But let us begin at the beginning. Brandishing our menus, Mr C opts for a starter of wild game terrine wrapped in streaky bacon with wine-poached quinces and olive oil crostini (later pronounced to be ‘robust and excellent’) while I plump for the white crab and tarragon cakes with lemon and saffron mayonnaise. Upon arrival, my dish looks sort of beige and tastes sort of beige too – a little lacklustre for my liking, and seemingly saffron-less. On the plus side, they have a soft, melting texture and are accompanied by a dollop of nice citrusy mayo.

Next up for Mr C is grilled halibut steak wrapped in parma ham with roasted spuds and a lemon and caper butter. Currently obsessed with pork belly, I waste no time in selecting just that – served here with fondant potato, Savoy cabbage, caramelized apple rings and sage jus. Having felt that Mr C had won on the starter front, my heart lifts at the sight of my beloved pork belly – succulent and substantial, circled with golden ribbons of crunchy crackling. Again, appearances are not deceiving. My pork is perfectly cooked: moist, meaty and magnificent. Mr C goes quiet over his sea bass, which speaks volumes for the fact that he really, really likes it.

We wash down our feast with a glass of white and a glass of red; each one recommended by the friendly, laidback waitress, each one perfectly hitting the spot. When it comes to pudding, I’m for once defeated. Well, not so defeated that I can’t order a champagne sorbet. Sorbet is just water (alcoholic water, even better), so it doesn’t count anyway.

Mr C and I have always been in agreement that sorbet is sublime – what beats a shot of crystal-y, powder-white lemon sorbet on a hot day? – and, as we huddle over this boozy concoction, we congratulate ourselves on our choice. It’s sweet, sherbety, sharp and refreshing  – I want a bottle of the stuff. At the end of the meal, I feel cheered. It’s heartening to know that for every so-so fishcake in this world, there’s an oh-so-tasty sorbet, just around the (menu’s) corner. Lesson for life, that is.