The Old Green Man,
Little Brickhill,
Watling Street,
Milton Keynes,
MK17 9LU
Phone 01525 261253.
Just off the A5 south of Milton Keynes. Central Milton Keynes about a 10 minute drive. Ample car parking. Probably no need to book mid-week lunchtimes, but a good idea evenings and weekends.

Oh, yawn, not another gastro-pub? Well, yes but, no but…this one certainly works and unlike many other, similar restaurants just outside the modern Milton Keynes, isn't expensive (e.g. around £25 per head for two course lunch with a glass of wine and coffee.) The OGM is the first phases of a budding empire called Mercury Management run by Kevin Thornton and Mark Butler, who plan to set up a collection of "food-led destination pubs" in the south Midlands area. Décor is good old touchy-feely bare wood … one entire wall is made of stacked firewood logs ­ and subtle grey/beige tones, somewhat let down by what seems like plastic-upholstered chairs. Never mind. Staff are blue stocking girls from the former Commonwealth countries, very polite and friendly and really seem to care. What a nice change. And the food? Gastropubby of course, but with imaginative touches like a selection of "grazing plates" for us girlies who like to pick at each other's food, plus a choice of small main courses, and a selection of hairy-chested traditional stuff like ham/egg/chips, steak and kidney pie, etc. Reasonable wine list at reasonable prices, well, considering it's a restaurant. Sorry, "food-led destination pub" ­ must get the jargon right.

This review is by very old friend Suze "Food&BoozeBySuze"