The Mousetrap Inn, Bourton on the Water

When your friend opens up a pub, you desperately want it to be good. You hope that you'll love it, love it enough to want to go there regularly, and hope that it's a hit with other people too. You're pretty sure that it'll be great - it is your friend after all - but there's that worry that it might not be how you expected, dreading the thought of having to lie.

Thankfully, on this occasion, no lies needed.

My friend is Frank, the GM of The Mousetrap Inn in Bourton on the Water, and although he doesn't own the pub, he's been a key part of its opening (or rather re-opening) and development from the ropey old pub that it was before. You'll recognise him as the tall one with tattoos, probably dressed head to toe in black. If he's not behind the bar, you're guaranteed to find him in London or Cheltenham scouting out the best burgers and fried chicken around, with beers and strong cocktails a dead cert too. Chat to him about any of these things and you'll get along just fine.

It's not just Frank with his fingers on the food and drink pulse though, The Mousetrap is driven by the guys behind Coffeesmith in Witney and The Rookery in Farringdon. Instant cool points. This place certainly stands out in comparison to Bourton's other sugar-coated touristy offerings.

The interiors have the perfect balance of stone walls and Farrow & Ball, with trendy tiled flooring thrown in the mix too. Slump into a comfy sofa by the fire and flick through one of the cookbooks that are dotted around, or pull up a stool at the bar and pick your pint; North Cotswold CAMRA recently named The Mousetrap as 'Pub of the Season' thanks to their excellent draught beers. Though you might also become seduced by the selection of spirits, twinkling underneath the fairy lights, settling in with a decent G&T.

Food is why we're here though, and it's reassuring to see that on a Saturday night, mid-Feb, it is fully booked. Groups, couples, dogs, both local and visiting. The menu manages to fit in all of those familiar faces - sausage and mash, steaks, burgers and fish and chips - whilst also charming us with a number of fancier sounding 'gastropub' dishes. Sorry, I hate that word too. But pan fried chicken, wild mushroom and fresh truffle risotto, perhaps? Or pork tenderloin with fondant potato and caramelised apples? Oh, and Saturday sees an extra page of specials if it wasn't already hard enough to decide!

Having spent the last couple of hours, really quite hungry, in a not-so-nice pub watching the rugby, we hastily ordered some fried foods. It'll always be whitebait whenever they're on a menu, £6.50 for a handful or two, served with a kick ass homemade tartare sauce. A little heavy on the batter perhaps - I love seeing flashes of their silvery skin - though a good'un nonetheless.

Also £6.50 is the Salt & Pepper Squid, something that's a classic at our fave, The Tavern Cheltenham. Whilst this one doesn't come with a scattering of chilli and spring onion, and its batter more breadcrumbed than tempura-esque, it's just the ticket with a squeeze of lemon and some decent mayo to dip in.

The Chap and I both go off the specials for mains, though I've now got FOMO for not having tried their Rump Steak Cheeseburger (£14.50), and I do wonder just how awesome the 'Awesome Chilli Con Carne' (£14.50) was… Still, I was more than happy with my choice; sea trout with beetroot concasse, new potatoes and pickled beetroot salad (£18.50). A more health conscious option - less carbs and a bigger boost of veg - with the oily flesh and crackling skin of the trout tying everything together. Both delicate and delicious.

Gressingham duck breast with chorizo potatoes and seasonal vegetables (£21.90 - the most expensive on the menu) was a richer affair; sliced pink and proud, with the fat rendered and crisp. The sauce too - thick and glossy, meaty and smoky - golden from the chorizo hues. Kudos to The Mousetrap for not going down the more obvious duck with some sort of fruit route, and proof that the addition of chorizo can never be a bad thing.

The dessert menu isn't quite as exciting as the rest, with three chocolate variations taking up most of the room. Warm fudge cake, a trio of mousses and a brownie with ice cream. All hitting that sweet spot, I'm sure, but chocolate desserts aren't really my thing. Instead we did sharesies on the tart lemon and raspberry posset (£7) - which, with a biscuit base, definitely felt more like a cheesecake - and the sticky toffee pudding (£6.50) - the winner. A light and fluffy steamed sponge saturated in a syrupy sauce, striking that balance of being indulgent without risk of heart attack.

Service was attentive and speedy; we managed to squeeze in our three courses in just over an hour. Not that we were in a rush though, we had a room upstairs. Yep, as the name suggests, The Mousetrap Inn has 10 bedrooms for overnight stays. They haven't been revamped like the rest of the pub yet, but they're set to do it soon. I don't doubt that they'll be exactly the 'Cotswold Cool' that Bourton craves. And a Coffeesmith coffee alongside your avocado on toast for breakfast the next morning? A far cry from the only-option-greasy-fry-ups that you'd usually get (though a Full English is also available). 

Frank's an excellent host and we had such a great time at The Mousetrap. It's one of those places that, if you're a local, you could easily make it your second home, or if you're visiting you'll be glad you came across it. It's not super fancy - it's not trying to be - nor is it trying to pile in the hordes of tourists; it's just an honest pub and I'll happily recommend it. 

Soulful Sunday at The Bell Inn, Langford

Sometimes there's just nothing better than going out for a Sunday Roast. Blasphemous, I know. You're supposed to love your Mum's the best, because only she can crisp up the potatoes just the way you like them, serve you every variety of veg that you like on the side, and have all your favourite condiments ready and waiting. But, kitted out in your Sunday Best, you come across a corker, and it just feels magical.

Perhaps it's the fact that such things are a rarity. I've lost count of the "just ok" roasts I've had; nothing terrible, but nothing memorable either. Those are the kinds that sway you into the "Mum's is best" territory. Though for me, those are the kinds that keep me going out, on the hunt for that flawless Sunday Roast.

Last month The Chap and I headed somewhere new; The Bell Inn, Langford. Reopened in December, now run by Peter Creed and Tom Noest (both ex Lucky Onion), it's a proper local pub with a focus on quality food and drink. I'd heard high praise from friends, Instagram teased me with mouth watering snaps and, the week before our visit, Giles Coren unleashed a perfect score review in The Times. "On the final day of 2017, I had not just the best mouthful of the year, but the best mouthful of my life," he boldly said about some flat bread. I was practically giddy with excitement as we drove across the Cotswold countryside to get to our destination just outside Burford.

The Langford street was lined with cars; the word's spread already, we thought as we parked down the road. Our cheeks pink and stinging from the cold outside, we were greeted with a warm welcome and were seated at a table by the fire. Bingo. Pub checklist time. Roaring fire; check. Sunday papers; check. Local beers; check. Buzzy atmosphere; check. Pub dogs; check, check, check... Big ones, small ones, fluffy ones, scruffy ones. I do love a pub dog.

Hearty, classic pub food with the addition of woodfired dishes is the vibe here. Steak frites, a burger, half a pint of prawns, alongside beautifully blistered pizzas topped with such things as venison meatballs or nduja and pickled jalapenos. A trio of roasts on a Sunday too, though before we could even attempt to make any decisions, we ordered a pint, a glass of Cava (no Prosecco thank God) and THAT bread.

Garlic, parsley and bone marrow flat bread (£5); a little nod to Fergus Henderson's roast bone marrow with parsley salad, and a thing of dreams. I didn't do it Coren-style wrapped around a piece of sirloin, there was no chance this was hanging around long enough to see our mains. Pizza like in appearance, with a heady scent of garlic and bone fat like butter. It already has legendary status, and rightly so. If you don't order this when you visit, have you even been?

To start we had the Cotswold IPA rarebit, pickles and soldiers (£7). Cheese fondue rather than cheese on toast, rich and tangy with decent cayenne heat, and crisp sourdough soldiers to dunk... Much more fun. Then as much as it pains me, for fear of over carb-ing we shied away from the smoked eel on toast and picked the healthier smoked mackerel, beetroot, green beans and horseradish option (£7). Tangled together with rocket, you got a bit of everything with each forkful.

The wine list at The Bell Inn is excellent. A solid mix of old world and new world, traditional styles and funky natural numbers, all at a good price too. We went for the Lodi Californian Cab Franc (£27), of which the label's moustached Frank fitted right in with this Cotswold Gent location.

The Kelmscott pork loin and apple sauce roast (£15) was my choice; two fat piggy medallions, so juicy, with a piece of crisp crackling and caramelised apple sauce. The Chap predictably chose the dry aged beef sirloin and horseradish (£16), because it was a dead cert that the beef was going to be superb - it was - and he can never resist a Yorkshire Pudding. Both were served with seasonal veg - carrots, parsnips, cabbage - roasties, and creamy cauliflower cheese just to push you over the edge. Oh my.

Despite not having any room left, it isn't Sunday Lunch without dessert. The Valrhona Chocolate Nemesis was never going to get a look in with a name like that - shame, it looked great - so an old school rice pudding it was. Rice pudding with Earl Grey prunes (£6) brought out by Head Chef Noest himself. I would've kissed him if it wasn't wildly inappropriate. Not too sweet, not too heavy; soothing, comforting, and heart-meltingly good.

On the drive home, having prised ourselves away from the fire, we were both singing The Bell's praises. Was it the simplicity that made it one of our all time fave roasts? Was it the faultless execution? Or was it the whole perfect pub package? Neither of us cared to think about it too much, we're far more concerned with when we can next fit in a visit for dinner, and whether we'll even be able to get a table. 10/10 score well and truly deserved.