The setting for Steve Drake’s domain certainly doesn’t lack character: the stylishly reworked 300-year-old building wears its age gracefully, with its wonky beams, wood floors, and linen-clad tables laid with fine glassware adding to the all-round feel of a classy operation. It’s a restaurant to suit our times, classy yet relaxed, the cooking exciting and thoroughly modern. Drake has form with creative contemporary ways when it comes to making an impact with his seasonal, ingredients-led compositions. Via a cracking value set lunch and five-and nine-course tasting menus, the kitchen delivers inspirational dishes starting with an impeccably seasonal celebration of spring – asparagus, say, transformed by the salty punch of sea purslane, lardo and the balancing sourness of fermented tomatoes and verjus. Ingredients are combined in thoughtful and stimulating ways in main courses, perhaps superb sea bass, its natural flavour enhanced with the judicious accompaniments of wild garlic, bouillabaisse sauce, turnips and fish bread, or lamb with courgette caviar and marjoram milk. Flavours are judged just so, through to fragrant finales, which could see a strawberry-based workout pointed up with black pepper biscuit, coconut and lemon verbena, or the imaginative pairing of Earl Grey and ginger bringing an exquisite touch to an utterly delicious rhubarb and custard millefeuille.