I got lost and found the perfect sunny afternoon three course dinner for £20

We haven’t had a huge amount of nice weather this summer as it's been a bit of a washout. So when we finally had a bit of a lift, I decided there was only one thing to do - leave town.

Nottinghamshire has a ton of amazing hidden gem pubs, restaurants and cafes so it's an impossible task to find just one out of the thousands begging to be explored. After a quick Google and a desire to be by the river, my partner and I settled on The Riverside as we had had a lovely meal there before.

It's not a walking distance from the city centre where we are based but a short drive around 30 minutes. Unfortunately, as we arrived we realise we had mistaken Farndon for Fiskerton - both start with F in my defence - but it was actually an entirely different restaurant. After much deliberation, and the discovery of a sun-drenched beer garden, we decided to stay and give it a go.

I’d had a bit of a difficult day so decided to treat myself to the set-priced menu which was 20 for three courses. While I don't often head out for dinners like this, it was nice to do something to lift my spirits a bit and I noted that the menu feels like it should be priced much higher. Three courses were actually not bad value when you saw the size of the portions.

I started with the wild mushrooms which came on as a ‘mushroom fricassee’ creamy sauce on rosemary focaccia bread. I love mushrooms but my partner is not a fan of those or onions so I was delighted both items were in the dish. The light slightly meaty taste of mushrooms was given a kick with the onions. The staff were not stressed by making swaps for gluten-free bread either.

There was only one main for me the second I saw it on the menu: traditional, old school, unbeatable, fish and chips. The battered haddock was gluten-free and came with mushy peas and chunky hand-cut chips. Sold. When it arrived, it wasn’t clear if they had served me a whale instead of a fish thanks to the size of the thing. The crispy batter was beautifully cooked and it was incredibly filling yet it didn’t overpower the delicate fresh haddock. Although I started to worry about getting through three courses.

My partner bravely volunteered to sample the chicken and ham pie which came with a buttered mash and green beans. The handmade pie was again, impressively sized and came with lashings of thick gravy covering it. Which is, how a pie should always be served - drowning in the stuff.

It’s here that things went a bit awry in that we had a bit of a wait for our desserts but to be fair, we were under the shade of an apple tree in a sun-filled quiet garden with a pint or two on the go. What was the harm in that? I’m not admitting what we had a pint of though as it’s not like journalists to have a drink or two on the clock...

The gluten-free sticky toffee pudding was an absolute win. The sponge was perfectly moist and light while it was soaked in toffee and vanilla ice cream on the side. I don’t often do desserts but this was unmissable. My partner settled for the cream brulee which was a rich, creamy treat with, a crispy burnt sugar topping. There was collective silence as we savoured the dishes.

Again I want to mention the price - £20 for three courses and £17.95 isn’t bad for a treat. Given the size of the mains as well, it felt decent value. Post dinner, we did go for a walk down along the river so there is a chance to make an evening of it. The weather, the food, the pints, the boats....was really food for the soul.