After a trip to David Bann, I’ve been happily enlightened to the full potential of vegetarian cuisine. Each and every dish listed on the exquisite menu makes the usual ‘vegetarian options’ you find elsewhere seem little more than an afterthought.

I began my evening with freshly made walnut tortellini and parsnip soup; the curried root vegetable offset by a sweet carrot purée and firm, flavoursome pasta made a very promising first impression. A watercress salad with beetroot and goat’s cheese arrived liberally doused in a delicious raspberry vinaigrette – radishes and firm green beans adding crunch to complement the smooth creaminess of the tangy goat’s cheese. The spices in my butternut squash, cashew and cauliflower curry were delicately balanced, and worked superbly well with the lightly fried patties of potato, rice and fenugreek.

For dessert, we chose the whisky and vanilla pannacotta and a dark chocolate soufflé. Light and smooth, the Italian pudding was accompanied by a scrumptious homemade raspberry and malt whisky chocolate, while the fluffy soufflé, oozing with rich chocolate, was partnered with a terrific vanilla ice cream.

Inventive dishes that intrigue and surprise at every turn, coupled with quality presentation, mean that meat or no meat, this is dining of the highest order.