The drizzle was incessant – the sort that soaks you through to the skin in minutes without appearing to be heavy – and the leaden sky gave Warkworth the appearance of a sad, sodden beast rather than the beautiful, lively thoroughbred it normally is.
The village is one of Northumberland's jewels in a glittering crown, yet on this day it was somewhat dulled.
We descended out of the gloom, peering through the car windscreen, swiped clean every second by the metronomic wipers.
We had no plans nor a pre-booking, just hoped that despite it being the height of so-called summer, the weather had kept enough tourists indoors for one of the many culinary establishments in the village to accommodate us.
As we drove in from the north, we noticed a blackboard outside the Warkworth House Hotel.
Unfortunately the rain had washed away most of the writing but we could just make out the words 'Sunday lunch' at the top.
We parked up – no mean feat even on an extremely damp Sunday lunchtime – and headed back to the hotel.
I had heard good reports about its new restaurant, bar and bistro – imaginatively called No.16 Restaurant Bar and Bistro (it is at number 16 Bridge Street, Warkworth) – and the chef strives to use local produce, so we had high hopes.
Our visit started in the bar area where we were delivered drinks, perused the menu and ordered our choices.
It was quite extensive for a Sunday. Three courses would set us back £10.95 and two were £8.95. We liked their attitude towards the children – they were welcomed, given smaller portions (only just!) and charged half the adult price.
We had decided on the two-course option and to side-step the starters after I spotted apple crumble on the dessert menu!
The starters were sweet potato soup, Galia melon with fresh strawberries infused with mead, chicken liver pate with plum chutney and rustic toast or seafood salad with a chive and mustard dressing.
The choice of main courses was from four roasts – topside of beef, loin of pork, leg of Northumbrian lamb or chicken – grilled mackerel fillets with dill and caper butter or trio of stuffed peppers finished with tomato and pesto sauce (the vegetarian option).
The children had their usual, beef, my wife fancied the chicken while I chose the local lamb.
When our meals were ready, we were shown through to the restaurant, recently decked out with a modern feel. High-backed padded chairs or long settees in blue and gold blended in with a colour scheme that also included a raspberry red.
It felt comfortable and clean, wall lights and background music adding to the ambience.
I liked the added touches of matching cotton napkins, the offer of a bread roll with pats of butter and a jug of iced water on the table, all uncommon for a Sunday lunch.
The meals arrived, the meat arranged on a bed of vegetables, with Yorkshire puddings to the side. My lamb, two large, rough-cut slices, was melt-in-your-mouth tender and wonderfully tasty, although a little dry on top as if it had been cut for a while.
The vegetables were fine – a carrot and swede mash, cabbage and three roast potatoes.
There was a thumbs up from my fellow diners, although we all said the food could have been hotter.
And so to dessert. The choice was vanilla panacotta, apple and cinnamon crumble with custard, dark chocolate tart topped with crème fraiche, sticky toffee pudding with butterscotch sauce, or a selection of cheeses (supplement of £1.95).
No prizes for guessing what I had! My wife selected the chocolate tart, my son the sticky toffee pudding and my daughter was entertained with a piece of caramel shortbread which we had spotted on the specials board in the bar.
It was all neatly and artistically presented. Mine was very light and tangy, with more apple than crumble. It had lost its structure but was nonetheless palatable. The custard was similarly light (in both colour and consistency) and frothy. The dish suffered the same fault as the main courses – not quite hot enough.
Again it was smiles all round from the others.
The service was attentive – we were asked several times whether we were enjoying our meals.
We were pleasantly surprised at the food bill – we didn't think £27.80 was too bad for a hotel. The drinks – two pints and two soft drinks – came to £9.10, which was more like hotel prices!
The evening menu looked appetising. It changes seasonally, and consists about five starters, seven main courses and five desserts, to me a compact menu that indicates freshly cooked meals. We vowed to return.