On the evening of my visit – mid week, late winter, the sort of weather that most sensible people would choose to stay at home – trade was fairly slow and I stepped into the Downstairs restaurant slightly concerned that dinner would be a rather awkward affair. I couldn’t have been more wrong; service was relaxed and friendly, efficient and courteous without being obsequious and after drinks in the bar my companion and I were shown to our table with little fuss.

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The menu at The Mill is impressive, with all ingredients ethically sourced and from local suppliers where possible and everything from the mains to the bread basket made on site, so selecting a meal is no easy thing.

My companion, who will “eat anything other than seafood” surprised me somewhat by opting for the grilled mackerel with potted potato salad and tomato (£6.50), while I went for potato gnocchi with mushrooms, tomato and cashew nuts (£6.95). The gnocchi was cooked to perfection, not at all stodgy as is often the case and delicately flavoured, with the cashew nuts adding a delightfully savoury after-taste, leaving me wanting more. The mackerel flaked as all good mackerel should and disappeared with a rapidity that can only imply one thing.

For the Main Event, as the menu would have it, I plumped for the butternut squash risotto with artichoke fritters and rocket leaves (£13.50) with a side of The Mill mixed salad (£4.50), while my companion chose the grilled rib of Seven Wells beef, chipped potatoes and onion fritters (£21.50) and home-made grilled bread with balsamic and olive oil (£3.00). We rounded off the meal with a fruity Commissioners Block Australian red 2005 (£21.00), which accompanied my vegetarian options perfectly, but was a little light for the beef. The risotto was very nice, remarkable for its lack of overpowering parmesan, which is so often the downfall of this dish. The artichoke fritters, however, made the meal; I’ve only sampled better once in a trattoria in Sorrento and those only pipped these at the post due to an unhealthy helping of Italian mozzarella stuffing! The beef was impressively presented with Jenga block chips and unusually, but thoughtfully, something that resembled a toothpaste tube of garlic butter. Both meals were well balanced in flavour and cooked with flair and precision, served in portions designed to fill the ordinary stomach, whilst leaving room for dessert for the greedy... Happily falling into the latter category, we returned to the menu to finish.

Dessert, for me, is a sacred thing. It is not to be missed; it is not to be toyed with. Dessert is a serious decision, which deserves serious thought, so it was that much to my waiters amusement and my companions despair that it took me 15 minutes to decide on my final course. I eventually got it down to the two options from the Fine Dining menu and was torn between the chocolate cannelloni with almond and pear (£10.50) and the passion fruit soufflé with raspberry (£10.00). Had my stomach stretched to it, I would have had both, but ultimately the soufflé won the day, while my companion settled on the tempura of figs, chocolate and vanilla (£6.50). For the fig dish I don’t have much in the way of feedback other than a childhood flashback to my brother going “listen to my mouth, listen to my mouth!” which is pretty much what I got from my companion – “listen to my mouth, my mouth’s crackling, there’s space dust in this! I’m sure there’s space dust in this! How cool, I feel like I’m about eight again...” Yeee-essss, so do I! My soufflé, however, oh, my soufflé... Light and fluffy in texture, sweet, but with a tangy passion fruit zest, perfectly complemented by a rich raspberry coulis and a piquant passion fruit sorbet. Oh, I can taste it now... Oh, how I wish I could taste it now! To be plain, it was really rather nice.

And really, that’s the most apt description for the whole experience: Really rather nice. Rustic charm, stunning decor, exemplary cookery, it’s all really rather nice. So, whether you’re lucky enough to be staying in one of the rooms at Oundle Mill, or you happen to be living in or visiting the area, this is one restaurant that is really not to be missed.