THERE are occasions when I eat out and want the establishment to serve a good meal because they are trying so hard and such is their eagerness to please. The other night two of us popped into The Rose And Crown on Harefield Road, Rickmansworth, and emerged later with several reservations but a positive impression overall.

The Rose and Crown used to be a traditional, wisteria-clad country inn, renowned for the quality of its real ales. It was an extremely pleasant watering hole close enough to town for people to pop out from Rickmansworth for a spot of relaxation in the countryside.

Most of the traditional pub remains, including the wisteria, but the tiny inn has been enlarged while the old bar has been reduced in size, and, although they still keep their ales extremely well, the main thrust of the business is the restaurant.

However, elevating their kitchens to same level of importance as their beer cellars is a route taken by many public houses, so how can you stand out from the crowd?

The Rose and Crown is trying and has got most of it right, as they seek that tasty individuality. Whereas menus contained somewhat overblown descriptions of the mundane, such as "drizzled with fresh oranges" or "a montage of chips", there is a new trend to seek novel ways to present familiar dishes.

Hence we have "minted dumplings", "wilted spinach" and "bubble and squeak" on the Rose and Crown menu along with roasted hazlenuts and toasted pine nuts.

Our meal started superbly.

The beer was excellent and the wine extremely palatable and the service very attentive and I liked the fact one waitress confessed it was her first night and she was extremely nervous. She and the Scottish head waiter came up trumps with their interest and concern.

Full marks too for the excellent potted smoked mackerel pat with toast and homemade horseradish sauce, which was a really delightful combination.

The quality of meat for the chargrilled ribeye with hand-cut chips and stilton pepper sauce was extremely good and the chips were first class.

My colleague was given a choice of rare or medium rare when she ordered calves' liver with mustard mash and crispy bacon, opted for medium and was surprised when it arrived somewhat rare - a fact not conveyed to me until well into the meal by which time there was little that could be done to rectify the change. But fair play, they knocked a dessert off the bill in order to, as they put it, encourage us to come again.

The plum crumble contained more nuts than breadcrumbs, the plums were undercooked and, in my case, cold in parts. It was served in a square bowl, which looked good for style but was not totally practical. The menu and the specials board is changing constantly and, apart from a few reservations, on balance we had a good meal, thoughtfully presented. Despite those reservations, I would not hesitate to try it again.

The Rose and Crown is on the bend in Harefield Road, Rickmansworth.

Rating: Three stars.