It wasn’t what he expected, but Glyn Mon Hughes is glad he gave The Farndon a chance

THE ingredients were clearly there. It was going to be A Bad Night Out. We’d booked one place and ended up at another.

We thought we’d be greeted by a roaring log fire on a chill winter’s night. Instead, we regressed into 1970s retro browns and beiges.

The old world had been replaced by the new and we were determined that we would not like it.

We had been attracted to The Farndon Arms by reputation, word of mouth and a visit some years ago. Then, I recall, it was an old-fashioned country pub-cum-restaurant with a massive menu which boasted some rarities, if not oddities.

How about baked banana, Stilton and bacon with a herb cream sauce? Or rilette of goose with gooseberry and elderflower chutney? Even Desperate Dan cow pie! All now swept away. Convinced the new place could never match the old, we lifted up the latch and peered in. An hour of so later, we could hardly believe such thoughts had entered our minds.

The new place more than measures up, passing its test with flying colours.

We arrived early – deliberately to avoid any festive crush – so the much more extensive upstairs restaurant was not available.

However, there is a smaller area adjoining the bar which is a cosy, more intimate place for a meal.

Service is prompt and friendly: you go away almost feeling part of the family. Soft drinks were served promptly – I asked for a tomato juice and a large glassful arrived within minutes.

The menu seems to be a fusion of pub grub and more adventurous offerings.

It’s perfectly possible to gorge yourself on soup plus steak and chips or fish and chips.

But there were some tempting starters: Parma ham and melon turns into the ham with watermelon, cantaloupe melon and Feta cheese.

The chicken liver paté comes with red onion and chilli jam. Or there’s fish fingers – a house speciality which combines smoked haddock and salmon. All the salads, too, are available as starters – which is what Mark ordered: a massively tempting salad of shredded duck and green beans with a honey and shallot dressing (£5.95).

“This is no mean offering,” he said. “It’s almost a main course. The duck is plentiful and slightly crunchy without being a challenge to eat. The dressing, too, is sweet though slightly tart.”

I ordered mushrooms which arrived in a garlic, cream and tarragon sauce, all served on bruschetta (£5.75). There were certainly plenty of mushrooms, great, big grown-up things which tasted as though they’d just been plucked from the field.

We ordered wine to go with the main course – something which proved a bit of a challenge. The list is not huge, but is tantalising. French wines dominate, but other major producing regions are well represented.

We chose a Sicilian offering: D’istinto Sangoviese-Merlot, Calatrasi (£14.95), which turned out to be full of fat berry flavours but not heavy and cloying.

Since Mark was having beef and I was having bream, we had to be a little careful. Around half the wines on offer are also available by the glass.

Again, the mains demonstrated that clever balance of ambition and safety. There are salads, a couple of pastas and risottos or the grill. Here, there was the choice of an 8oz fillet, a 10oz sirloin or a 12oz ribeye, or a half pound steak burger. Mark went for the 12oz ribeye (£12.95) which came with roast tomatoes, onion rings, chips and a choice of black pepper sauce, roast red onion and garlic butter or red wine sauce.

It was a work of art on a plate, perfectly cooked and exactly the way he asked – medium rare and slightly pink in the middle with incredible big chunky chips.

I had problems making my mind up. Much as I love fish and will almost always go for that option, the crispy duck, fried bok choi, mashed potato and five spice sauce sounded hugely tempting. Or the butcher’s choice sausages. Or the salmon and asparagus en croute with mange tout and crushed new potatoes.

In the end, I stuck with the pan-fried bream with Greek salad and battered baby potatoes (£13.95).

It arrived piled high and the bream was excellent: crispy on the outside with a distinct taste of the sea. The Feta cheese was far from salty and the side order of roasted root vegetables (£2.25) comprised al dente parsnips, squash, carrots and sweet potatoes.

It turns out that most produce on the menu is locally sourced, something which goes through to the desserts, where Mark was in rapture over his vanilla and honeycomb ice creams (£4.50), which are sourced from Cheshire Farms. My apple crumble tart with custard was as different from school stodge as it could be: highly tart apple tempered by the sweetness of the crumble and a thin but creamy custard deliciously flavoured with fresh vanilla.

What a find. We’re so glad we didn’t just turn round and go home.

The Farndon Arms, High Street, Farndon, Cheshire, CH3 7PU.

Tel: 01829 270570

Value for money: Slightly pricey, but quality excellent

Service: Prompt and polite

Parking: Small car park at rear, otherwise on street.

Disabled: Dedicated parking spaces, easy access to building. Small step to toilet. Difficult to get to upstairs restaurant.

Menu: Sufficiently varied and a good choice of the unusual and the familiar.

The bill: £64.10