10 New Pubs With Rooms In The UK
The Red Lion Inn, Somerset
This small inn opened last month after an extensive renovation. Set in the middle of Babcary, a small hamlet in Somerset, the family-run pub is set in a historic 17th century thatched building surrounded by hedgerows and sweeping countryside views. Inside, the pub oozes charm with traditional flagstone floors, exposed beams and open fires, while a spacious beer garden welcomes outdoor diners. The new menu features dishes made with Somerset produce and seafood from Kingfisher wildlife trust in Devon. Highlights include crab and crushed parsnip filo tart with lobster hollandaise, devilled confit duck hearts with onion purée and bacon crumb, roast guinea fowl breast with champ mash potato and tarragon sauce, and seafood stew with saffron potatoes and samphire. There are six rooms in a separate barn conversion to choose from – all with super king-sized beds, plush decorative accents and modern en-suites.
Rooms start from £120 per night.
Visit RedLionBabcary.co.uk
The Bell & Crown, Wiltshire
The Bell & Crown only reopened a few weeks ago but has already established itself as a discerning foodie retreat. Set in a former coaching inn, the pub straddles the Wiltshire and Dorset borders in the village of Zeals. It’s steeped in history and character with six bedrooms upstairs – expect Egyptian cottons sheets on the beds, handmade lighting and wall hangings by local designers, and modern en-suites with luxury toiletries. Guests can enjoy a hearty pub breakfast in the morning before tucking into dishes like ’nduja scotch eggs with aioli, seabass with butternut and red lentil dal, crab rarebit, and sticky toffee pudding with vanilla ice-cream. There’s a small outdoor seating area with sheepskin blanketed chairs at the back of the pub, and a walled garden is set to open during the second phase of the renovation.
Rooms start from £100 per night.
Visit BellAndCrown.com
The Bear Inn, Shropshire
This 16th-century coaching inn near Market Drayton reopened last summer after a £2m makeover. The pub is atmospheric and has a buzzing atmosphere at weekends and evenings when locals flock to the dining room for traditional pub grub and local ales. Interconnected rooms have low ceilings and flickering fires which add to the cosy feel. The pub uses produce from its sister property Hodnet Hall to create delicious dishes that change with the seasons – current highlights include wild mushroom tortellini, cured seatrout with peas and dill, pork loin with new potatoes and cauliflower, and chocolate fondant with marsala-soaked raisins and hazelnut tuile. Guests can stay in one of 12 bedrooms designed by Octavia Dickinson, five in the coach house and seven above the pub, all of which are individually designed with soft neutrals and colourful wallpaper – book the Rowan Suite or Alder Room for a romantic staycation.
Rooms start from £110 per night.
Visit TheBearInnHodnet.com
The Queens Arms, Dorset
For a luxury weekend by the coast, book in at The Queens Arms near Sherborne, a cosy country inn with log fires, candlelit tables and delicious food. The property opened its door just before lockdown 1.0, but after a soft launch, it’s now fully open. Choose from rooms above the pub which have pretty views of the courtyard, wooden floors and stylish en-suite bathrooms, or book the two-bedroom self-contained cottage if travelling with family or friends. The restaurant specialises in elevated pub classics made with local produce – much of it comes from Sharpham Park and The Story Pig. Dine inside or head out for an al fresco meal on the terrace to enjoy dishes like dressed crab blinis with avocado, fennel and lemon dressing; beer battered haddock with chips, peas and tartar sauce; monkfish with fish roe sauce, Jersey royals and samphire; roasted lamb rump with wild garlic mash and honey glazed carrots; and treacle tart with clotted cream.
Rooms from £120 per night.
Visit TheQueensArms.com
The Princess Royal, London
Cubitt House – the group behind The Grazing Goat in Marylebone and The Builders Arms in Chelsea, to name a few – has just opened a site in Notting Hill. The Princess Royal has been transformed with a spacious restaurant and horseshoe bar, two private dining rooms and four individually designed bedrooms. Georgie Pearman is behind the interior design which pays homage to the pub's Victorian heritage, and many of the original features have been kept intact, including the Victorian doors and stained-glass panels in the main restaurant. With some of the best interiors on this list, rooms feature bold wallpaper and designer headboards, while bathrooms have sleek gold joinery and colourful tiles. Downstairs, chef Ben Tish has put his signature Mediterranean stamp on pub classics with dishes like red prawn crudo with rosemary and orange; beef tartare with pine nuts, mint and dried chilli; monkfish with borlotti beans, chilli and salsa verde; and lemon and olive oil cake served with whipped mascarpone. Diners can also order oysters from the raw bar and dine in the garden and courtyard which is lined with olive trees.
Rooms start from £250 per night.
Visit CubittHouse.co.uk
WE THE FOOD SNOBS
Wild Thyme & Honey, Cotswolds
Wild Thyme & Honey opened at the end of last year in the quintessential Cotswolds village of Ampney Crucis, just outside Cirencester. The 16th-century pub was transformed into 24 bedrooms with several event spaces and The Crown at Ampney Brook, a stylish new gastropub where diners can enjoy dishes made with local Cotswold produce. The menu currently includes dishes like crispy duck and watermelon salad; braised pork belly with raclette potatoes, wild garlic purée, peas, bacon and spring greens; and corn-fed chicken with dauphinoise potatoes and asparagus. Sunday lunch is a hearty roast dinner with all the trimmings – think smoked duck fat roast potatoes, confit carrots, homemade Yorkshire pudding and lashings of gravy. Guests can choose to stay in rooms with views of the beautiful Ampney Hills, riverside and waterside suites or the luxury London Road apartment with its own private terrace.
Rooms start from £170 per night.
Visit WildThymeAndHoney.co.uk
Bottle & Glass Inn, Oxfordshire
Close to near Henley-on-Thames, Bottle & Glass Inn recently added three rooms. Set within the Phillimore Estate in Binfield Heath, the pub is quintessentially British – think roaring log fires, leather seating and pub dogs. Here, you can enjoy bistro dishes, order wood-fired pizzas from the garden or tuck into burgers from the burger van in the garden. There’s also the newly opened B&G Barn behind the pub which serves freshly made pastries and cakes in the morning. The three bedrooms are simple yet stylish in cool blue or duck egg colours with king-sized beds, luxury linens and Bramley toiletries in the en-suites. There are plans to add five shepherd’s huts later in the year too.
Rooms start from £140 per night.
Visit BottleAndGlassInn.com
The New Inn, Isles of Scilly
This cosy seaside inn is tucked away down a cobbled street in Tresco on the Isles of Scilly. A recent makeover has resulted in the addition of 16 en-suite bathrooms, all with beautiful sea or countryside views. Guests will find nautical-inspired touches throughout like blue panelled walls and sea-inspired artwork, as well as fresh coffee and homemade biscuits, plus REN toiletries in the bathroom. Downstairs, the Residents Lounge fuses contemporary furnishings with traditional features, while the Driftwood Bar serves classic pub fare and seafood dishes – think potted crab on brioche toast, monkfish scampi, and lobster with chilli and garlic herb butter. During the summer months, guests can choose dishes from the Ox Grill on the terrace where chefs cook local produce over hot coals.
Rooms start from £120 per night.
Visit Tresco.co.uk
The Hare & Hound, Berkshire
Created by the group behind Wild Thyme & Honey in the Cotswolds, The Hare & Hound opened its doors in February. In the pretty town of Newbury in Berkshire, the pub is set in a 17th-century Georgian building which has been carefully restored with traditional country interiors and an atmospheric barn dining room. Upstairs, guests can stay in one of 30 bedrooms – featuring all the luxury extras you’d expect at a top hotel, including rolltop baths and power showers in the ensuites, Bramley bath products and The White Company bathrobes. You can also stay downstairs in a dog-friendly rooms with beds, bowls and a 'Bramley Dog Box'. In terms of food, guests can expect farm-to-table menus that change with the seasons and champion local suppliers and producers. Dishes include hot-smoked salmon on sourdough crumpets with hollandaise sauce, chicken and ham pie with truffled mash potato and greens, Cornish crab cakes, and lemon and blood orange tart with crème fraiche. Highclere Castle (home to Downton Abbey) is a short drive away, as is Donnington Castle.
Rooms start from £125 per night.
Visit HareAndHoundsNewbury.co.uk
The George Inn, Cotswolds
This pretty pub is in Barford St Michael, a traditional Cotswold village full of dark honey-coloured cottages along the river Swere. The George Inn is a traditional thatched pub with flagstone floors, wooden beams and plenty of local ales on tap. After a two-year renovation, there are now nine individually designed bedrooms. Each come with comfortable beds and en-suite bathrooms with underfloor heating and 100 Acres toiletries – the three rooms above the main pub are more traditional, with original beams and roll-top baths, while six garden rooms are dog-friendly with direct access to the terrace and garden. Italian chef Valerio Grimaldi-Plant has created a menu to showcase local produce and suppliers with dishes like roast chicken terrine, globe artichoke tart, curried cauliflower soup and 28-day aged steak with beef-dripping chips, as well as puddings such as orange baba and dark chocolate bombe. There’s also an extensive 100-bottle wine list, plus a separate Wine Room with a chef’s table and space for six people. Broughton Castle and Blenheim Palace are both a short drive away.
Rooms start from £110 per night.
Visit TheGeorgeBarford.co.uk
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