‘Folksy’ was one reader’s description of this enterprising concept – a ‘Farrow & Ball country kitchen’ tapping into a bucolic, rose-tinted past with its deliberately homespun look. Muriel’s is named after the owner’s ‘no-nonsense’ grandmother (the logo is her real signature), although the old girl would be completely nonplussed by most of the stuff on the menu – nori-crusted char-grilled salmon with miso and ginger sauce, gran? Beef lasagne is a fixture and there are always soups and salad combos such as radicchio with blue cheese, pickled fennel and toasted pecans to go with the monthly line-up. Breakfast/brunch deals including creamy omelettes with excellent ‘WI-style’ chutney get the nod, the mood is chatty, and ‘responsive’ staff know how to look after their customers. Takeaways are available, and an online shop called Muriel’s Pantry is in the pipeline.