A lovely port in a rainstorm (From The Westmorland Gazette)

A lovely port in a rainstorm

1:42pm Thursday 28th June 2012 in Restaurant reviews By Stephanie Manley, Reporter

DURING an extremely dismal summer day, the Watermill Inn at Ings provided a lovely place to shelter from the rain. The atmosphere was cosy and warm and the place was buzzing with conversation.

My partner was instantly happy after learning that it was also a microbrewery, and he sampled some of the Inn’s own ‘Blackbeard’ ale.

The starters looked tempting, but as we had sneaked in some cake mid-afternoon we went straight for a main meal.

I plumped for smoked salmon and prawn pasta (£9.95), which was cooked with a tomato, lemon and dill cream sauce and served with garlic bread, while my other half picked from the specials board – his eyes drawn to the venison casserole with potatoes and vegetables (£12.95).

We were worried when the meals came out rather quickly, but that aside, I was pleased with my choice. I had expected only a scattering of fish but the dish was packed with prawns and salmon.

The venison didn’t get such a good response, however. The portion was sizeable and the meat was cooked well – but apparently the vegetables were over-done. All in all, it was an average dish: nice but nothing special.

Presentation was OK, but nothing which the average person could not do and I think this let the tasty food down.

What I did like about the Watermill was that it had that typical country-pub feel to it, with beer memorabilia dotted around and a roaring log fire making it comfortable. I can’t complain about the service either - all the staff were helpful and efficient.

Eating there was a pleasant experience, but I would probably try somewhere else next time.

VERDICT

• Food: 7
• Service: 8
• Atmosphere: 8
• Value: 7