PIE and mash for £17.50? Wow, that price tag would raise a few eyebrows in an East End caff.

But we aren't in the East End of London; we're in rural Oxfordshire, and the Five Alls is a pub/restaurant with a fine reputation in these parts, and indeed further afield.

But £17.50 for pie and mash? It better be good.

The Five Alls is a typical rural pub, with rugged stonework and exposed timbers, and decorated with chic and comfort. A friend had earlier advised: “Eat outside in the garden – it’s lovely.” A blustery, rainy night put paid to that, but we didn’t mind – the cosy interior was welcoming.

The restaurant was very busy for a Thursday night and the staff had their work cut out, but remained friendly and polite throughout.

And the menu posed a few challenges, with many tempting dishes to choose from.

Among the starters, the figs in prosciutto with gorgonzola and drizzled in honey (£8.95) sounded intriguing, and it was. It was an interesting combination of flavours, with the sweet of the figs and honey working well with the salt of the ham and cheese to tantalise the tastebuds.

My wife chose the double Gloucester cheese soufflé (£8.25), which was “gooey” and very hot, served in a small skillet. There was no bread or extras, just a little decorative pea shoot, but apparently it tasted good.

So, onto the main event, and my steak, kidney and mushroom pie. Many pies served in pubs and restaurants are so often disappointing, the “pie” being just a pastry top on a bowl of steak and kidney, and often I’ve had to play a game of hunt the kidney, searching out a sole slice of offal. Not at the Five Alls.

The pie arrived as a Silbury Hill shaped monument on the plate, with golden brown shortcrust pastry encasing… what? I cut into it, and chunks of meat, mushrooms and gravy oozed out. The steak was flaky and tasty, and there was plenty of delicious kidney. It came with buttery, silky smooth mashed potato, and a helping of kale gave the dish crunch and colour. £17.50? As I tucked in, I didn’t care.

There was an equally hearty dish being devoured across the table, with my wife enjoying her roast lamb chump (£18.50), which came with a range of veg. The lamb was juicy and tender, she said, and she particularly liked the potato, which was “like a large rosti, with the meat piled on top”.

Clearly this was an evening of wicked indulgence, and it was about to continue. For dessert I had chocolate fondant with basil ice cream (£7.50). This was everything I hoped it would be – a light fluffy cake hiding a pool of rich, yummy melted chocolate. The basil ice cream had an interesting, pleasant flavour and complemented the richness of the fondant well.

My wife went for the Five Alls baked Alaska (£7). “Scrummy,” she said, as she crunched through the crispy hot meringue to find the cold ice cream within. “I do know what I’m talking about here,” said the former Swindon College library assistant. “I once had a baked Alaska from the catering school at the college made for me as a birthday treat. The students were marked on it and it had to have cold ice cream inside and crisp hot meringue over the top.” So there you go.

This was very pleasant evening, and the excellent service added to the occasion, particularly as the team was on the go for the entire time we were there. The Five Alls is clearly a popular pub, and we look forward to making a return visit.

Indeed, as we were leaving we both wondered: Why haven’t we been here before?