HAVING lived in Alnwick for more than six months and never really explored any of the quaint coastal villages north of the town, I decided a trip to Bamburgh would be perfect, combining it with a hearty Sunday lunch at the recently re-launched Mizen Head Hotel to celebreate our engagement.

I was astounded at the views as we drove into Bamburgh off the A1 and the sight of the castle really took my breath away.

As we drove down into the village we missed the Mizen Head at first, then saw the board offering Sunday lunch but decided to take a little tour of the village before heading for lunch.
Bamburgh is a pretty little village and for a blustery Sunday in March it was quite busy with people milling about from shop to shop.

As our bellies began to rumble, we headed back up the road to the Mizen Head to satisfy our appetites.

We were welcomed by delicious smells of cooking as we entered the hotel and friendly staff greeted us and showed us to our table, which was in the bar area. At first I thought there would be a separate restaurant but tables were all set up in the bar for lunch.

The bar area is fresh and clean with modern, contemporary colours of brown and cream.

There was a big selection of wines and my fiancé was impressed with the selection of bottled beers and the real ale pumps.

There weren't a lot of people in the bar as we arrived, which was a little disconcerting for 1pm on a Sunday, but as the afternoon went on it filled up and most of the tables were taken.

I was disappointed as we were handed the menus and there was very little choice, but it still looked good.

The menu had three starters, three mains and four puddings with three courses for £14.95.

I decided to go for the goats' cheese bruschetta with herb-roasted Mediterranean vegetables and pesto dressing, while my fiancé had the soup of the day which was butternut squash and coconut milk. The other choice was prawn cocktail.

For mains I went for the pork loin stuffed with apricot, sun-dried tomato and basil, and my fiancé the steam roasted beef with all the trimmings. The other choice was leek and red onion pudding with fricassee wild mushroom.

The bruschetta was fantastic, the goats' cheese was melted to perfection and there were lots of lovely roasted vegetables underneath, piled on top of soft yet crusty bread.

Portion size was good too but the meal lacked any presentation and could have done with a garnish of some sort.

The soup was also really good, delicately flavoured with coconut but nice and thick with the squash. It was served with a thick square of bread and butter, perfect for soaking up the soup.

Main courses arrived pretty swiftly and looked fantastic. I was given an abundance of thick-sliced pork loin which was cooked perfectly and the stuffing added a sweet edge to the pork.

The beef was also served in a generous portion and both were smothered in gravy which tasted like it was made from the respective juices.
Each came with a big Yorkshire pudding, which was slightly burnt and not very fluffy, and two roast potatoes. We were also given a dish of carrot and swede mash, mashed potato and green beans to share, definitely an ample meal, but I would have liked more gravy.

I was also disappointed that when I asked for apple sauce to go with my pork they didn't have any.

Then it was on to the puddings. I was going to decline but then I saw the list – sticky toffee pudding with butterscotch sauce, marscarpone and chocolate cheesecake with raspberry compote, tarte citrone creme fraiche and creme brulee.

I couldn't resist the cheesecake which was amazing. It was soft, fluffy and creamy with a crunchy biscuit base and not too big a portion. And my fiancé's sticky toffee pudding was smothered in sauce and delightfully sticky.

With two beers, a wine, soft drink and two coffees the total came to £42.05 which wasn't bad for three courses.

And although I was disappointed with the lack of choice I wasn't let down on the quality of the food, it really was delicious and we have vowed to go back for an evening meal after seeing a much bigger selection on the menu, as well as a pizza menu.

The Mizen Head is obviously re-instating itself and it is going the right way about it, they are making sure menus change regularly and are using local food in their cooking.

STAR RATINGS (out of five)
Quality of food 4
Choice 2.5
Vegetarian choice 3
Value for money 3
Atmosphere 3
Service 4
Children catered for 3
Disabled access 1
Disabled toilet No
Overall experience 4

Verdict: Quality food in a beautiful setting.

Contact details: The Mizen Head Hotel, Lucker Road, Bamburgh NE69 7BS. Tel: 01668 214254