the time we were seated in the light, airy conservatory restaurant overlooking the garden, surrounded by the contented buzz of fellow lunchers (and peeping at their plates of food), our expectations could not have been higher. If this had been any lesser establishment, perhaps we would have been setting ourselves up for disappointment, but The Three Horseshoes' reputation precedes it for a good reason. The fun began as soon as the rosemary-studded bread arrived, warm, moist and pillowy with a salty tang and a plate of olive oil for dipping.

The fun began as soon as the rosemary-studded bread arrived, warm, moist and pillowy with a salty tang and a plate of olive oil for dipping. We could have easily eaten an entire loaf and rolled home contentedly, but there was much more to come: the delicate butter-poached halibut was perfectly complimented by the pea-sprouts and trompettes (although the texture of the 'green garlic pannacotta' was a little too rubbery for our taste), while the tender Label Anglais chicken was nicely matched by the cheesy disc of gnocci alla Romana and the earthy morels. We couldn't resist a couple of sides, and struggled to choose between such treats as truffle and parmesan frites or asparagus with parmesan fonduta, but in the end we plumped for salty frites with garlic and parsley and olive oil braised leeks with sage, bay and pancetta. The last of these was a particular triumph, with the pancetta adding a delicate, smoky note to the leeks.

With our plates thoroughly cleared, we perused the dessert menu, and although sorely tempted by the 'popcorn pannacotta with cola, white chocolate granite and caramelised popcorn', in the end we went for the lemon tart and The Three Horseshoes' take on Momofuku's famous crack pie. The lemon tart was tangy and smooth with a generous helping of gariguette strawberries and crème fraiche on the side, while the crack pie was quite simply out of this world, with a rich biscuit base and an even richer filling of condensed milk and a million delicious calories. The original New York version goes for $44 a pie, and if it's anything as good as the one we sampled in this little corner of England, it's worth every cent. We left wreathed in smiles and creaking at the seams, and when we got home, the first thing we did was to email the restaurant and beg for their bread recipe. High praise indeed.