The Horseshoe Inn, Mamhilad

HIDDEN away in the country lanes near Mamhilad is the wonderful Horseshoe Inn.

Discovering the inn, with its old world charm and beautiful views of the surrounding countryside, you feel as if you've stumbled upon a secret that you would rather to keep to yourself.

Food is served either in the small but cosy bar area, where you can eat next to an open fireplace, or in the restaurant area, called 'Bosun Js Wine Bar', and kitted out with a canal-barge theme.

On a balmy summer's evening, we enjoyed a meal in the busy restaurant area.

To start I had the house soup, which on that day was cream of parsnip.

Not being a fan of parsnip, I wasn't sure what to expect, but it was warm and creamy and tasted divine, so I was pleasantly surprised.

My partner chose her favourite starter, garlic mushrooms, and enjoyed them immensely.

For main course I enjoyed a flamingo sirloin, a steak coated with melted cheese, peppers, onion, mushrooms and bacon. The topping added an unexpected zest to the steak, and made a pleasant change to what is usually a plain dish.

My partner again had her favourite dish, vegetable lasagne, and proclaimed it one of the best she'd ever tasted. High praise indeed!

For dessert, we both enjoyed an Alabama fudge cake with cream, and the whole meal was complemented nicely by garlic bread and a bottle of house white from the extensive wine list.

At just over £30 the meal was superb value for the amount of food we were served.

The Horseshoe Inn is definitely a place you will want to discover for yourself.