THE Custom House used to be a favourite of mine back in the day when it was owned by Rob Rollings.

I drifted away from it around five years ago when I became bored of the menu which rarely changed and the repetitiveness seemed to be reflected in the spiritless food.

So when new owner Liam Quigley took over I was optimistic the young businessman would inject a breath of fresh air into the tired venue.

And he and his new team most certainly have.

Abigail was impressed with the mix and match children's menu.

For £4.50 youngsters choose one of burger, chicken goujons, fish, sausage, carbonara or bolognaise, then two of chips, fries, mash, carrots/cucumber sticks, garlic bread, peas, sweetcorn, beans and gravy.

It may be somewhat unorthodox, but whenever given the option of sweetcorn Abigail would pick it as a side to an ice cream, so she went for carbonara with sweetcorn and garlic bread.

I chose the pan-fried chicken which came with fondant potato and a rich mushroom sauce.

The large dish of vegetables accompanying my meal provided plenty for me and Abigail to share - well, Abigail had more than her fair share but what parent would question a child who wants veggies?!

My fondant potato (which Abigail also shared) was spot on with a crisp outer edge and a fluffy inside.

The mushroom sauce was ridiculously moreish (again, Abigail clearly agreed).

My only criticism is that one of the two halves of chicken breast was slightly overcooked but the crispy skin more than made up for it.

The other half was cooked to perfection. Our bill came to £27 with a Fruit Shoot and two glasses of wine.

While some of the changes to the Custom House are subtle that doesn't make them any less significant.

The décor, while not overwhelmingly distinct, is a huge improvement and adds a softer feel to the restaurant.

And although not radically different the fresh new menu options have also served to reinvigorate this long-established restaurant which clearly now has a long and bright future.

Ratings

Food 4.5

Atmosphere 5

Value 4.5

Service 5

Pros

Faultless service

Mix and match kids menu

Cons

No cold dishes/salads