Russell's of Broadway

Sudi Pigott discovers Broadway's delights from the sanctuary of this epicurean Restaurant with Rooms

It's not only the designer oak staircase, painstakingly hand-built by Sir Gordon Russell, the seminal Arts & Crafts furniture maker who put Broadway on the map and whose former studio is now Russell's Restaurant with Rooms, that makes this a special place to stay. It's the food, too. A beguiling combination of smart comfort fodder and a tasty tranche of creative modern extras comes with the wonderfully warm yet unfussy welcome from owners, Barry Hancox and Andrew Riley, and their gem of a restaurant manager Noah.

I hadn't stayed at Broadway since the Lygon Arms was in its hey day, significantly it turns out when Barry was General Manager and the links with the hotel where Oliver Cromwell stationed himself and Russell's are even more closely entwined. Gordon Russell only started designing furniture because his father, who then owned the Lygon Arms, needed some economic help with repairs. Fortuitously, it turned out that his son had a gift for carpentry and the Gordon Russell workshops pioneering ‘good design for the people' soon became the talk of the Cotswolds village and far beyond.

Nowadays, it's the fast-growing reputation of Russell's menu which provides a good opening gambit plus tangible excitement about the village's first ever arts festival in June (which Barry is passionately involved with) that honours another celebrated local, painter John Singer Sargent.

I'd like to have seen some more references to local producers on the menu at Russell's and the bread - served with local Nettleford dairy butter - could have been better, yet otherwise my dinner was faultless and the beamed, exposed Cotswold stone walled dining room extremely pleasing too. Chicken liver parfait of delectable richness with warm brioche and luscious rum-marinated figs, grilled haddock (from Cornish day fishing boats) with parsley and mustard butter sauce, impeccable triple cooked chips and, being curious and greedy, utterly moreish celeriac fritters on the side. There are creative vegetarian dishes too - in March a delightful warming maple glazed parsnip and walnut crumble. Equally spot-on seasonally was poached pear with homemade fudge ice-cream.

I felt fortunate to have snared one of only seven bedrooms at Russell's. Better still, the vast yet cosy suite with soaring ceilings, massive antique beams and every conceivable extra from iPod dock and Nespresso machine to my favourite Moroccan Rose Ren products in the gorgeous bathroom complete with Jacuzzi bath and discreet TV with floating remote. A blissful mix of contemporary luxe and old- fashioned thoughtfulness with just a touch of urban cool - ideal for recharging life's batteries.