AFTER a lovely Sunday morning wandering around Winchester, we were hungry and in a need of a sit down.

We didn’t fancy going to a noisy pub and weren’t after a formal restaurant meal, so opted instead for the Cathedral Café.

A modern, airy building centrally located just 25 metres from the historic cathedral, it was the perfect place for a leisurely lunch.

You don’t need to have paid to visit the cathedral to go into the café (we hadn’t), it’s open to anyone.

There was a good range of freshly cooked main meals on hot plates to choose from, and they all looked appetising.

It was immediately obvious that this was a cut above the sort of restaurants that normally serve their meals this way.

While it is convenient, all too often, food kept continuously hot can quickly dry out and often seems overpriced for what it is as a result.

The Cathedral Café’s young staff were friendly and eager to please, it’s always nice to be served with a smile.

I opted for the poached salmon with asparagus sauce, which came with a generous accompaniment of vegetables, including roast and boiled potatoes, carrots, mange tout and parsnips.

Served with a lemon wedge, the fish was soft and full of flavour, and I was impressed by the range of vegetables.

My mum went for the roast beef with Yorkshire pudding and vegetables, it was a Sunday after all. The meat was tender and tasty, she said, but a little bit stringy in places. Other tempting main meal choices included a leg of lamb and a mushroom and butter bean casserole.

There was also a decent selection of sandwiches, paninis and jacket potatoes to choose from.

We were there on a day which was just warm enough to sit outside on the large terrace area.

It was nice not to be surrounded by dirty tables, as happens so often at busy times at some seat-yourself-restaurants. The tables were all cleaned quite quickly here.

With a soft drink each, our bill came to a very reasonable £17.15.

Whether you’re specifically visiting the cathedral or just passing, the Cathedral Café is definitely worth a visit.

The Cathedral Café . Tel: 01962 857 268. web: winchester-cathedral.org.uk.