One of the benefits of living in an Oxfordshire village is that you are never far from a pub. And so on a pleasant day my partner and I took a walk across to The Coach & Horses Inn, a 16th Century Inn brimming with character. Conveniently situated on one of the main arteries into East Oxford, the pub perfectly serves the same purpose it has done for the last nearly five centuries, offering food and drink to travellers.

Our meals began with a pair of prawn appetisers, tempura king prawns for me, a prawn cocktail for my partner. At the same time, a hearty children's meal arrived to satisfy my daughter's hunger. The children's meals really are terrific at The Coach & Horses Inn, with a portion size that managed to defeat the receipt (something seemingly rarely achieved). Fabulously herby, locally sourced sausages and chips (noticeably less seasoned then the adult variant, a much appreciated step) went down a storm with our two-and-a-half year old. Our starters were the perfect beginning for our meal - well-presented and packed with flavour, but not too big to spoil the rest of our appetite.

On to our mains (as our co-reviewer continued to demolish her meal), for which I went for lamb cutlets (on a menu packed with tempting pub grub), while my partner chose the beef roast. As with the children's meal, these were well-portioned affairs that gave us each what we were looking for. The roast was tender, with the accompanying vegetables and Yorkshire pudding perfectly prepared, whilst the lamb was perfectly cooked, well-paired with the tomato, flat mushroom and chips. If there was a down side to our mains, it was that they both lacked a punchy flavour, proving to be a bit too soft for our palates.

Having been somewhat defeated by her main, our daughter roused herself for a dessert, meaning we would have to join her in this endeavour. She went for a scoop of chocolate ice cream, whilst my partner went for the Eton mess sundae and I chose the lemon tart. They proved popular choices, capping our Sunday meal in style. The lemon tart in particular stood out as a flavoursome treat that was just sharp enough.

The Coach & Horses Inn is well worth a trip out of Oxford. Surrounded by the beautiful Oxfordshire scenery, it provides good pub food in a fabulously atmospheric surrounding. Added to this is a staff that went above and beyond to welcome us and make us feel at home in this delightful watering hole.

Three courses for two and a children's meal come to £71.50, which feels just right for a Sunday lunch.