THE Game Cock Inn at Austwick is rarely far from the minds of my brother and sister-in-law as it is their favourite place to dine close to their home in Ingleton.

After hearing so many superlatives about its French-inspired menu I decided it was time to finally sample what the Dales pub has to offer.

We visited on a week night and, under-estimating its popularity, faced a wait before we could be seated to eat and propped up the bar for the better part of an hour with drinks.

When we were able to order, we all selected from the specials menu.

Paul chose the cheese-stuffed Sicilian chicken, served with his choice of potato gratin. Viki went for one of the pub’s signature dishes, The Game Cock pie, which included duck, pheasant and venison, while I plumped for the brisket of beef. It boasted 12 hours of slow cooking and indeed the meat was lovely and tender, in a rich gravy with root vegetables.

As the meat fell apart, the portion seemed to multiply and was very generous.

We also shared some fresh piping hot chips which were nice and crispy, and accompanying vegetables.

Each dish was also embellished with a delicately cut star-shaped radish and sprinklings of relish and herbs on the plate. A basket of warm bread and butter also appeared and was very welcome.

It is worth mentioning that to take advantage of the ‘special nights’ meal deals, for example French night on a Wednesday, you have to ask for the specific menu.

For pudding we enjoyed the artistic creations of sticky toffee pudding with a syrupy sauce, Baileys cheesecake and chocolate fudge cake, all served with chantilly cream and garnished with orange, strawberry, kiwi and raspberry slices.

My fudge cake was also sprinkled with white chocolate drops and had a smear of chocolate sauce and fruit coulis at the side.

The meal was of a very high standard, with culinary passion in the kitchen obvious.

Our waitress was also very attentive and keen to ensure everything was to our satisfaction.

In all it was a lovely meal out and I will be sure to return – next time I am determined to grab a seat by the cosy fire in the bar.

* The total cost of two courses for three people, excluding drinks, was £53.35.