It had been a wet and miserable November Saturday, so late in the day we decided to cheer ourselves up with a meal at The Bell in Yatton Keynell.

Booking at lunchtime for three people, it seemed like it would be busy for dinner that night, but we were successful in reserving a table for just before 7pm, as requested.

On arrival, we were greeted by the landlord who was cheerful and polite, confirming our reservation and taking our drinks order.

We were provided with menus and directed to a well-lit table at the rear of the restaurant, passing by the supplementary chalkboards describing enticing dishes.

There was a good range of starters, including whitebait and prawns in garlic. However, noticing the desserts, we decided to leave room for pudding and go straight to the main course.

The landlord came to take our order and it came as a very pleasant and welcome surprise when our food arrived both extremely quickly and beautifully presented.

I had chosen stuffed pork tenderloins, which came with separate dishes of vegetables and chips. One of my friends went for the Somerset pork, served in a rich, creamy sauce. She selected dauphinoise potatoes, which arrived in a very hot dish.

My other friend went for the King Cod, which turned out to be two large and perfectly battered pieces. All our food was extremely tasty.

The young waitress was cheerful and polite and quickly delivered the extra drink we requested upon the arrival of our food.

We were planning on having something from the tempting dessert menu, which included banoffee pie and lemon meringue roulade.

However, with the pub being so busy, we decided to forego the extra course and head home, paying our £52.15 bill at the bar on our way out.

This pub continues to maintain a very high and well deserved reputation in both the village and the surrounding area. We shall certainly visit again.

* The Bell hosts village events, including the Yatton Keynell Christmas Market which will be staged on Saturday, December 6, 4pm to 6.30pm.