Kitley House Hotel and Restaurant

Set in an historic lakeside country house in South Devon, within easy distance of what their brochure neatly describes as the Maritime City of Plymouth, Kitley House Restaurant has a good deal going for it. The view for instance - with overtones that suggest a sylvan setting miles from anywhere, whilst you dine in the former library with its rich décor of burgundy and gold, with marble columns in each corner of the room. In her introduction Viv Marshal, Kitley House chef says, 'Let me take the pressure off you with my creative cooking, using only local produce...People still eat with their eyes...'

And how right she is. The dinner menu at Kitley ranges over an appealing list of options that include garlic mussels in a herb crust, poached chicken and pistachio mousse, and butternut squash gnocchi cooked in a sage butter.

Seared scallops are served in a shellfish bisque and finished with a King prawn, or delicious steak and kidney pudding, and wild mushroom tagliatelle with a truffle cream sauce.

For the main event oven baked duck breast is accompanied by a mille fuille of rosti potato, spiced red cabbage, fine green beans and a thyme jus. In the opinion of some, sea bass has become almost too familiar but a good deal depends on the company it keeps. At Kitley this means a warm potato and smoked bacon salad, baby salad leaves and green asparagus spears, giving good lift to this inherently appealing fish. The skill of the kitchen is well shown in the roasted mushroom and leek country pie topped with a smoked cheese mash and panache of buttered vegetables dictated by the season.

A new twist to an old classic is given with the glazed lemon tart on a chocolate lattice plate with Devon clotted cream.

From amongst the 'every day specials' two well-loved traditionals feature, with leek and potato soup, but garnished with deep-fried onion rings, and prawns in Marie Rose sauce, topped with a crevette. A Kitley surf and turf is well worth the small supplement, or a rib eye steak with au poivre sauce may satisfy the smaller appetite. Buffalo chips, pan fried woodland mushrooms and sweet cherry tomatoes, a bowl of honey-glazed root vegetables or just a bowl of totally fresh dressed salad can be added to the main dishes if required.

It is always good to see the dishes of ones youth presented in a way that not only makes them totally edible (which was not always the case), but also has you coming back for more. Take bread and butter pudding, with custard or, more improbably, creamy rice pudding with a dollop - their words - of strawberry jam. Actually I prefer raspberry but each to their own.

The cheese board is dedicated to the West Country and includes Village Green, Cornish Yarg, Somerset brie and Cornish Blue.

Sunday lunch is a weekly festival at Kitley House, well worthy of your attendance. With a choice of four main courses, roast topside, roast pork, grilled salmon and a vegetarian option, the b&b pudding is joined by sherry trifle and sticky toffee pudding.

A wine list created and supplied by Walter Hicks Wine Merchants, who celebrated their 150th anniversary in 2001 is a recommendation in itself. The main list rarely strays above the magic £20 barrier, but there is a mouthwatering, quite brief list for the special occasion. House wines represent quality and value, and there are a few half bottles - always handy.

Be sure to visit their attractive and informative Website, showing only too clearly what an appealing place Kitley House is.