The Loch is Fyne whether you like old or new

My wife, a seafood lover of the highest order, not surprisingly jumped at the offer of a meal at Loch Fyne, a lovely converted former dairy on the outskirts of the village of Elton.

A delightful, countryside setting and a pretty, quaint interior complete with fishmonger’s counter.

The menu as you might expect is packed full of delights - crab, mussels and lobster, naturally, but new to the menu - and we had gone to try the new spring menu after all - whole gurnard, turbot, plaice and seabream.

Somewhere near the top of Donna’s wish list would be her menu choices of the day - oysters and tuna.

The oysters (three for £6.50) were beautifully fresh and went down a treat with a dash of tabasco.

The yellow fin tuna steak (£20.95) - chargrilled and rare to order - was an absolute delight.

The samphire was a a natural accompaniment, the green beans and broccoli nicely cooked and the salsa verde was a treat, unexpectedly boosted by the presence of anchovies.

By contrast my choices were of the more carnivourous nature.

The ham hock and sweet cider terrine (£6.25) was good - a few hints of cider but the ham really shone.

The home-made golden piccalilli was sharp and sweet and the crusty bread served its purpose as an implement to get from plate to mouth!

My Donald Russell chargrilled 8oz beef burger (£14.25) was another “new to the menu” item.

It was nicely cooked - still juicy with a bit of bite. I loved the toasty flavour of the brioche bun, and the rasher of bacon and melted cheese added to the occasion.

The fries were a little anaemic- I like them golden and crisp - but had a decent flavour.

The girls both had generous helpings of fish and chips followed by chocolate tart and ice cream - from the good value children’s menu (2 courses for £7). And, quite telling, after excellent service all round, we all went home with smiles on our faces.

Brad Barnes gets a taste of the new Spring menu at Loch Fyne, Elton near Peterborough