A WARM welcome greets diners at the Cross Oak Inn at Penmaen, near Oakdale, where traditional British fare is served with quality ingredients and a little flair.

The menu offered a good choice and I decided to start with whole squat lobster which was served in breadcrumbs with a seafood sauce. This dish proved to be quite delicious.

My partner started with sour cream and chive potato wedges, which she found very appetising. For our main courses I chose a 16oz T-bone steak which was served with salad and onion rings and a side order of chips. I chose pepper sauce from a good choice of additional sauces available. My partner, a vegetarian, chose the broccoli cream cheese bake which was served with salad and boiled potatoes. We also ordered a portion of garlic bread to accompany our meals.

I asked for my steak to be cooked medium and found it to be cooked to perfection. The proprietors endeavour to use only Welsh beef, and the steak was excellent. The pepper sauce was full of flavour and very tasty, and my partner found her main course to be very good. The garlic bread, which was home-made, had a superb flavour.

We were tempted by the range of desserts on offer, but due to the generous portions of our meals we could not accommodate them. Service was prompt and extremely pleasant.

There is a good wine list on offer, including some of the landlord's and landlady's favourite wines, and diners can choose from a variety of quality beers and lagers at the bar. The menu also offered an extensive choice of Sunday lunch options, which we look forward to returning to sample.

Our meal was very good value and we enjoyed dining in a relaxed and comfortable inn where quality at reasonable prices seems to be the philosophy. £32 total. Steve Phillips