mood and though it may seem a chaotic mix, the overall look is really rather lovely.

With jazz delicately playing as we arrived, the feel was welcoming from the moment we walked in. The atmosphere here is one of contemporary class though in a contrast, somehow manages to also be child friendly as well as portraying the perfect place for a girly tête-à-tête or couples date night. The chandelier's light is low and the fireplace gives you a cosy and content feeling, whilst the friendly, approachable staff don't seem to mind children's endless questions.

The new owners and head chef have only been in residence for a few months but have already made their presence felt. It was they who renovated the restaurant in 2009, giving the walls their lift in colour and adding the French influence. The chef, who spent some time in France honing his craft, should take a great deal of the credit for making this a desirable place to dine. Even standard dishes such as home ground beef burgers, tasty and succulent teamed with a Jenga tower of hand-cut chips, means it's difficult not to fall into writing clichés here. For a real treat the fillet steak, though obviously a more expensive choice was a real carnivore's delight, flawlessly cooked to order and incredibly tender.

Fish lovers are rewarded too as the fishcakes and poached egg on wilted spinach (which we recommend accompanying with the rocket salad) has a melody of tastes each which complements the other. For example the yoke set off the flaky salmon and hake perfectly. Vegetarians are equally as likely to experience a meal worth writing about as the vegetarian lasagne, with lashings of cheese and several different vegetables, make for a hearty wholesome meal. The pizzas are also a fine choice and the house red wine as an accompaniment was served at just the right temperature.

Desserts present a slight problem as too many are worth trying so we recommend you go with a large group, all order something different and then pick from each other's plate. If we had to narrow it down, we would recommend sitting between someone who ordered the chocolate brownie, sticky, steamy and oozing decadence, and whoever ordered the crumble which is particularly is tangy and light, thereby finishing off the meal nicely.

With a large Willow tree standing in the garden which beckons you to take shelter in the summer months and roaring fireplace inside keeping you toasty in the winter period, The Willow Tree is well worth a visit all year round.