IF you're the type of person who struggles to decide on which starter to have, Tastes Restaurant, in Ashbourne, has come up with the ideal solution.

When diners are presented with the menu for the evening, it is explained that you don't have to choose a starter – instead you get a "taster" portion of everything on the menu, so you only have to choose a main course and dessert if you want one.

Secret Service was quite impressed with this idea and would have relished the theme continuing through to the main course and dessert!

Despite the fact it was a Friday night and we hadn't booked, we were given a warm welcome as we descended steep steps into the restaurant, on St John's Street, which is underground and therefore snug and cosy for an intimate dinner for two – or just a good gossip where no-one can listen in!

We ordered a bottle of wine, were ushered through to the restaurant and our starters arrived rapidly on a huge platter. There were garlic mushrooms; a prawn cocktail cup; filo basket with peppers; garlic bread with artichoke and goat's cheese; a blini with Parma ham and melon; a salad of tomatoes, cucumber and mint, all served with a basket of bread and home-made melba toast.

With such an array of flavours, it was hard to know where to start, but everything was beautifully presented and tasted superb.

In fact, when the platter was taken away, your spy and companion agreed that we would have been happy simply to skip the main course and have more starters.

Your spy was glad we didn't though, as the main courses of lamb in redcurrant gravy and breast of chicken, in a white wine sauce, arrived accompanied by new potatoes, carrots, red cabbage and broccoli.

The lamb was beautifully tender and cooked to perfection, while my companion pronounced the chicken to be delicious. Secret Service couldn't actually finish all the lamb as there was so much of it.

Tastes operates a prix fixe tariff, with two courses coming in at £21.95 per head and three courses being £25.95, but as the first two courses had been so generous, we opted out of the dessert option.

As the dessert menu is on a slate, we didn't see what the choices were on offer, but Tastes' website says the desserts are all homemade and there is also a cheeseboard for those without a sweet tooth.

We ordered two coffees and were given the choice of milk or cream and, despite the fact that Tastes is only open until 9.15pm, felt there was no pressure for us to drink up and leave as the clock crept towards 10pm.

From the number of diners in Tastes on a Friday night, it would appear that the restaurant is one of Ashbourne's best-kept secrets – but with friendly service, excellent food and plenty of choice, maybe it's time it became more of a jewel in the crown.

TASTES RESTAURANT

WHERE: Middle Cale, St John's Street, Ashbourne.

MEAL FOR TWO: Two-course meal 2 x £21.95, bottle of Pinot Grigio £15.75, coffee 2 x £1.65 each.

TOTAL: £62.95.

CALL: 01335 300305.