Flitch of Bacon

Tim Allen’s village inn in Dunmow near Stansted is a standard-bearer for gastronomy in Essex, a county not well known for it. Yorkshire-born Allen’s résumé includes tough kitchens like L’Ortolan, Whatley Manor and Midsummer House. Contrary to the name, this isn’t a place for trencherman’s fare: Allen’s demonstrates fine technique via tasting menus of cured mackerel, oyster emulsion, horseradish and aerated potato; quail with Morteau sausage and verjus reduction; and chocolate sabayon tart, buckwheat nougatine and maple crème fraîche. Sunday lunch is more traditional.