IT SEEMED a shame to waste the sunny evening cooped up in the house.
So my boyfriend and I took a dander out of the house into the warm spring night.
And after a short toddle up the road we came across the Summerhill Hotel, with its large glass window letting the sun stream through.
We had the choice of eating in the comfy bar with chunky sofas, or the more formal restaurant, and opted for the latter.
A friendly waitress showed us to our seats in the pretty, spacious dining room which lets diners watch the world go by.
The menu was packed full of tasty favourites and some more adventurous options too.
For starters I decided to go for the farmhouse terrine with chutney (£4.85).
A generous chunk of gamey pate was served with a crisp salad and crunchy oatcakes. And the dish came with a homemade chutney – a lightly curried onion pickle sweetened with raisins – complementing the starter perfectly.
My dining partner went for the nachos (£4.85) to start his meal. Large chunks of chicken were served with crisp, golden triangles and doused in melted cheese, all topped with hot discs of green chillies. With the side salad and three pots of accompaniments – salsa, thousand island and sour cream dips – the dish was packed full of flavour.
For the main course I fancied something fishy, so went for the haddock mornay (£8.75).
The white fish was cooked to perfection with a creamy cheese sauce, which was slightly oily but still tasty.
It came with boiled potatoes and fresh vegetables, but I fancied a side of chips too.
My boyfriend went for his favourite, a burger from the grill with added chilli on top (£7.50).
A sesame bun arrived filled with a chargrilled burger and spiced chilli, served with coleslaw, chips and side salad.
My dining partner said the burger could have been a bit more flavoursome but still finished every last bite.
We were nearly tempted to end the meal with some delicious sounding puddings, but the first two courses had us stuffed.
With a couple of beers and a Baileys to finish, the whole lot came to just over £36.
The Summerhill Hotel is a comfy spot which does a cracking carvery on a Sunday and has fantastically friendly staff.
It does no-fuss filling food which tastes great and can be enjoyed in stylish surroundings – I will definitely be back.