Elm Tree Inn, The

The Elm Tree offers serious food, wine and attention in a superb rural setting just outside Reading, with fine sweeping views over the Berkshire countryside. With seating for up to 80, of which 20 are outside, it is an all-weather pub with enough charm to command loyalty from a wide range of locals.

Their menu offers really top quality food with something to suit even the most diverse tastes. For starters expect to find a few Mediterranean delights such as bruschetta with marinated vegetables and Greek salad with houmous and pita bread in amongst the more traditional dishes such as smoked salmon and prawn cocktail, Ardennes pâté with Melba toast and Cumberland sauce and smoked chicken Caesar salad.

Main courses draw from a wide range of both traditional and some more exotic dishes. Shank of lamb with mashed potato and Madeira jus, leek and gruyere in puff pastry with a saffron butter sauce, calf's liver with bacon mash and onion gravy and corn-fed chicken supreme with sauté potatoes and wild mushroom sauce offer a slightly more sophisticated take on some of the more traditional dishes.

The 8 oz Elm Tree burger is a favourite from the grill, served with coleslaw, fries and salad, and their locally sourced fillet and sirloin steaks come with a choice of peppercorn sauce or garlic butter.

For those with a more exotic palate, choose from the wok - Thai green chicken curry with rice, hoi sin duck with noodles and Indonesian vegetable and noodle stir fry.

Main courses are served with fresh seasonal vegetables, and a selection of side dishes is available including fries, sauté and mashed potatoes, new potatoes, onion rings and mixed salad.

Desserts could perhaps best be described as a culinary minefield for the indulgent, with an emphasis on so many of the things the dieticians and food police tell us we should not be having, witness crème brûlée, sticky toffee pudding, profiteroles, cheesecake, lemon tart, trio of ice creams and a fabulous cheeseboard served with grapes and crackers.

A highlight of the week is the Sunday lunch, served from noon onwards, featuring all the traditional bits, plus much, much more. Lunch during the week is based on a sensible menu that allows maximum use of time and includes soup of the day, home made beef burgers, and a vastly good value ploughman's lunch. An interesting wine list travels the world, with particular emphasis on the up and coming wines of Chile and Argentina, with plenty of reasonably priced options. A choice of eight house wines start at £12 and can be ordered by the bottle or glass.

Not everyone finds the term 'gastropub' an inviting addition to the English language, but it does cover a wealth of good sound eating at prices that, in general compare well with many restaurants and do away with much of the formality that so many find irksome in everyday life, though fine for the special occasions.