THE Adver had the chance to sample some of Rick Stein’s new menu in a four-course set of tasters served up ahead of the grand reopening.

After settling on to a plush seat along a wall in one of the many grand little rooms that make up Llaron House, I tucked into a starter of padron peppers and Saganaki halloumi (honey and herbs).

The halloumi felt like chewing plastic and the crunchy covering did not help matters – an acquired taste perhaps – but the peppers were juicy and ever-so slightly spicy, just enough to trigger a tingle on the tongue.

Well, not all of them. After cautiously nibbling at the others, I ate the final one – the biggest – in one bite and swiftly regretted it.

The watercress from the second course warm salad of wood pigeon helped cool my mouth.

Pigeon, as it turns out, tastes like duck, which makes sense I suppose, and is quite moreish.

The thin slivers of meat, drizzled in a refreshing dressing and nestled atop a small pile of chunky potato pieces, quickly disappeared from the plate.

The grilled scallop – another personal culinary first – looked the fanciest out of all the dishes, arriving in a half-shell and swimming in a small pool of hazelnut and coriander butter. It had the fluffiness of cod with a savoury aftertaste.

The cloud-like mackerel pate disintegrated with the lightest tap of teeth, pleasingly contrasting with the crunch of the melba toast, and was full of flavour. I felt like I could eat a jarful without gaining a pound and so again was left wishing for more.

The Indonesian seafood curry with cod, sea bass, prawns and pilau rice is one of the restaurant’s most popular dishes and after trying it for myself, I could understand why.

The bite-sized bit of Chinese pork belly with jasmine rice and bok choi went down a treat, and the mackerel Recheado with kachumber salad and raita bookended my meal with another tang of spiciness.

A small slab of chocolate pave alongside salted caramel ice cream in peanut crumb rounded things off nicely, basically a deconstructed Snickers.