Dukes Head, The

As if the name Hatfield Broad Oak was not invocative enough of history and Elizabethan England, the pub itself, first listed as a place of refreshment in 1827 has lost little of its atmosphere with the years. Additions made have blended well and the result today is a spacious but very cosy spot that is the delight of the locals.

A fixed price menu operates at lunchtime and early evening, in response to the neighbourhood for whom the uplifting of this attractive inn has been a major event in their lives. First however, let's take a look at the evening menu when there is no better place to pop down to, meet a few friends in the bar and complete the evening with a meal that owes a good deal to traditional English cooking, but does not avoid the odd tweak from, say, the Mediterranean.

The lunch and early evening set menu is highly popular and with two courses of quality food for £12.50 this is hardly surprising. A choice of three starters could include char-grilled haloumi served on mixed leaves with a spicy mango salsa followed by game stew served with wholegrain mustard mash potato, a risotto of Scottish smoked salmon with cream and mixed herbs, or perhaps a chicken Thai green curry with suitable company, including more chick peas.

Dinner at The Dukes Head offers an extensive à la carte menu, boasting dishes to start such as tian of crab with sautéed spinach, crème fraîche, tomato concasse and guacamole and Portobello mushroom, filled with goat's cheese served with an a "La Grecque" sauce. Then to follow pan-fried veal cutlet topped with a soft free-range egg and serve in a butter caper sauce, or for the fish lovers try the fillet of sea bass, pan-fried and served with a spiced pea and coconut garnish.

For desserts think of warm spiced sticky toffee pudding and Madagascan vanilla ice cream, hotly contested by apple and summer berry crumble with crème anglaise.

Wines by the glass are very reasonably priced with a glass at under £4. Close examination of the list leaves little, if any, room for criticism for this modest and imaginative collection.

The Spice Club brings together the latent social aspirations in the area and translates them into a series of events and privileges, such as 'Meet our Supplier' evenings, free attendance at their wine and food tasting events, and bin ends from the cellar at significant discounts.

Read all about these and more on the attractive Website of this well run neighbourhood inn.