THE Glegg Arms at Heswall has been a local landmark for donkey's years.

Now a Beefeater Restaurant and pub, it's also becoming a landmark in a completely different way: for quality food and service at a reasonable price.

You always know what to expect at a Beefeater: imaginatively distressed surroundings (your Dining Outers were seated across the way from the mock dungeons, though the inmates looked perfectly happy and certainly weren't starving); cleanliness, and well-presented vittles from a menu offering something for everyone.

And that's not to say that it's boring: the new crop of seasonal party fare, for instance, features all sorts of challenging tastes such as swordfish marinated in lime and coriander, the veggie treat of caramelised onion tart (a welcome change from the ubiquitous vegetarian lasagne), and filo-wrapped tiger prawns.

The Glegg is obviously a great place for Christmas or New Year partying, with something to suit the plainest and most adventurous eaters. And if the revelry gets too much, the 36-bedroom Travel Inn can put you up for a mere £36.50 per room per night.

To bolster the resolve of drivers-who-obviously-can't-drink, the Glegg also operates a 'Soft Touch for Drivers' scheme which gives each party's designated driver three soft drinks on the house.

Your Dining Outers had a pre-season sneak preview just last week, taking along our fussy nine-year-old to test drive the children's menu. First triumph was his plate of onion rings, succulent and fried to perfection.

Our waitress Shelagh was probably the nicest woman in the world and nothing was too much trouble - not just for Globe staff, but all her other charges as well.

I started with a personal favourite: Caesar Salad with Chicken, a huge serving of this lettuce/parmesan/crouton/mayo and garlic concoction. No soggy lettuce here, just masses of tasty chicken and a serving big enough to stand as a meal in itself.

My husband had deep-fried battered mushrooms with a sour cream dip - cooked to perfection with no greasiness or sogginess.

Next I just had to have a house speciality: steak cooked exactly as requested and bursting with flavour. My beloved had marinated chicken breast packed with moistness and flavour. Both were served with a choice of spuds and veggies. Our Little Darling plumped for sausage and chips - not adventurous, I know, but at least he enjoyed it thoroughly.

Puds are of the shame-making variety: my mix of profiteroles, chocolate sauce, cream and ice cream was just too divine, surpassed only by His Lordship's Creme Brulee with Bananas! The only virtuous one among us was Our Sam, who had a plain bowl of strawberries. Poor babe.

So, a great night was had by all. Whether you are booking a major get-together or a simple family nosh, the Glegg Arms is hard to beat!

J.L.Y.

Converted for the new archive on 13 March 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.