Restaurant: The Westerly, Reigate

Reigate is a historic market town in Surrey. It is set at the foot of the North Downs about a mile off Junction 7 of the M25. It has retained some of its historical buildings including its castle which sits within the one-way system that encircles the town.

Probably the biggest down-side of Reigate is that the A25 runs right through the middle of the town. In fact the High Street is actually part of the A25.

In common with many other towns it has plenty of chain restaurants such as Pizza Express, Strada, Cafe Rouge, ASK etc. However it also boasts a number of individual restaurants serving above average food. The best of these is undoubtedly The Westerly.

The Westerly is situated just around the corner from the High Street on the London Road. If you were shopping in Reigate you might be tempted to turn back at the end of the High Street as it looks like there's nothing else of interest there but if you follow the one way system around on to the London Road then you will quickly come upon The Westerly.

It calls itself a "Modern Bistro" and I guess this sums it up neatly. It's got an air of casual elegance about it. It's informal and unfussy in a bistro type of way. However, unlike a Paris bistro such as Chez Georges (qv) there is at least some space between the tables.

I've been going to The Westerly since it opened about 18 months ago. It took over the premises previously occupied by another favourite of mine "Sweet Potato". When I first discovered it I was quite pleased that we had found another top restaurant not far from us.

My wife and I mistakenly thought this would become a regular place to visit on our Friday nights out. We always eat out on Friday night as it starts the weekend off on the right note. However I rarely book more than 24 hours in advance as I like to keep my options open to suit my mood.

Bit by bit it became impossible to get into The Westerly at short notice as word spread about how good it was. And then the floodgates opened.

The Westerly won the prestigious accolade of the 2008 Rémy Martin UK Restaurant Excellence Award. This award is given to the restaurant which has shown itself to be the most outstanding rising star of the UK restaurant scene.

The Westerly had not only finished ahead of other similar restaurants around the country but it had also beaten many Michelin-starred places to the title.

I don't know how many covers per week they did before the award but I'll bet that since the award they must have added at least 20% to the number. It is now nigh on impossible to get a weekend table at short notice. Unless you're really lucky like I was recently when I phoned in the hope of a cancellation. And bingo - I got a table.

The food is definitely a modern take on standard bistro fare. This is food that I would normally only expect to find in London or maybe in one or two of the top echelon of gastropubs.

I started with Croquette of Pig’s Head with Sauce Gribiche. My wife had Terrine of Chicken Livers, Cornichons and Onion Chutney. Both dishes hit the spot nicely.

Portions were just the right size for a starter - big enough to take the hunger away but small enough to leave you still yearning for the main course. They were accompanied by a basket of good quality bread. (I don't know if it's home made).

My main was the star of the night - Roast Icelandic Cod, Mash & Salsa Verde. This is a match made in heaven. As Michael Winner would say - "historic".

I'm fussy about my fish. Not only must it be fresh but it must verge on being undercooked. Fish that is overcooked (as most restaurants do it) is just a waste of money. Every fish (including shellfish) gets chewy and dry when it's cooked too much. That's not the way I want my fish.

I want a fish that has been seared on both sides and allowed to heat through until just past raw. This way it stays juicy and succulent and the flesh just falls away when you start eating it. I wish that fish could be ordered like beef i.e medium rare (or blue in the case of tuna!).

Needless to say The Westerly got the cod spot on. A lovely juicy piece of fish on a bed of the most unctious mash imagineable with a perfect salsa verde on top. This is the second time I've had this dish here and each time it has been 10 out of 10. I'm drooling thinking about it now.

My wife had Duck Confit, Garlic Roasties, Watercress and Blood Orange Salad. Again, another masterpice of execution.

From past experience we knew that The Westerly serve brilliant chips - triple-cooked in the Heston Blumenthal way. So we were a bit greedy and ordered a portion.

Now the main meals are meant to stand on their own as they each come with vegetables. In truth we overdid it with the chips. By the time I got through my cod and mash my appetite for chips had dwindled and so we ended up leaving half the bowl untouched. Sinful I know.

I did manage to squeeze in a dessert though. I had a Chocolate Malt Ice Cream and Peanut Butter Cookie. The ice cream was perfectly smooth and delicious. A find end to a fine meal.

Just around the corner from The Westerly is Tony Tobin's restaurant The Dining Room. For a long time this was my favourite restaurant in Surrey. I've literally spent thousands of pounds there entertaining over the years.

However, based on my last two visits, the standard at The Dining Room has fallen so far that I don't bother to go there any more. This is a restaurant living off its chef's TV fame.

Luckily I have The Westerly to go to. It's less pretentious, the food is better and it costs a hell of a lot less. It's a gem. But whatever you do don't tell anybody else about it. I want to be able to get a table there!