greeted with smiles and advised to duck your head as you go into the dining rooms, you are shown to a table where some marinated Greek olives await, and given a copy of the four course prix fixe dinner menu. A basket of excellent, warm, sourdough bread appears. (But more about that later.)

Despite there being only four choices of starters and of mains, it was really quite difficult to decide, especially as our different choices threatened to clash wine-wise. However, the extensive and engaging wine list lead us to the solution of half carafe and single glasses of house wines. (We thought the list was very reasonably priced, too.) House wines are not always a safe option, as you fear being branded a cheapskate and punished for it. That is, emphatically, not the case at Sycamore House, as the Cotes de Gascogne was good and the Spanish Shiraz very good. Likewise the fino sherry which was served with the lip-tingling gazpacho. Our other starter, of spinach pancakes with lime butter, was delightful. The spinach was cooked with the egg mixture, and resulted in rather stout little pancakes, which were slightly crispy on the outside and melting within.

The salad which preceded the main courses was as refreshing and attractive to eat as it looked. Composed of tender baby sweetcorn, ripe tomatoes, rocket, radish, celery, lettuce, peanuts and pumpkin seeds, it came with an excellent dressing enlivened by a touch of sweet chilli sauce.

Our choice of main courses reflected, on one hand, a slight spirit of adventure - in this case lightly curried cod with braised lentils. This was delicate and fenugreeky and lovely. On the other hand the urge for the tried and tested led to the choice of fillet steak with mushrooms (and a savoury cream sauce). This is a well known combination, but in Michael Sharpe's hands it was so full of flavour that it was a marriage made in Heaven, and quite the best we have ever had. The sauté potatoes, carrots in white sauce, and tiny French beans were good too. Which brings us back to the bread. We had saved it for just this moment and wiped up every last smidgeon of the sauce from the fish, and every last smear left from the steak and mushrooms. Perhaps not smoothest of manners, but such a good decision. And a proper tribute to such good cooking.

Choosing a pudding was difficult too. We hankered after the Saint Emilion au chocolat and were tempted by the seductive sounds (from the next table) of the brandysnap basket being crackled into the lemon meringue ice cream. Finally we opted for pecan pie and banana sour cream pie. They were both very good. The pecan pie was rich and intense, and worked well with the very creamy, home made vanilla ice cream, while the banana pie had a crisp base, and was light and delicate.

Sycamore House, being a husband and wife operation, is small, intimate and individual. We felt cosseted and unhurried, which was just the right atmosphere in which to savour some very good cooking. We thoroughly enjoyed our meal there, and also thought it was very reasonably priced at £26.50 a head. We shall most certainly return; after all, the menu changes monthly.