Chicken & chorizo skewer £5.50

Cauliflower tempura £5.50

Mac & cheese £8.00

Beef burger fries £9

Bottle Merlot £21.50

Total £49.50

We had been out for an afternoon away from the hustle and bustle of the city, the Moll and I, getting some much needed fresh air in our lungs and exercise in our legs.

We had worked up an appetite in the great outdoors to the extent that horses in the fields were getting nervous when the Moll’s gaze fell upon them.

Back in the city, we decided to take a trip to Ashton Lane in the west end and take a chance on what fare was on offer from the many establishments.

We found The Gardener, bolted on to the Grosvenor Cinema, and decided to give it a go.

It’s a big old place but not so many tables at first glance as the bar takes up a lot of space, but there is more space in the Plant Room , which can also be booked for private dining

The menu looked good and had what we were looking for.

Not fine dining but it looked to be a step up from pub grub.

A good selection of starters and mains at very reasonable prices.

Cauliflower is certainly a versatile vegetable and these little florets fried in a very light batter was a excellent way to start the meal.

The chicken and chorizo skewer with a tingly sweet chilli sauce left us wanting more even though the portion size was sufficient.

The mains were standards, which was what we were looking for on this occasion.

The Moll had the Mac and Cheese, a simple dish but with so many ways to get it wrong.

The Gardener avoided all of them and delivered a good old-fashioned plateful, and what a plateful.

Regular readers will know the Moll can shift her food but with still a good few forkfuls left on the plate she declared “that’s plenty”.

In fact she issued a challenge to anyone to polish off the entire portion, which came with two large flatbreads.

A gauntlet has been thrown, readers.

The humble beef burger is also a simple dish which can be easily ruined by too much interference.

This was simple, good quality beef, cooked well. No frills, because really, no-one is expecting Michelin standard with a beef burger.

Inside the place is tasteful. Plenty of greenery as the name would suggest and an open airy feel.

A bit too airy at times until the staff obliged and closed the door onto Ashton Lane.

Talking of the staff they were very pleasant and engaging.

There were desserts on offer but after the filling starters and main courses there was no room at the inn for any more food.

So off into the evening we headed, contented after an enjoyable meal.

The Gardener offered a good late afternoon meal in pleasant surroundings.

It also has a discount if you have a cinema ticket.