Old Inn on the Green

Executive chef Peter Platt and his partner, Meredith Kennard, took over as owners of this pleasantly rustic Berkshires inn—formerly a stagecoach relay—in 2005; together they've created one of the finest dining destinations in the area, and arguably the Northeast. Platt, who spent 17 years overseeing the kitchen at nearby Wheatleigh, specializes in innovative American cooking with a heavy French accent. His sublime meals celebrate the season and the region—what could be better than a warm salad of Hudson Valley squab with foie gras flan and huckleberry sauce, or a napoleon made with just-picked peaches and crème fraîche, or even a simple plate of local Berkshire blue cheese served just a few miles from where it was aged?The enchanting dining room is true to the period, with wrought-iron chandeliers, stenciled walls, patinaed Windsor chairs, and tavern tables. After dark, it's lighted entirely by candles (and fires in winter). The inn has 11 spare but comfortable guest rooms—five above the tap and dining rooms, and an additional six (roomier) options in the Thayer House. Scattered through the surrounding Berkshire Hills are wonderful antique stores and friendly ski mountains. In summer, the area plays host to world-class cultural happenings like Tanglewood, Jacob's Pillow, and Bard College's renowned Summerscape dance, music, and theater festival at the stunning Frank Gehry-designed Fisher Center for the Performing Arts.

Insider Tip: The inn offers an incredible midweek deal: a three-course prix fixe dinner Wednesdays and Thursdays for only $25.

Coziest Room to Book: Request Room 204, on the second floor of the Thayer House; it has gorgeous Palladian-style windows overlooking the village green and fields beyond, queen bed, working wood-burning fireplace, and a large claw-foot tub.