THE riverside pub I visited for this week's Gazette was voted one of the five best child-friendly pubs in the UK last autumn, but I was there for a grown-up meal, with my friend Corin, who owns the Emporium cookware shop, in Eynsham.

We were meeting to talk about kitchen equipment, and how it has evolved during the past decade.

Despite the floods, that were last month creeping precariously close to the door, we had chosen The Trout, Tadpole Bridge, Buckland Marsh, which you can reach by taking the Buckland turn off the A420, though we approached it by taking the left-hand turn out of Bampton.

In the summer, this is the most delightful area to visit, as the Thames Path, that runs alongside the pub, is teeming with wildlife and birds. It's here that you can sometimes spot a tree sparrow, with its chestnut-brown head and white cheeks, or one of the many reed-nesting birds. Buzzards too, and kingfishers.

However, there was no chance of a river walk the evening we called, as floods covered the landscape for as far as we could see.

In the 1970s, this isolated 17th-century pub was without electricity and basic amenities, but over the years, it has gradually pulled itself into the 21st century, and now boasts a very attractive, almost rustic interior, that bows to the needs of the modern day without spoiling its old-world charm. Roaring log fires fill the air with the fragrance of woodsmoke, and a friendly old-fashioned welcome is assured the moment you enter the front door. I admit it's one of my favourite pubs, as dog is welcome in the bar area, and there's a spacious garden leading down to the river for al fresco dining in the summer.

Before sitting down at our table, we enjoyed a half pint of Burford Bitter, brewed in Witney, which at 4.3 per cent ABV, and with its long bittery finish provided a very pleasant start to the evening.

Because it was an evening meal, we both chose a starter. Corin went for the deep-fried scallops, oriental noodles, and Thai broccoli (£7.95) and I chose the mushroom soup, from the specials board, at £4.95. Corin chose scallops because she'd never tried them deep-fried, and was convinced this dish wouldn't work. It didn't. By being deep-fried, the scallops lost that luscious texture they have when seared, or poached in white wine. Added to which, the noodles and the rest of the mixed vegetables on which they were placed were cold, and dare I say it, the broccoli looked very similar to the English broccoli I know so well. My soup was fine, as tasty as anything I would have cooked myself, and the assorted breads we were offered to go with our starters were home-made and delicious.

For the main course, Corin chose the pan-fried calves liver, with braised red cabbage, mustard mash, and red wine sauce (£14.95) which she declared delicious. She was particularly pleased to see that the chef had respected her wish, and the calves liver was served slightly pink, and delighted to discover that the red cabbage provided her with a glorious mix of flavours.

I went for the fried haddock and chips from the specials board, pictured, hoping that it would encapsulate the superior tastes that fresh fish can provide when in the hands of a chef who knows what he's doing. It did, though I was slightly disappointed to discover it was served with straw potatoes, rather than the thick home-cooked chips I expected from an up-market establishment such as this. Apart from that, it was fine and well worth the £10.95 I paid for it.

Other dishes offered the night we called included rump of lamb (£15.95), herb-crusted breast of chicken (£12.95), and beetroot and pear risotto, at £11.95.

We left promising ourselves that our next visit would be in the summer, when we could enjoy the delights of the pub garden.