After a particularly poor meal out earlier in the week Matt and Cat were feeling disillusioned. Was all this eating out malarkey worth it? Should they just go home and have a Pot Noodle like everyone else? With such maudlin thoughts running through their minds they decided to strike out more or less at random, and give the Island's eating-places a chance to redeem themselves.

In such a mood they rolled up on a blustery and rainy evening at The Roadside Inn, Nettlestone - expecting little. By the time they left, they were reeling with delight at one of the best pub dining experiences they have enjoyed this year. Read on to discover how their heavy hearts were lifted.

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Here was the first positive thing for your reviewers: a chalk-board outside the Roadside Inn proclaimed that Tuesday night was steak night, and the offer of the day was two rump steak meals for £12. With Cat's new-found enthusiasm for tearing at bloody flesh with her bare teeth such an offer was irresistible. In went Matt and Cat, still thinking of a fairly tired suburban pub. They were pleasantly surprised by what they found. Fresh, clean and spacious but still clearly a characterful pub, with a pool table and proper bar complete with gossiping locals, the Roadside Inn is laid out with a big lounge area and small separate restaurant. Matt and Cat peered vaguely into the restaurant and were admiring the well-set out tables with linen cloths, candles and plenty of room, when a friendly waitress arrived, greeted and seated them, whilst taking a drinks order. No 'remember your table number' here: this was proper waitress service.

Already decided on their rump steak special, Matt and Cat took only a cursory glance at the immaculately-presented menus. Plenty of interesting meals were there as well as old favourites. With the wide range of specials, meals on offer included chorizo carbonara, sea bass, chicken supreme, and rabbit stew. What's more, the prices were pretty reasonable. But the siren call of steak was irresistible - and at £6 per head, almost impossible to refuse. Two rare steaks were ordered, and almost immediately delivered. Cat said, awestruck "That's as fast as the Hong Kong Express!" - a byword for uncannily quick service.

The steaks looked great and were a decent size, seared and piping hot with just the perfect juicy content inside. As the cuts were thin this was about as rare as they could be.

That's a perfect rare rump steak

The delicious aroma of freshly-cooked meat arose, tempered by the sweetness of a pile of real deep-fried onion rings. Almost everywhere diners are offered the frozen processed variety, so it was a true and rare delight to enjoy some proper home-made onion rings that really tasted of onions. Cooked just enough to go sweet but not soggy, the onion rings were perfect complement to the meat. Big, fresh grilled tomatoes garnished with dried parsley, button mushrooms fried in butter, a modest scattering of freshly cooked chips, and some rather tasteless but otherwise blameless peas completed the dish. Matt and Cat dug in, both really enjoying this simple but decently-executed meal.

The atmosphere was enjoyably informal, with the lively buzz of the pub nearby, but service at the Roadside Inn was impressively professional for such a modest pub. Two different waitresses kept an eye on the diners, never intrusive, but always there at the right time. Fresh drinks were offered at a suitable moment, and at one point the jolly landlord passed amongst the diners and shared a few words with each table.

Feeling well fed, but with change in their pockets from such a good deal, Matt and Cat unusually decided to go for dessert. At an astonishing £3.25 these too were a steal. Rejecting the curiously-named chocolate junkyard, Matt chose cream slice. Cat went for Italian trifle.

The attentive waitress was more than happy to describe each dish in great detail, and when the desserts arrived it was obvious why: these home-made delights would not have disgraced the grandest restaurant - where they would have been on offer for twice the price. A towering slice of alcohol-soaked sponge formed the heart of Cat's Italian trifle, encased in a crisp shell of the freshest meringue. Matt's cream slice was bursting with fresh cream and fruit jam, sandwiched in light and crispy puff pastry topped with sweet fondant icing. Absolutely delightful. Seldom does any pub or restaurant excel itself on the dessert course, the temptation so often being to expend all the creative effort on the starters, a little less on the main course, and then buy in some old frozen stuff for any stragglers who still insist on eating a third course. Somebody talented in the Roadside Inn's kitchen obviously disagrees with this approach and takes great pride in these home-made dessert marvels.

Your replete reviewers, aglow with satisfaction, were reluctant to bring the experience to an end so elected to have coffee in the main bar, where they could relax amongst the chatting drinkers. Already they were idly reflecting on when they might return, and who they might bring along. When they finally strolled out into the wet night, the cheery farewell of the landlord ringing in their ears, their earlier damp spirits were wholly banished and their faith in the good food of the Island fully restored by the wonderful Roadside Inn.

Update: Matt and Cat notice with approval that The Roadside Inn has, since their visit, gone to the trouble of making an entire website which prominently features the review. Could Matt and Cat have inspired it? Or was it just coincidence...?

Visit the website: http://www.theroadsideinn.co.uk