Hare and Hounds, Levens

This week's food review comes to you courtesy of the Volkswagen emissions scandal.

My car, a VW diesel, was called back to the Lindale mothership to have whatever needed to be done to it done to stop my silver dream machine emitting poisons into the atmosphere.

With a few hours to kill while my car was being seen to – and in possession of a bright blue Polo courtesy car with a nine-tenths empty fuel tank – my husband and I set off in search of somewhere close by for a leisurely lunch.

We pootled along the A590 into Levens village, arriving at the Hare and Hounds pub just as it opened at noon for its lunchtime service. Unfamiliar to me, the Hare and Hounds is a firm favourite with a number of people I know, so this was the perfect opportunity to check it out for myself.

Run by a couple who moved up to the area from London a few years ago, the pub has recently been done up, with a formerly disused barn being transformed into a stylish dining room linked to the main pub.

As the first customers in, we had a good wander around all the different parts of the pub, settling eventually at a table in the front of the pub.

While the new barn area is airy and modern and provides a showcase for wine selection, the rest of the pub is quirky and traditional, with plenty of nooks and crannies and a lovely atmosphere.

It's the sort of place one can pop in for a pint with the dog, or spend an entire evening downing gourmet food.

We started with a couple of cappuccinos, which we enjoyed while perusing the menu. The Hare and Hounds has earned a reputation in recent years for its burgers and pizzas, but neither of us was in the mood for anything quite so hearty, even though the pizzas, which are all handmade to order, come in small and large sizes.

For a starter we shared a little seafood pot for £6.50, which came with a some fab crusty bread. In the pot was flaked salmon, haddock and prawns, with leeks in a creamy curry sauce and all topped with a Parmesan and herb crust. It was absolutely delicious.

The pub earned many big ticks for us throughout our visit – not least for the friendliness and efficiency of the staff – including the cutlery being wrapped in large napkins practically the size of a tea towel. A welcome change from paltry paper napkins which disintegrate the first time they are put to use.

For our main courses Gordon went for a Barnsley lamb chop at £16.25 and I chose a pan fried stone bass with noodles, stir fried vegetables and prawns, costing £15.95. While this may seem quite pricey for a pub lunch, the food at the Hare and Hounds is of such a quality that this is actually good value.

Gordon's chop was exactly as he had requested – pink – and was tender and juicy. It came with a simple and refreshing salad and potatoes as you like them.

My stone bass was perfectly cooked, with a crispy skin and topped with delicious juicy prawns. The stir fried veg and noodles in a teriyaki sesame dressing were completely moreish and complemented the fish very well indeed. This was a simple but entirely accomplished dish of restaurant quality.

By the time we had finished our meals (neither of us had room for a pudding), the pub was doing a fairly brisk lunchtime trade for an off-season midweek day.

On my trawl through the pub when we arrived, I could see that many tables were reserved for the evening session; and I'm not at all surprised that the pub is so popular.

Levens itself is a pretty enough village, although not on the tourist trail, but plenty of people are beating a path to the door of the Hare and Hounds – and it's easy to see why. It's a proper, traditional pub providing really high quality food.

It's not the cheapest pub meal you will get in these parts, but from what I've seen, it'll be one of the best.

Louise Allonby

Ratings (out of five):

Food 5

Service 5

Atmosphere 4

Value 4

Pros

Serves food all day

Large drinks menu

Plenty of parking

Cons

Very busy in the evening

Driver is required