JUST a few miles north of the Monmouthshire border as you leave Abergavenny lies this excellent award-winning restaurant, fully deserving its reputation for top class food.

When my partner and I visited on a Thursday lunchtime earlier this month, the place was packed.

The Cider Mill Inn prides itself on providing the best in local produce and the menu and specials offer a wide and varied selection of good, honest food.

To start I had the sautéed black pudding with bacon lardons, salad with poached egg and pommery mustard dressing (£6.25).

Very tasty, the egg was nicely done, the black pudding rich and the mustard dressing was good.

My partner had the rolled fresh pasta open ravioli with Black Mountain smoked chicken and leek filling and a Parmesan and roasted garlic sauce(£6.95).

Delightful dish. The sauce was superb.

The high standard was maintained for the mains.

My chargrilled rib eye of Welsh Black beef with pepper sauce, onion rings, hand cut chips (£15.95) was very good. The beef was nicely cooked and the sauce spot on.

My partner went for the Nantyffin confit of home reared Welsh lamb, creamed mash potatoes and rosemary garlic sauce (£13.50). Again the sauce was excellent.

Nice and rich with the lamb tender and well prepared.

For dessert we had the affogato vanilla ice cream with espresso shot and whipped cream (£4.95) to round off things off nicely.

The final bill, which included a fine bottle of Saint Emilion, came to £68.40.

Highly recommended. I'd go back any time.