Half Moon

Lovely 17th-c country pub with relaxed atmosphere and delicious food cooked by friendly landlord

This is a lovely 17th-c country pub where there's no doubt that most customers are here to enjoy the first class food cooked by the young chef/patron. But there is a small red and black tiled bar with a brick fireplace and Brakspears Bitter on handpump and the atmosphere is friendly and informal. The two main eating areas have old beams, an attractive mix of edwardian tables, dining chairs and cushioned settles, a modicum of antique lamps, pewter tankards, stone bottles, mirrors, and wall prints, several wines by the glass and home-made ginger beer and lemonade. There are wooden-slatted chairs and tables in the good-sized garden and pretty window boxes. This is a sleepy village surrounded by fine countryside.

Using home-grown vegetables, home-reared gloucester old spot pigs, their own free-range eggs, locally shot game and other local and organic produce, the excellent food might include sandwiches, soup, potted crab, pigeon pâté with apple chutney, mussels in cream, wine and garlic, butternut squash risotto, mutton burger with chilli and mint and cumin chips, home-made sausages with onion gravy, muntjac three ways, venison ‘scotch pie' and baked beans, a proper fish stew with rouille, pork belly with scallops, lentils and green sauce, and puddings like dark chocolate brownie with cherry compote and lemon curd cheesecake with raspberry sorbet; good Sunday roasts.