The Masons Arms

High quality cooking

Snuggled away in a slip of a village on the southern edge of Exmoor, Mark and Sarah Dodson's thatched 13th-century inn is comfortingly remote. Inside, the low-ceilinged rooms emphasise the feeling of being enveloped, while the dining room (housed in an extension) offers views of the surrounding farmland. Mark's menus deal in local materials treated sensitively, presented with more than a little contemporary dash. Dishes such as seared scallops with celeriac, apple and hazelnut dukkah or prosciutto-wrapped monkfish with oyster mushrooms, crushed new potatoes, orange and balsamic sauce belie the landlocked location, before we return to it in the form of Exmoor beef fillet and cheek with beetroot purée, field mushrooms and lardons in a hearty port jus. Alternatively, you might find some seasonal game in the shape of, say, loin of venison in juniper jus or partridge breast ‘en crépinette’ with burnt apple purée, Brussels sprouts and parsnip. Farmhouse cheeses constitute a tour of the West Country's finest, or there might be something sweet such as mirabelle soufflé with honeycomb ice cream; otherwise, spoon your way through the four-strong 'taste of British desserts'. And if you decide to call in for the set lunch, you'll be treated to recipes from Mark's debut cookbook This Is Mine. A fairly priced wine list opens with bottles from £22.