THE FIVE BELLS MILL LANE, COLNE ENGAINE, CO6 2HY.01787 224166

WHEN my wife and I went for a meal on Bonfire Night we were not looking for food with a bang or anything sizzling but just some yummy nosh, and this is what we found at the Five Bells.

Tucked away in Colne Engaine, the pub is housed in a beautiful building, with a modern entranceway and bar leading to a lovely restaurant area complete with wooden beams, internal balcony and a delightful mural.

For starters I opted for the baked camembert from the s p e c i a l s  m e n u , served with a chilli jam, leaf salad and t o a s t e d croutons, while my better half chose the soup of the day.

The cheese was wonderful, with the molten interior nicely offset with the buzz in the jam and crunchiness of the crouton, while the soup was delicious.

It had a lovely texture and was accompanied by thick farmhouse bread.

Portions were just the right size.

Batter can often be a difficult thing to get right, but the chef at the Five Bells has got it nailed.

The coating on both my partner’s fish and my onion rings was spot on, light in thickness and texture, crisp and delicious.

The accompanying fish melted away and flaked beautifully and was served with peas, and it was nice to see chunky home-cooked chips with both of our meals.

My steak was cooked to my order, medium-rare, but a little uninspiring in flavour despite the optional extra of peppercorn sauce, but this would be down to the butcher or supplier rather than the restaurant.

Dessert was a treat we s i m p l y had to m a k e room for.

The seasonal crumble consisted of a smooth spiced apple fruit base with chunky, sweet but not heavy crumble topping.

The brownie had a perfect texture balanced with the rich chocolate sauce and the pecans, alongside a scoop of ice cream.

Overall the Five Bells got the thumbs up from us, with attentive service and a lovely atmosphere.

WILL LODGE