The Pig

Affordable country hotel with beautiful shabby-chic interiors and fabulous freshly grown grub

Crunching up the winding drive of this old shooting lodge, you could be forgiven for thinking you'd wandered into a Jane Austen novel. The sweeping grounds, handsome white building and majestic oaks evoke period drama, but inside lies a cosy, contemporary retreat - and a genuinely warm welcome. Brand-new in July 2011, this is the little sister of luxurious Lime Wood up the road, but The Pig has its own USP: here, food rules supreme. A walled kitchen garden takes centre stage in the grounds and its bounty dictates the restaurant's menu. What's on offer changes daily, sometimes hourly, according to what the gardener deems to be in perfect condition, and one section reads 'literally picked this morning'. Almost everything else is sourced within a 25-mile radius, and mushrooms, berries and wild salads are foraged from the forest.

But as you’d expect from hotelier Robin Hutson (the founder of Hotel du Vin), the intense culinary focus in no way detracts from the comfort and effortless style of the hotel itself. We loved the cosy lounges with crackling open fires, the shabby-chic bedrooms and the mismatched vintage crockery in the conservatory dining room. Combine this with idyllic views, walks in the forest and the heady smell from the restaurant's smoke house, and you’ve got all the ingredients for a perfect wind-down weekend.

Highs

• Delicious, super-fresh menus, created by chef James Golding (formerly of The Ivy) and his gardening/foraging team - think wood-smoked trout with fennel potatoes and garden mint mousse with chocolate ice-cream
• The 26 bedrooms are attractive and comfy with cosy bed linens, monsoon rain showers and lovely views. Some have rolltop baths, too
• Perfect for a romantic getaway in the country
• The New Forest National Park, with its wild ponies and stunning heathlands: borrow Hunter wellies and go walking or hire bikes to explore
• Staff are helpful and friendly; the atmopshere is one of pure relaxation

Lows

• Breakfast, though delicious, isn't included in the rates and bumps the bill up. Dinners are pricey, too
• Many find the constant music annoying, detracting from the peaceful countryside ambiance
• We've heard a few gripes about service, but we're confident this new opening will soon find its feet
• The rooms in the main house aren't huge but hanging out in the beautiful communal areas is half the fun
• A popular weekend choice, so you'll need to book well in advance (and there's a 2-night minimum stay over a Saturday)