WE used to go to The Stamford Gate as a family almost every weekend for Sunday dinner when I was younger - and by Sunday dinner, I mean my whole family sat there with mixed roasts while I awkwardly ate a tuna and cheese baguette on white bread just to be difficult.

So as a more logical adult, and having sat through the two-hour-long AGM of Holywell Town Council held in the Stamford's function room, I decided to call my dad and see if he wanted a quick bite to eat as the restaurant is only down the road and is one of our locals.

Situated on the busy Halkyn Road in Holywell, the Stamford is a regular drinking spot for sun worshippers in the summer who make the most of the updated patio area and watch the world go by. By winter, it's a bustling little haven that always smells wonderfully of wood fire.

We've had many family events here, and you could say it's one of the nicest places in Holywell to chill, have a drink, and see some familiar faces. It's the type of comfy, homely place you always see someone you know. It was fairly busy for a Tuesday night and had a nice amalgamation of regulars customers, guests who work at local quarries, and councillors enjoying the spread at their annual meeting.

The bar staff were great at accommodating my constantly changing schedule, pending on the time the meeting finished, which changed more than a Shotton High Street traffic light in rush hour.

We ordered garlic bread with mozzarella to share as a starter because let's face it, carbs and cheese is life.

I ordered the biggest portion of "dude food" I could see on the menu in the form of the mixed grill and I can honestly say it was delicious.

Our mains came impressively speedy and my eyes must have bulged out their sockets when I saw the platter of meat put on my place mat. I sneakily asked at the bar for my dad's gammon to be upgraded to large so I didn't feel like a greedy so-and-so, and his looked yummy too. Thumbs up on portion sizes - which in honesty you'd expect at the prices.

Hats off to the chef for what was genuinely a mouth-watering celebration of food. The steak was rare just how I like it, the chicken wasn't chewy, and the gammon was a luxury. God bless high quality butchers. Apart from betraying my two vegetarian best friends, it was a thoroughly enjoyable dish and I'd recommend it to anyone who believes they can store a beast-sized portion of protein and handmade chips.

I always say your meal is as good as your egg is and I was chuffed mine was runny - it's the little things that count.

Plenty of orange juice on tap, friendly staff and not enough room for pudding is always the sign of a happy customer. I'll be going there again because I've heard the salads are amazing…

Food 9

Atmosphere 8

Child friendly yes

Service? 9

Cheesy garlic ciabatta 3.50

Mixed grill 16.95

Gammon steak 13.75

Guinness 3.80

Peppercorn lol 2.00

Two orange cordials 1.40

= £41.40