Chris Gray on a delightful lunch at a country classic

In the days before the huge increase in traffic in Oxford's Botley Road made lunchtime trips to Cumnor a time-consuming activity, the Vine was one of my favourite places to enjoy an hour's break from work. Even the dullest day could be brightened by a pint of bitter, a portion of the landlady's incomparable steak pie and a tug-of-war session with two of the sweetest natured Staffordshire bull terriers you could hope to meet.

A quarter of a century on a twinkling of the eye in the 260-year history of this fine old pub I have a dog of my own whose demand for walks effectively prevents any middle of the day indulgence, even if I could be bothered to brave the queues flocking to buy toys, computers and cans of paint from West Oxford's warehouses.

But at weekends, time is less of an issue and the Vine is an appealing prospect especially so when the sun is shining, as it was two Saturdays ago between rain showers of surprising intensity.

Rosemarie and I invited her parents, Cliff and Olive, on what was, for all of us, a first lunch there for many months. Its pleasures were such that we wondered why we had stayed away so long.

Our welcome could hardly have been warmer, both from manager Declan O'Neill and from his four-footed pal Brecon, who with various resident canines, maintains the Vine's reputation as a dog-friendly place.

In keeping, properly, with today's ideas about hygiene, Brecon's tail-wagging salutations had to be delivered through the French windows from the very spacious garden. I popped out to say a quick hello and she introduced me, slightly disdainfully, to the hutchful of rabbits which prove popular with the pub's young visitors.

Perhaps fortunately for parents, who otherwise have a little explaining to do, rabbit does not appear on the menu (another one of those extensive scrawled-up-on-blackboard jobs which I always have to read out at laborious length for the myopic Rosemarie).

Nor any longer, I noted, does the menu feature such exotica as kangaroo and ostrich novelties which turned out, here as elsewhere, to have limited appeal to customers.

Instead, there is a solid assortment of continental and British favourites, with an excellent variety of fish a particularly welcome feature.

As we made our selections and ordered, we sipped glasses of a fruity white win (Reynier) and tucked into warm mini-loaves of bread tucking which might have continued but for the arrival of the first courses.

With a well-developed taste for things savoury, I had chosen smoked haddock with bacon and Welsh rarebit., Though there was not much of it, the fish was moist. The bacon was flavourful and crispy, and the cheese gave a perfect finish.

Acknowledging that neither had room for a whole starter for herself, Rosemarie and her mother shared a light puff pastry 'pillow', served hot and packed with prawns and mushrooms in a lovely creamy sauce.,

Always a man for soup, Cliff passed on the cold offering, cucumber, in favour of the hot one. He admitted that rocket, parmesan and nutmeg sounded rather fancy for him, but on tasting it thought it excellent (as did a neighbour who, by coincidence tried it the same evening).

Cliff was complimentary too about the sizeable rump steak which followed medium, as specified, and served with mustard sauce, good, crisp chips and salad.

Stuff swordfish, fresh tuna, halibut and salmon were among the finny offerings, but nothing could beat the appeal of that king of white fish, turbot.

A sizeable piece of firm flaky flesh was served roasted on a bed of creamy, thyme-flavoured risotto packed with peeled langoustines. Truly a memorable dish.

There is always a curry available. Today's was beef, much enjoyed by Rosemarie, who found it mild (though it tasted rather hot to me) and delicately spiced. The chunks of meat were big and tender. It came with nan bread and mango chutney.

Her mother, meanwhile, was tackling a big and juicy rump of lamb, with a rich, dark gravy bursting with the flavours of redcurrants and rosemary.

For those who needed them, there was selection of good fresh vegetables, including beans and carrots.

As so often, puddings became a time of sharing. The assiette of chocolate was ideal for the purpose, consisting of portions of chocolate marquise (something between a mousse and a parfait), a hot chocolate sponge and a gooey chocolate tart with Bayleys liqueur,

The other communal offering was a pyramid of sweet fromage blanc with peach schnapps and a hot fruit compote.

After coffee and farewells we returned pretty pleased with ourselves.

The feeling of goodwill was considerably heightened when we passed down Cumnor Hill through the most remarkable double rainbow I have ever seen.

It was like a coloured archway laid on for our special benefit.

(FOR TWO)

1 pastry and prawns 5.50

1 smoked haddock 4.95

1 roast turbot 11.95

1 beef curry 8.95

1 chocolate assiette 4.50

1 fromage blanc 3.95

1 bt Chilean merlot 10.95

1 bt water 2.25

2 coffee 2.00

TOTAL: 55.00