff clearly care about getting things right. It's the sort of place where you'll spot the same faces week after week.