Rossett, British, Modern Restaurant Guide

Sixteenth-century inn ‘the Pant’ (as owners Brunning & Price fondly call it) occupies a substantial, “very comfortable” Victorian property a short drive outside Wrexham; and its conversion has created “a great pub: warm and bustling in the winter, loads of outside space in the summer” and offering a “reliably good beer selection” too. Given its high standards, the odd reporter this year did quibble with the food, but overall this “very busy” destination remains a “favourite year after year”.

This unusually grand and “busy gastropub” near the gates of the Duke of Westminster’s Cheshire estate is “probably the best Brunning & Price”. “We’ve eaten here many times over the years, and while the food has had its ups and downs, recently it’s been of top quality” – “it’s best to avoid weekends though, as it can get very busy: the price of success!” Top Tip – lovely garden in summer.

“Great food, with all the elan of an Elite Bistros venue, but in a pub!” – Gary Usher’s crowd-funded boozer is “a pub AND restaurant, as opposed to a ‘gastropub’, and it does both jobs very well”. “Staff here are real stars and make everyone feel very welcome” and serve a “longer and more exciting menu than Kala and Sticky Walnut – amazing value for the creativity and quality of cooking”.