Devon Doorway, The

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 well a recent 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, Spanish tapas of Serrano ham, manchego, sardines, chorizo and tortilla, a baked Camembert with rustic bread, Greek mezze with taramasalata with humus, tzatziki, feta and flatbread, or a pizzette with garlic, rocket and Parmesan.

Amongst the starters, touchingly referred to as 'little dishes', there is freshly made soup, grilled asparagus with poached egg, parmesan and rocket, crayfish, smoked salmon ravioli and lemon watercress. Look, too, for Black Pearl scallops when the market is right. The salads offer a traditional Caesar salad with chicken, marinated anchovies and Parmesan, Tandoori chicken with spinach, mango, cucumber, mint and yoghurt and a crispy duck salad with watercress, spring onions and yakitori sauce.

These days no self-respecting gastropub can afford to be without its pizza range; expect to find a classic medley of tomato, mozzarella and basil, or the challenging duck, plum sauce and spring onions, or four cheese with roast pear and rosemary. For the big event there is always a fish of the day on request or the chef's choice of risotto.

The steak burger with Swiss cheese, bacon, relish and fries is popular, a welcome sign of the times as the quality of this much-maligned dish increases. For hearty eaters there are good fishcakes with wilted spinach, hollandaise and poached egg and venison with wild mushroom, baby onion and pancetta hot pot.

A wide range of supporting dishes includes buttered new potatoes, Belgian frites and mayo, and greens, leeks and peas. For desserts resort to the blackboard, where there is always a good display, often with some of the local cheeses to set the buffs alight.

The Devon Doorway stocks a wide range of beers, both well loved local 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.