Alan Cookman

visits Residence, Congleton

ONE upside of the downturn – possibly the only upside of the downturn – is that fine dining is becoming more affordable

So is indifferent and not-very-good dining, of course, but the best deals are by no means confined to the cheap and cheerful end of the market.

Residence, a stylish newcomer with a touch of class, is a case in point. Here the fixed price deal fixes the price of a quality two course meal at £11.95 and three courses at £14.95.

Granted, the choice is limited to just three starters, three mains and three desserts, but at those prices who's counting?

Seekers after gastronomic bargains will not fail to recognise the value of an inclusive three-course meal that costs less than many single dishes on the à la carte menu.

Residence is located in Mill Street on the site of the old Bulls Head pub, now quite unrecognisable after a lavish makeover.

It's the sister venue of the two-year-old restaurant and bar of the same name in Nantwich, and has the same quirky elegance.

The trademark dogs in uniform – paintings of uniformed dogs, not real ones – are there along with the mirror-lined walls and ornate light fittings.

So dimly lit is the bar area, however, that we thought we'd timed our arrival to coincide with a power cut. A guide dog, uniformed or not, would have been useful as we tried to adjust our eyes to the gloom and feel our way to the counter.

I detest overlit bars or restaurants, but this is carrying the craze for the fashionably underlit a bit too far.

Thankfully, the figure who materialised out of the gloom with the inclusive menu was a little ray of sunshine, or at least the menu he gave us was.

For starters we had the choice of roasted field mushroom soup with lemon and rosemary; home-made steak and mushroom pie with caramelised red onion; or prawn and crayfish tian with herb oil.

The three mains were beef strips stir-fried in honey and ginger with fine vegetables, egg noodles and a sweet chilli sauce; ratatouille vegetable risotto with Parmesan and rocket salad; or oven-baked salmon fillet, lemon and chive mash and white wine cream jus.

I ordered the seafood tian, which was like a de luxe prawn cocktail served in the shape of a pill box and tasted so good that I was close to tears when it was gone.

Herself chose the steak and mushroom pie, an unusual starter, but small and perfectly formed, its meaty contents encased in perfect pastry, enhanced by "gorgeous" caramelised onion.

So far so good, and yet my main course – the stir-fried beef strip with noodles – surpassed even what went before, the kind of sweet and harmonious dish that not even a slight surfeit of ground pepper (my fault) could impair.

The meat was lean and tender, obviously a quality cut, and I mentally defied Herself to enjoy her baked salmon fillet and chive mash even half as much. She did – it was beautiful fish beautifully cooked and served.

She saved her highest praise, though, for the house's home-made lemon and lime cheesecake, which she proclaimed to be the best she'd ever tasted.

I was able to add that I couldn't recall when I enjoyed a dessert as much as the scrumptious honey and raspberry crème brulée, a light and fruity treat to round off a thoroughly enjoyable meal.

The extensive à la carte menu at Residence features salads, pasta and rice dishes, fish, flesh and fowl and "gourmet burgers." Prices are in the range of £7.95 for a classic Greek salad to £19.95 for an 8oz fillet steak.

And in addition to the usual starters, priced at around £5 to £6, there are "Resideli" boards (averaging £8 or £9), featuring selections of cold meats, salads, cheese, seafood etc "for sharing or nibbling."

By the way, the dining area is somewhat better lit than the bar, but if in doubt take a flashlight or Davy lamp.