Louise Glyde winds down after a long day for dinner at the versatile Greens Restaurant & Bar in Wickham

GREENS Restaurant & Bar is a fantastic venue simply because it is so versatile.

Its relaxed and stylish atmosphere lends itself equally to winding down of an evening, or for going out for a special occasion.

My dining partner and I popped down one Friday evening to sample what Greens had to offer.

When we arrived at around 7pm, there were a few people eating and a couple more supping some of the delights from the bar.

By the time we left, the place was full and buzzing with people sitting down to dinner or chilling out in the bar before they headed off elsewhere, another sign of the establishment's wide appeal.

To my dining partner's delight there was the real ale Swift One, from the nearby Droxford-based brewery Bowman Ales, on draft and he enjoyed a pint before dinner.

The menu stated that all the ingredients were fresh and, where possible, sourced locally, which impressed both of us.

The freshness of the food was evident when it arrived.

To start with I had the Soup of the Moment', which was leek and sweet potato, and my companion had mussels in coconut milk with tomato and coriander.

For my part the soup was tongue-tinglingly good, and this was helped by the fact that it had a kick of spiciness about it.

From the way the mussel shells quickly piled up into their spare bowl, and from the lack of conversation at that point, I took it that my fellow food taster was happy with his starter.

I then had cod with Parma ham on a bed of creamed potato and asparagus, and my cohort had pan fried calves liver with crispy bacon, creamed potatoes, asparagus and crispy fried Parma ham.

Both were superb, and we finished off with strawberries and clotted cream and lime sorbet, respectively.

The food was bursting with flavour that was facilitated by the simplicity of dishes, which were beautifully presented.

A three course meal for two including a bottle of wine, a pint of real ale and a bottle of mineral water, came to £66.90, which was very reasonable for the quality.

Not only was the food first rate, I was also delighted with the friendliness and efficiency of the waiting staff and management.

I would thoroughly recommend Greens for any occasion.

Greens Restaurant & Bar, The Square, Wickham. For bookings call 01329 833197, or e-mail info@greensrestaurant.co.uk