Bear's Paw Restaurant, The

Handy for those tired of motorway service stations, only 10 minutes from junctions 17 and 18 of M6, The Bear's Paw offers a restful alternative in the middle of a beautiful village, offering traditional hospitality, with flair.

Children have their own menu, the rest of us eat from an a la carte offering starter dishes such as a giant duck spring roll, a toothsome dish if ever there was one, a smoked haddock and spring onion fishcake with Hollandaise sauce, or half rack of pork ribs inflamed by a dash of Tennessee Bourbon and served with a side salad.

We ignore comfort food at our peril and the Bear's Paw takes no such risks, so expect to find homemade beef lasagne, a roast of the day or the ever reliable grilled gammon steak with pineapple and a fried egg, or your choice from a selection steaks and sauces.

A fillet of steak stuffed with Stilton or a trio of lamb chops on a bed of mashed potato, or a pork loin steak with a brandy, honey and sage jus all help towards the gaiety of nations, with lovers of fish likely to head for the supreme of salmon baked with citrus fruits and butter, served with new potatoes and a white wine and prawn sauce. Vegetarians are well cared for, try the vegetable fajita, complete with soft tortillas and a guacamole, grated cheese, salsa and sour cream mix. My money would be on the fillets of red mullet, cooked simply and served on a bed of crab mash.

A relatively short but attractive wine list is good value with house wine starting at £8.95 for a drinkable South African Cabernet.