DESPITE being well away from river and stream, the restaurant at the Anchor Inn was put out of business until Christmas when partially blocked culverts failed to cope with last July's torrential downpour and 18 inches of water flooded the ground floor.

Happily, business is getting back to normal, with lunchtimes, in particular, busy and evenings, apart from early in the week, also attracting the customers.

My companion and I called in on a quiet Monday evening and received five-star service from both chef and front-line staff - which involved co-host Caroline Barrett cooking for us and husband Colin serving.

The menu board promised mouth-watering dishes, with 18 starters ranging in price from £4.25 to £5.99, and 20 main courses (£7.99 to £16.99). Another board listed a good mixture of New World wines - available by glass or bottle - and yet another selection of desserts.

The food is all home-made, there are vegetarian options and from time-to-time special themed menus.

With a warm welcome from the host and a log fire roaring away in the hearth, we looked forward to a convivial evening and were not disappointed.

The food was well-prepared and cooked and proved to be value for money.

I started with a dish of mushrooms, bacon and black pudding, sauteed together and topped with a poached egg. It was very tasty although, as I was later to discover, rather filling.

My companion enjoyed three butterfly lemon sardines, breaded and deep fried.

They were very nicely cooked and again quite substantial. However, the starters are headed up as light bites, so on another occasion she might have settled for the dish as a main course.

Thai cuisine influences a number of the dishes at the Anchor, reflecting the hosts' love of that country, and my companion opted for red snapper fillet on a bed of rice with korma sauce, a recipe the Barretts acquired during a holiday. It was, she declared, extremely tasty.

I chose half a roast duck with chips and vegetables. The duck was succulent and cooked to perfection, the selection of vegetables a firm alternative to the mushy overdone offerings at some restaurants.

Unfortunately, my decision to go for a substantial starter caught up with me and I was unable to do full justice to what was a delicious main course.

I was, however, just able to manage a dessert of winter fruits, with meringues instead of the usual brandy snap baskets which were off the menu on Monday.

My companion enjoyed a strawberry rum baba with ice cream. Add a large glass of wine, two gin and tonics and a coffee, and the bill for the evening came to £65.74.

THE ANCHOR INN, DRAKE STREET, WELLAND Tel: 01684 592317SERVICE: **** FOOD: **** VALUE: **** AMBIENCE: ***