You can make a few safe assumptions on what will be on the menu: 1. Fancy salad 2. Meat 3. Fish 4. Something sweet. 5. There will be c. five little dishes, and you will get some amuse-bouches. Lyle’s is one of the latest in “Simple British” and does it remarkably well.

For lunch, they serve a range of a la carte choices, but go for dinner and there’s no choice at all – one menu, six courses, prix fixe.

The dinner menu when we went was….perfect. Yes, not all of it was completely clean, but it was great quality fresh food. The waitress asked us if there was anything we didn’t eat so I was able to ask for no white “hard” carbs.

What did we get?

• Two pre-starter bites – cray fish with a side of “posh 1000 island sauce” (samphire cooked in butter).

• Salad of cheese, raw peas, and flower petals (a fantastic twist on a salad – although I’m not sure I’ll be foraging in my garden just yet)
• Ox heart

• Fish (Simple white fish and roe with a liquorice sauce)

• Pudding of the nicest creamiest vanilla ice cream, and loganberries three ways.

We went at 7 on a Friday, and while it took 45 minutes for the place to fill up and have a buzz, the staff are beyond friendly and polite and helpful so you don’t feel out of sorts.

Yes, there are a few things on the menu that you shouldn’t eat if you’re being 100% clean, but you can avoid dessert. The mix of small plates and fish/good meat mean you’re getting great whole foods. It’s a fantastic restaurant.

*not-so-secret-local-tip* They have coffee experts on hand, meaning they serve – all day – the best coffee in the area.

Clean eating friendly? Ish. As the menu is new every day you might have to request a few changes, or just enjoy your night out and use as a cheat meal.
Veggie friendly? No – the set menu has meat and fish all the way through it
Delicious? Yes
Why should I go there? Romantic night out