The bosses at The Plough may not realise it, but they could make a few quid if they checked their shelves.

One of the tomes in the Library Bar is Control in a Bureaucracy by Andrew Dunsire. It dates from 1979, so surely it's of limited interest. But had you looked this week on www.amazon.co.uk, you would have seen Dunsire's Implementation in a Bureaucracy, published in 1978, selling at £33.77. The other Dunsire volume was listed as unavailable.

But then the pub - a Greene King place, divided into several bar/dining areas and overlooking Port Meadow - makes little attempt to be 'hip'. It somehow seemed appropriate to see an old Chelsea FC commemorative plate featuring former captain Gianfranco Zola and colleagues, fixed in a snug but obscure corner.

When I visited with friends for Sunday lunch, the place was as busy as I'd expected of a pub with a reputation for offering decent grub in an attractive location.

Nonetheless, I managed to bag a space in the car park next door, while later arrivals had to make do with the main road outside. Our fellow guests were mostly senior in years and everyone looked in good humour. The seats were comfy and the tables spacious.

SOUNDS GOOD. WAS IT?

The Plough offers a three-course deal for £17.95 including coffee, which sounded appealing.

We picked starters and main dishes (there was, apparently, no need to decide then on puddings) and after a few minutes, the first courses arrived.

I'd chosen prawns in pastry with a chilli dip. The filo was crispy and the five crustaceans were plump, but I wished I'd picked lamb koftas with flatbread and yoghurt instead, as the three koftas ordered by one of my friends were on the sturdy side. The others polished off a shredded duck salad with gusto.

My main course was salmon; the alternatives included roast beef and Yorkshire pudding, Stilton and veg crumble, beef curry and vegetarian chilli with boiled rice.

My fillet was a decent sized and competently cooked wedge of fish, sprinkled with sesame seeds and garnished with balsamic vinegar. The vegetables were served separately in small dishes.

I had no cause for complaint, even if the grub looked and tasted unremarkable. The beef was not offered cooked-to-taste, and arrived a touch too well done for one friend.

That said, we were pleasantly surprised at the lopsided shape of the Yorkshire puds which suggested they'd been homemade. The veggie chilli consisted only of vegetables and beans, rather than Quorn, which went down well.

AND THE PUDS?

There was a tempting range, from crumble to crème brulee. Everyone was happy with their choices, which in my case was a rich portion of chocolate and honeycomb cheesecake served with white chocolate ice cream. Scrumptious - and the coffee was strong to match.

WHAT ABOUT THE SERVICE?

There were several young, polite and helpful waitresses. While no mistakes were made, service was at times a tad slow.

VERDICT: Like all pubs in a quaint spot, The Plough doesn't need to be particularly competitive. It didn't quite match the glowing reports I'd heard, but it's worth a visit.