AS part of my mission to eat my way around Hampshire my willing and able friend Lisa and I decided to make the The Old Forge in Otterbourne our first port of call.

We decided to give it a whirl on a Saturday night, traditionally a busy and demanding night for pubs.

We were seated in the smoking section straight away.

Lisa and I were impressed by the wide-ranging menu, which covers traditional pub favourites like lasagne, scampi and fish and chips, but also strays into restaurant territory with more complex, and pricier, dishes.

We decided to share a starter of grilled tiger prawns in a white wine and cheese sauce (£4.95).

It's a good thing we shared as they gave us plenty but it was so tasty we made short work of it.

For our main courses we were proper pub food connoisseurs and quite literally ate all the pies.

Lisa went for a seafood pie (£8.25), served with salad, and I had a chicken pie (£6.75) with chips and peas.

Both were open pies in puff pastry and had a good balance of meat and sauce.

In the interests of fairness we tried both colour house wines - Lisa tried the Pinot Grigio, a snip at £3.45 for a 250ml glass, and I had a more modest-sized Merlot (£3 for 175ml).

The Old Forge serves good-sized portions so you won't go hungry but I let Lisa talk me into sharing some profiteroles (£3.85) for dessert anyway.

Thank goodness for her - they were about the best profiteroles I've ever had.

The service was faultless, quick, friendly and efficient, and we were able to run a tab without handing a card over.

So now the nights are drawing in and the idea of rattling around town in sub-zero temperatures appeals less and less, The Old Forge should come into its own as a friendly pub serving good food at very reasonable prices.

Lisa and I would both happily go back - but we've got the rest of the county to cover first...

The Old Forge is at 85 Main Road, Otterbourne. Information: 01962 717191