milsoms

Never let it be said that Dedham only caters for the upper end of the eating-out market. Now those with shallower pockets can enjoy themselves at milsoms which, in itself has two approaches, one with scrubbed wooden tables, the other, a raised area with classy leather seats.

milsoms is a Victorian house built in 1850 and was bought by Dorothy and Arthur Milsom in 1959. They ran it until 1981 when their late son, Gerald, transformed it into the terrace restaurant and rooms. It was then sold to the Royal Insurance Company who built onto it and ran it as a training centre. In February 2001, the family bought it back and transformed it into milsoms, which is now run by Gerald's son Paul, milsoms, together with the nearby Maison Talbooth, brings a total of 24 rooms in the Dedham area. Their bedrooms are stylish en-suite, thoroughly comfortable rooms, with crisp white linen, duvets and fluffy towels. All are equipped with a mini bar, satellite television and tea making facilities.

The busy bar and brasserie is very much the heartbeat of milsoms. Its informal environment, contemporary design, good cooking and sensible prices ensure an enviable local following. As one of their customers put it, "This is just what we have been waiting for." milsoms is open throughout the day; making it an ideal venue to meet friends or entertain business clients for breakfast, lunch, dinner or maybe just a relaxing glass of wine at the end of a busy day.

They have adopted an interesting approach to the menu, traditional dishes have been preserved (as well as uplifted) so fish and chips appears alongside more sophisticated offerings, great pain is taken to ensure that ingredients are fresh and sound.

They have a novel section, entitled 'caught in the middle', where many of them - labelled ample or generous - can be taken as a starter or main course, for instance: cannelloni of egg plant and basil, roast red pepper sauce and gorgonzola; marinated tiger prawns with avocado and turtle bean salad, sweet chilli sambal; house smoked salmon, wasabi spiked crème fraiche and pink grapefruit or a warm salad of toasted goat's cheese, chargrilled vegetables and salsa verde and local smoked eels.

Among the main courses, a delightfully moist sea-bass with pak choi and shiitake mushrooms is particularly recommended, but equally tempting is calves liver and bacon with fried onions and rich gravy or slow braised lamb shank on grain mustard mash. In season keep an eye open for local pheasant and partridge

However, you have to save room for their appealing puddings. It is good to see Eton Mess with banana and passion fruit on the menu in these egalitarian days, with other desserts including peppered pineapple tarte tatin with vanilla pod ice-cream; rhubarb crumble with clotted cream or banana brûlée with coconut tuilles.

Sunday lunch is a major event at milsoms, with 2 courses at £19.50, 3 course for £25. Anything but English, though that is there as well, a typical, menu could consist of shredded duck spring roll with hoi-sin, Loch Duart salmon with creamed spinach, and banana tortilla.

A sensible and appealing wine list offers a large choice under £20, and house wine at £12.50. An impressive number of wines across the range are available by the glass.

If you are looking for more details of their private dining room, bedrooms, menus and wine list, it is all to be found on their Website.