Walnut Tree

The open fire in the bar sets the tone before you've even sat down: this is a Michelin-starred restaurant in rural Monmouthshire that feels nothing like one. Shaun Hill is a chef's chef's chef, the kind whose classical training shows up not in fussy presentations but in the quiet confidence of a sauce. The room has colourful art on the walls and the sense that the people running it would rather cook well than perform.

One honor, in evidence: