Sam's Brasserie & Bar

The eponymous Sam is none other than Sam Harrison who worked at Padstow with Rick Stein, whose general guidance and blessing Sam is happy to count amongst his assets. Located in the Barley Mow Centre, formerly a paper factory and now home to a gaggle of small businesses, the site is potentially a good one.

Good spaces inside have been well used to provide a 100 seater brasserie, with an 80 seater bar alongside, and Head Chef Rufus Wickham, formerly of Kensington Palace (he worked there, you understand?) and the Crown Hotel, Suffolk rejoices in kitchens that are tailor-made.

Four menus operate, the brunch, kids, set and brasserie. Since the day starts with brunch, an especially large one at weekends, a quick scan of the menu reveals croissant or pain au chocolat, kedgeree, poached eggs, eggs Florentine or Benedict, Italian sausages, with bubble and squeak and sauerkraut, sirloin steak with chips and béarnaise sauce, or Sam's terrine with red onion marmalade. A less elaborate brunch menu operates on weekdays, but still well able to give the late riser a satisfying fix.

Next the Brasserie route, the menu for which changes twice daily. A plate of tapas for two comes in handy over drinks, or a light snack, and for starters the rabbit terrine with onion marmalade, poached asparagus with brown butter, or grilled leeks with a soft boiled egg, sherry vinegar and Parmesan are all well presented. A number of starters can be taken as main courses.

Excellent Toulouse sausages, with braised lentils and confit potatoes make a robust main course, with a fish option of seared John Dory, citrus salad and grilled Rosevale potatoes. The menu will generally carry around eight main courses, with seven desserts, amongst which expect to find a bowl of Muscat grapes with biscotti, chocolate pots and orange salad, and a selection of homemade ice-creams and sorbets.

A wine list of mostly very affordable contributions from a wide range, including Rick Stein's own wines from the Tower Lodge Estate in Hunter Valley, Australia, of which he is a director, should keep everyone perfectly happy, with plenty of choices by the glass.

Sam's Website is informative and chatty - at a restaurant where a constant desire to do even better is paramount you can keep up to date with developments as they happen.