9 THE LITTON SOMERSET

WHY? It’s the future of pubs. Out with stale ale, stained furniture and average food, and in with a shiny main bar (built from one piece of gorgeous reclaimed elm), picturesque courtyard and riverside terrace. The cosy Whisky Bar looks like it should be in Manhattan, the kitchen garden’s where fresh produce for the menu is grown (expect rustic bread with roast peppers, cherry-vine tomatoes and basil) and the 12 modern, individually designed bedrooms are all reclaimed pallet headboards, colourful geometric cushions and exposed brick walls, with a nod to mid-century thrown in (case in point: the Lords Mead room – book it for the private patio). Also, it’s close to Bristol and the perfect stop-off on the way to Devon or Cornwall. Plus everyone on TripAdvisor is crazy about it, and as we all know, nobody is ever happy on TripAdvisor.