The Bell & Cross, Clent

While the Bell & Cross remains in many respects a typical village inn there is nothing common or garden about its food.

The pub possesses a formidable reputation as one of the best places to eat in Worcestershire, and the staff there seem determined not to rest on their laurels.

Both decor and menu have been overhauled in recent months and if owner Roger Narbett these days tends to spend more of his time at his other pub - the Chequers, near Droitwich - then the Bell & Cross remains in capable hands.

Head chef Paul Mohan previously worked at two of Birmingham's most prestigious hotels and cooked for the top table at the G8 summit in Birmingham in 1998. So if he's good enough for Bill Clinton, he's certainly good enough for me. To eat at the Bell and Cross - and booking is advised - you've got to find it first. The pub is tucked away on the Hagley side of the picturesque village of Clent.

Despite being late, my wife and I were greeted cheerily and offered a choice of table. The back rooms offer plenty of hustle and bustle for those in search of a lively ambience but we opted for the quiet of the snug. When you have a room to yourselves, you can get 'forgotten' but staff regularly popped in to inquire whether we needed anything and our dishes turned up in good time.

Customers are offered crisply executed, traditionally-themed dishes with a continental flourish here, or an Asian twist there.

The food looks and tastes top notch and is on a par with that to be found at swanky hotel restaurants - the only difference being you get larger portions at the Bell & Cross.

My wife and I shared a starter of chicken yuk sung (£5.95): spicy shredded chicken with lettuce, slivers of prawn cracker, and a soy sauce dip. A little messy to eat but delicious nonetheless. For the mains we were tempted by the vegetarian option of Thai pumpkin curry with jasmine rice but eventually turned to the specials board which had been brought to our room. I chose a plate comprising pieces of medium rare steak on a bed of wilted spinach served with wild mushrooms and potato (£16.95), while my wife's pork dish (£12.75) was robustly flavoured with sage and accompanied by tangy savoy cabbage.

Puddings cost a fiver each and again the portions are generous and well-presented. My fruit crumble was subtly flavoured with cinnamon and the filling of rhubarb and apple offered just the right blend of sweet and tart. My wife did battle with a rich-looking raspberry and vanilla creme brulŽe with ripple ice cream and was disappointed at not having enough room to polish it off. I tried a glass of sweet Elysium Californian Black Muscat (£3.50) to accompany my dessert and it proved an interesting match. Instead of a pud you could finish your meal with cheese (£6.25) or a platter of chocolates (£3.50).

Generally speaking, the wine is not especially cheap and a bottle can easily add another £20 to your bill. We bought by the glass instead and found the white, a Chilean Semillon/Chardonnay combo, to be nice and fruity, whereas the red house wine, a Syrah-based Cotes de Thongue, was on the flabby side and lacking in structure.

The total cost for two came to £57.95, excluding coffee and service. Pricier than your average pub meal, but worth it when the quality is this good. The Bell & Cross has become something of a 'destination' eaterie and you can easily spend £80 on a celebratory meal for two. But its atmosphere means those with smaller appetites and a lighter wallet can always sample from the pub classics menu.

Pete Carroll

Holy Cross, Clent

Tel: 01562 730319

www.bellandcrossclent.co.uk