In the bleakness that can sometimes consume the mouth of the Humber it is refreshing to find a haven like Rafters where good food in pleasant surroundings combine. The reaction of most people on arrival is to head for the cosy bar, line up some drinks and ponder over a menu which offers around ten each starters and main courses. Arrived at table an amuse bouche soon makes it appearance sometimes a small cup of soup or warm bread with delightfully fresh butter and a substantial bulb of roast garlic ready for some judicious mining and spreading on the bread. What a wonderful way to start.

From amongst the starters there was a choice of tempura battered seafood, which included fresh tuna, salmon and sea bass, tomato and basil soup, stilton stuffed withmushrooms and natural smoked haddock with wilted spinach and moules marinieres.

Rafters has the wonderful trick of making its dishes not only sound, but also look good. The mere thought of Gressingham duck is enough to get me going, the reality was even better. Mind you nor was it easy avoiding the medallions of pork fillet in cider and calvados, venison medallions with horseradish mash, braised lamb shank with rosemary and red wine or lemon and herb corn fed chicken breast with wild mushroom and thyme gravy.

For those for whom no visit to a restaurant as good as this one is ever complete with out more than a nod to the sea, a roast fillet of sea bass with asparagus, crushed potatoes and Madeira sauce competes against a sizzling seafood and chicken kebab featuring monkfish, salmon and tiger prawns. Vegetarians do not despair! Half of the huge selection of starters will safely satisfy you, followed up with aubergine, courgette and butternut parmigiana, or cauliflower cheese with sunflower and pumpkin seeds, and if that's not to your liking how about Mediterranean vegetable and cheese Wellington.

An enticing selection of puddings makes painful reading after the earlier indulgences but the sacrifice has to be made. The list is long and probably the favourite is the selection of four desserts on a plate which changes but on my visit included crème brûlée, citrus cheesecake, chocolate tart and fruit meringue. Is there anywhere else to go after that other than home when a swift bracing walk might be more appropriate?! But who wants to do that sort of thing in such a charming little place as Barton upon Humber.

Rafters is undoubtedly a great find and considering the difficulty in nailing down a reservation, readers of this review should consider themselves privileged that I, a Lincolnshire man, am prepared to share this secret with them.