done up to feel like a garden café with lots of greenery and wicker chairs, which is open the rest of the time.

We visited on a weekday lunchtime, when the Atrium was open, an informal area with lots of natural daylight coming in through the greenhouse-style roof. We placed orders at the bar and then listened to the panpipe music flowing soothingly around the hotel while we waited for our meal. The other customers seemed to be mostly business people huddled in small groups, answering mobile phones a bit too loudly and rushing to and from meetings.

The garlic bread we tried was delicious, with real shreds of garlic in the butter soaked into French bread. But the vegetable lasagne was disappointing, as was the limp salad that accompanied it. "Tomato puree lasagne" might have been a more fitting description as the vegetables between the pasta sheets were few and far between.

The lunch menu in the Atrium features sandwiches, pasta dishes, salads, omelettes and other snack type foods at reasonable prices. The evening menu features more complex dishes, mainly classic British and modern European dishes. There's a section dedicated to steaks with all the trimmings and there are a few veggie options too. Fairtrade tea and coffee are available. Customers can also choose dishes from the "Taste of Anglia" notice board, which features dishes made from local produce, an option for which the management tells us there is increasing demand.

You never quite forget you are in a hotel when you are eating at the Gonville hotel. There is a slight feeling of stepping back in time as one walks through the reception to the eating areas. We didn't see any sign of Basil Fawlty during our visit, but it wouldn't have surprised us if he had popped his head around the corner to shout at one of the waiters. If he had it certainly would have livened things up a bit.