The Percy Arms

Beautifully positioned beneath the beauty spots of Chantries and St Martha's – two eye-candy vantage points along the North Downs Way – in the Surrey hamlet of Chilworth, The Percy Arms looks like the quintessential English village pub Inside, however, things are a little bit different. With energetic and innovative South African owners at the helm, the pub has become a classy grill and restaurant as well as a traditional boozer. The bar is still there, still serving a good range of ales and lagers including local Hogs Back Tea, and there's a cracking beer garden from where you can admire the view of the Surrey Hills. The overall theme is Africa, though, with authentic artefacts and the odd animal skin floor-covering creating an unusually comfy hunting lodge vibe.

The food that will also turn your tastebuds here. As anyone that's visited South Africa will tell you, Saffas know their beef cuts like no one else, and while there's a good selection of other meals on the menu – including some great fish, ostrich and a veggie option – carnivores should really sink their canines into one of the steaks. The wine list, too, is in part a stroll through some of South Africa's best vineyards: wine is taken seriously here, and there are occasional tasting evenings and live music in summer. With a belly full of biltong and bobotie, washed down with a few glasses of Pinotage, you might just be getting into the African vibe.

If so, you'll be pleased to learn that the Percy also has five very comfortable bedrooms upstairs, each named after one of the ’Big Five’ game animals in Zulu and other African dialects), so you can if you wish spend the night here too. There are two super-king en-suite rooms, massive Ndlov (elephant) and Ingwe (leopard) – both with gigantic double beds and roll-top slipper baths – plus two double rooms: Tau (lion) and Nyati (water buffalo), with king-size beds, and a twin, Tshukudu (rhino). Both Tshukudu and Ndlov can accommodate families of four, and Ingwe has wonderful views of the Surrey Hills walking spot, St Martha's, while all guest rooms feature en-suite bathrooms with organic H2K toiletries, flatscreen TVs, wifi, goosedown duvets, Egyptian cotton linen and a tea tray and coffee machine.