It was the weekend just before my birthday and plans were made in advance. But the reality was I'd put my back out and the weather was utterly miserable.

We'd always planned dinner out on the Saturday night but now I was after something closer to home with a cosy feel. Sparkly heels were going to be a definite no.

The Druid Inn ticked all the new boxes - cute, cosy, local - and I'd not been in a long time, so a table for two was booked after a quick butchers of the menu online.

There's plenty of parking, and we were thankful for a space close to the pub, as it was pouring down.

The place is picture perfect, and has a lovely outdoor area which I made a note of as we scurried past. Once inside, it looks and feels as a good country pub/restaurant should: there are original features, fireplaces, quirky items dotted about.

There were plenty of people already dining, groups and couples. It was good to see the wind and rain hadn't stopped people venturing out. This boded well for the food.

A friendly waitress met us straight away and gave us a choice of tables at the far end, a more intimate space compared to the larger dining area, told us the soup of the day, highlighted a specials board and took our drinks order.

Now the menu. There was plenty of choice, and it really was a struggle to narrow it down. There is a 'while you wait' section as well as starters and mains, and on this occasion we did this trio, speculating it would be at the cost of pudding later.

From 'while you wait' my other half chose garlic ciabatta with cheddar. It was chunky, cheesy and satisfying, perfect cold night comfort food. I went for the tempura battered calamari with garlic aioli. It was a good sized portion, with light, crispy batter and the squid was lovely and soft, certainly no chewy rings of rubber here!

Next up was a bit of indulgence on our part. We ordered mushrooms in creamy garlic sauce on toasted ciabatta, and a whole baked camembert with red onion chutney and croutes, both of which we planned on sharing.

Again it was generous portions and we both got a good serving of each. In fact, the gooey baked cheese got the better of us a little, with us keeping it on the side to dip into with our mains.

The Druid's mains selections offers something I'm a fan of in restaurants, the choice of several dishes in a smaller portion. And I was glad I'd gone for just that, as my fish and chips with pea puree looked more than enough after my double starters. The chips were huge, and came in handy to help finish off the camembert.

My partner's gammon - full size portion - was enormous, and seemed to never end, with more being revealed hidden by chips and a fried egg. My plan had been to sample this but I was struggling with my own meal. This really might have been a case of eyes bigger than our bellies.

But finish we did, clean plates all round, including the cheese.

Asked if we wanted to see the dessert menu, we declined, knowing all too well we'd get tempted and our bodies were under duress as it was. I knew from sneaking a peek online that there was chocolate brownie or crumble or Eton mess, and I can be weak.

If a big feed isn't for you, the Druid Inn also does a great lunch menu, Monday to Saturday from noon-4pm, and the staff are great at making you feel at home.

The bill was asked for and we waddled off home, more than happy with our meal, with my boyfriend keen to return and take in Plas Teg just up the road, ghost stories sparking a wonderful curiosity about the place. Any excuse to book back into the Druid Inn.

The Druid Inn, Wrexham Road, Pontblyddyn CH7 4HG Tel: 01352 770292

Food 8.5/10

Ambience 8/10

Service 9/10

Disabled access yes

Children welcome yes