Three Crowns Inn, The

One of the more depressing aspects of reviewing restaurants is that when you stumble across a hitherto undetected winner, you know that you are slitting your own throat as, in the course of duty you expose its virtues to the world at large. Lest this seem presumptuous, believe me it happens.

Completely unassuming, the Three Crowns has to be one of the finds of the year. Run by chef, Brent Castle and his wife, you know instinctively as you enter the understated interior that they have it right. Money has been spent where it matters, on the production of good food, and a tureen of artichoke soup with wild mushrooms, or a terrine of ham knuckle and foie gras that comes with a quenelle of pease pudding set the scene with quiet emphasis.

Local game and produce makes regular appearances and the venison is presented with braised cabbage and chestnut and bacon and pear tart. Black pudding hash cake may have escaped your culinary adventuring until now, but think hash brown and you won't be far away. It could, like its sibling, go with most anything, but here it accompanies a pork chop, nicely complimented with a creamy mustard sauce. Fish is by no means absent, for example the brill is united with local cider in the oven and served with a mussel and mushroom sauce.

The set lunch will cost you all of £12.95 for two courses and a decent, well-proportioned, three-course dinner around £30. Wine from the very adequate list starts with house at £14. This really is a place to make a date with before the tide engulfs.