Fountain Inn, Clent

The popular Fountain Inn is situated right in the heart of leafy Clent, in Adams Hill.

As we entered the cosy gastro-pub, we were greeted immediately by one of a number of immaculately presented waiting staff who showed us to our table.

The menu was bursting with options, much to the delight of my non-meat-eating girlfriend, who is so often forced to choose between vegetable lasagne or mushroom stroganoff.

When eating out, there is a fine line between good customer service and an approach that leaves you feeling vaguely rushed. While it could not be highlighted as a major gripe, the frequency with which we were approached by waiting staff did stray slightly into the over-attentive.

For starters, I went for a pleasant if unspectacular chicken liver parfait while my partner chose the tasty garlic and cheese bread.

The menu's plentiful selection left me genuinely stumped for a main course and I struggled to fend off the urge to go with a luscious looking lamb pot roast and eventually plumped for the halibut Parisienne. Red wine and white fish is not a common combination but worked well in this case, as did sides of steamed vegetables, a deliciously creamy mash and chunky chips.

My partner chose the sea bass Papilores, which looked tempting on the menu but was rather strangely served still in the tin foil it was cooked in. The dish's bland taste did little to redeem it.

Washed down with an inoffensive New Zealand sauvignon, the jury was still out.

Despite both being full, we committed ourselves to the full three courses and perused a mouth-watering selection of desserts.

After a heavenly raspberry and white chocolate charlotte for my partner and good old sticky toffee pudding with custard for me, we had been won over.

A varied and ambitious menu offers plenty for anyone seeking somewhere special for a nice, if slightly overpriced, meal. Well worth a visit.

By Richard Williams

The Fountain Inn, Adams Hill, Clent. Telephone: 01562 883286