The Devon Doorway is located on the leafy, rural outskirts of Heswall and looks every inch the quaint English pub, with its thatched roof and air of antiquity. Once inside, the spacious interiors invite diners to relax. Its long history has survived a refurbishment and has evolved into a stylish, open plan restaurant with a roomy bar.

Contemporary pubs such as these usually share a number of characteristics. An important feature is space, preferably a restaurant where you are comfortable, not over-awed, and not sharing elbow space with the next table, however sociable they may be. Good, too, to have a garden, an optional al fresco eating out space with seating for 120 at the front and rear, and by no means least, a roomy and well stocked bar where you can actually get served without undue delay. After all, drinking should be taken seriously.

If a pub offers all of these, and is in a good location, there is little reason in today's economic climate why it should not flourish. But of course there are other factors, not least of which is the food and drink. The term 'gastropub' covers a multitude of blessings and it is possible to see influences of brasserie, bistro, restaurant and even café at work within the great gastro umbrella. So expect to find no one single cuisine, but a blend designed to provide something for everybody, no matter what their treat may be.

To set the right note of fashionable sociability there are sharing plates, garlic pizzette with caramelised onion and rocket, a box baked camembert with stiratta romagna and home made tomato jam, Mediterranean mezze of hummus with roasted vegetables, fregola, tzatziki, feta, spinach and ricotta pâté and warm flatbreads.

Amongst the starters is freshly made soup, gambas with garlic, rocket, aioli and rustic bread, and spiced crab with avocado, prawns, ginger and pink grapefruit. Look, too, for scallops of the day. The salads - sorry, that should read 'leaves' - offer crispy duck, mouli, carrots, hoisin and spring onion with plum sauce, and for the seafood fiends prawn with avocado, pecans, mango, bacon with orange and pomegranate vinaigrette is received with enthusiasm.

These days no self-respecting gastropub can afford to be without its pizza range; expect to find margherita, a classic medley of pomodoro, mozzarella, oregano and basil; piccante with pepperoni, chorizo, tomato and jalapeños or rustica with roasted Mediterranean vegetables, goats? cheese and cherry tomatoes.

The roast rump of lamb with sauce soubise, pancetta, asparagus, button onions and baby potatoes is popular, a welcome sign of the times. For hearty eaters there are rib-eye and fillet steaks, and calves liver with tray baked potatoes, red onion, bacon and sage panagrattato.

A wide range of supporting dishes includes green salad, Belgian chips and mayo, and cabbage, leeks and peas. Desserts are some of the best you'll encounter with apple and blackcurrant crumble with vanilla custard and sticky toffee pudding with vanilla ice cream, and there is also a selection of cheeses to set the buffs alight.

The Devon Doorway stocks a wide range of beers, both well loved draught ales and bottled from further afield. The wine list covers plenty of territory from traditional clarets to Pinot Grigio, and champagne by the glass or bottle is always available. Service is cheerful, brisk and totally in keeping with the friendly nature of a good English gastropub.

A well constructed Website enables you to keep in touch with menu changes or forthcoming events. Please note that the E-Mail Contact is for enquiries only, not for bookings.