Mixing work with pleasure is notorious for being a bit dodgy.

So going for a romantic meal in a place where you have had numerous work 'dos' probably isn't the best idea.

The White House, in Botley Road, is so close to the Oxford Mail offices that over the past three years I have been there for quite a few work-based lunches and drinks stints, not to mention hearing stories, which have reached near legend status, about things rumoured to have taken place there.

However, this outing proved to be an evening of excellent food and even better company.

SO WHAT DID YOU CHOOSE?

I ordered the fish pie for £10.50, with prawns and salmon inside a layer of mashed potato with melted cheese on top. It came with a small, crunchy side salad.

My companion was also in the mood for seafood, asking for chilli salmon for £11.95.

WHAT DID YOU THINK?

I was impressed - the mashed potato was creamy and as delicious as the juicy prawns and fish.

My companion clearly had made the right choice too - he said it could only be described as perfect, although it didn't come with anything except a modest amount of salad.

This meant he ordered new potatoes for £2.50 extra - which turned out to be a bit undercooked.

We were so full that we couldn't manage any desserts.

I enjoyed the house Rioja, priced at £3.95 per glass, which proved to be a rich example of this sometimes lightweight northern Spanish red.

WERE THERE ANY NEGATIVE POINTS?

We could barely fault the food, but the service left something to be desired.

Our waitress didn't seem to know the menu very well, and when we asked what the main meals came with, she had to study the menu intently with a bemused expression - and then she just recited what was written on it. She took our order and was poised to scamper away with the eagerness of a squirrel with a giant nut in its sights - so we had to call her back to take our drinks order.

And, alas, the food took a fair old time to arrive. I think it was at least 40 minutes.

VERDICT: I thought the food, although very good, was a little pricy considering the ambience in the restaurant is distinctly 'pubby'. And not a traditional English pub way, with wooden beams and olde-worlde charm.

It's a pleasant enough place to go for some posh nosh in the daytime - especially in summer, when you can sit outside in the lovely garden. But for the same money you could go to a venue with a slightly classier feel.