It’s a tough life being the birthday bird, especially when the boy wonder says he’s taking you out somewhere new to eat! Cue The Devonshire on Bridge Street in Belper... now I know that it is a pub, but it also has a nifty little restaurant insitu. I’d never been in there before my birthday, but it has a really cosy atmosphere. There were already a couple of couples in there when we arrived, which for a mid-week night is always a good sign.

We were shown to a table adjacent to the fire, and given the menus and specials board. With a rather nice glass of red wine in my hand I studied the very extensive fayre on offer, and I was sorely tempted by the Tex-Mex menu I must say. However, I eventually settled on Smoked Mackerel with Avocado to start and the Salmon, Courgette and Tarragon Tagliatelle for my main. The boy wonder had Homemade Chicken Liver Pate to start and Sirloin Steak for his Main. My little chick had the Chicken Strips with Sweet and Sour Sauce to start with, followed by Creamy Chicken and Mushroom Risotto for her Main course.

The starters were all beautifully presented. I pinched a little morsel of the hubsters Pate, and it was blooming delicious I must say ! My smoked Mackerel was lovely too, not at all dry - as you now, dry fish is one of my pet-hates, and the accompanying mayonnaise was beautifully seasoned with just enough Garlic. Judging by the speed that the Chicken strips were devoured, I think it safe to say that they passed the taste-o-meter test!

After a short interlude our main courses were presented to us, again 10/10 for presentation. Hubsters Steak was cooked precisely as he had ordered; the vegetables weren’t cooked until mushy - they still had the perfect amount of crunch left in them. My tagliatelle was cooked perfectly al dente, coated in a glossy, beautifully thick white sauce that contained thick tempting slices of Courgette and then topped with lovely satisfying chunks of fresh succulent Salmon.  Little chickadee was tucking into her risotto with amazing gusto and said it was very tasty indeed, and when I sampled a little bit I was not in the least disappointed. It was beautifully seasoned, creamy and the risotto rice still had that substance to it that leaves you satisfied, and there was plenty of chicken pieces and mushroom in evidence.

Seeing as it was a birthday meal it would’ve been rude not to sample the delights of the dessert menu I thought. My fledgling decided to have the Chocolate Fudge Cake served warm with Vanilla Ice Cream and the main man and I had the White Chocolate Cheesecake served with Cream. The desserts duly arrived and........... OMG! I thought I had died and gone to birdy heaven - totally taste-tastic. Definitely a score 0f 20/10!!!

Throughout the night our waitresses were always very polite and both were extremely smart in their appearance. If you’ve never thought about going to the Devonshire before I can completely recommend it, the menu is very well thought out with something for everyone and a cosy atmosphere as well. Top Marks

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