The Mulberry Inn

Located close to the village of Chiddingfold, close to the Surrey-Sussex border, the Mulberry used to be owned by celebrity DJ and former ‘Top Gear’ presenter Chris Evans.  It was sold to new owners a couple of years ago, and remains a terrific village pub in every respect – a good place to drink, stay or eat, with three guest rooms and a uniquely Lebanese-tinged menu that has proved massively popular with locals and draws diners from much further afield. Dogs are welcome too – which is just as well, as there are any number of country walks possible in the vicinity – and it makes an excellent venue for tired Londoners looking to relax, blow away the cobwebs and get a restorative blast of county air.

There are three guest rooms on the ground floor – all well-appointed and unpretentiously cosy, with wifi, large double beds, flatscreen TVs with Freeview, tea- and coffee-making facilities and thoroughly up-to-date en-suite bathrooms with toiletries. Once you've settled in, you can a enjoy a pint from the local Hogs Back Brewery or sip the 'Conker' house gin at the bar before tucking into superb babaganoush and mezze, chicken skewers and kofta along with a good variety of non-Lebanese dishes, including fish and chips and an excellent and very popular roast on Sundays. The service is friendly and attentive and the pub's beer garden a lovely place to drink or dine during summer, with an extensive play area for kids, plus you can sit outside under the pub's shady verandah. It's a great location: you're well placed not only for nearby Haslemere, Guildford and Godalming but also for the delights of the South Downs National Park, and Goodwood is only a short drive away to the southwest. Truly a restorative home-from-home in the beautiful Surrey countryside.