The Royal Oak, Maidenhead, Berkshire

Lunch for two, without wine, £70

Sir Michael Parkinson may not be pulling pints in the Buckinghamshire pub he owns with his son, Nick, but he is ever present. Memorabilia from his long chat show career adorns the walls throughout the bar and dining areas. And he continues to attract stars, but this time in the kitchen. Head chef Dominic Chapman has been widely lauded for his efforts since he moved here from the Hinds Head down the road in Bray, which he opened alongside Heston Blumenthal. He ran the kitchen there until 2007 when he felt it was time to step away from Blumenthal's rather large shadow. Well, you can't blame a man for wanting a place to call his own. At least he has brought the famous triple-cooked chips.

Before we even caught sight of our starters we devoured a couple of exquisite Scotch eggs and a helping of fried courgettes. Chapman keeps things simple; he travels far and wide to source the best produce and then refrains from messing with it too much. It is such a hard balance to strike between pub food and restaurant dining, and one that many gastropubs struggle to find. The Royal Oak experience manages to hit the spot with an extensive menu of decidedly British offerings.

Fresh Cornish lobster salad stood out among the starters, while warm English asparagus with soft-boiled gull's egg and hollandaise was just lovely, although for £16 you might expect a bit more.

The quality of the ingedients really shone through in the mains. A haunch of venison was tasty, tender and rich while plump lemon sole was perfectly grilled. Puddings are also English favourites and a raspberry Eton mess was a delight, while a British cheese platter was well selected.

But perhaps the best thing here is that it is clearly a locals' pub; during lunch the bar area was crowded with people having a drink. You can imagine just popping in for a pint and a Scotch egg at the bar, although it might be difficult to resist being lured into the dining area for a full meal.

Tina Nielsen