THE art of the deal. No not the book of the ferret haired Donald Trump – just having a keen eye for a bargain.

My dear old papa has it. And I certainly have it. A number of mates of mine do not call me ‘Deals Mills’ for nothing.

Such a deal came a-calling when I saw a three- course meal for £18 at the Three Gables – an idyllic restaurant full of character and charm – winking at me; this set-lunch menu could not be ignored.

My tennis comrade Robin and I entered in attire about as appropriate as going to a wedding in scuba gear but we were shown to our seats with a cordiality we did not merit.

I have been to a fair few restaurants in my time, but not once have I been shown to a drinks table, where we ordered apple juice and Coke and then taken to another room to have our meal. Luxury.

An assortment of cutlery was brought to the table, some of which I had never seen before, but thanks to the helpful waiter I did not look a complete idiot. We chose the set lunch menu, at the expense of the tasting, a la carte and vegetarian menus, and by golly was it tasty.

The food portions were exquisitely crafted and sumptuously presented.

For starters Robin went for the butternut squash soup, which got better with every spoonful.

And I chose the ham hock and chicken terrine, partly because I liked the name, which delicately nourished the palate.

Next up for me was the hake with caramelised onion and mixed vegetables.

It was lightly seasoned, nice and tender and with a good mix of flavours.

Robin had slow roasted belly pork with creamed potato, seasonable vegetable and cider jus which he said was ‘Cooked to perfection – wunderbar,’ although the vegetables were a tad crunchy.

For our third and final course we both had the Guayaquil chocolate moelleux with white chocolate ice cream.

This was a real treat. It certainly beats the Petits Filous yoghurts I get at home, this was melt-in-the mouth stuff.

Our waiter was very knowledgeable and friendly, the service was excellent and the place was immaculate.

Six courses and two drinks for £41.50, absolute bargain.

My old man would have been proud.

THE THREE GABLES

St Margaret’s Street, Bradford on Avon, BA15 1DA 01225 781666 www.thethreegables.com

Parking: None

Disabled access: Yes

Gazette ratings: Food: 9/10 Choice: 8/10 Decor: 9/10 Customer service: 8/10 Price range: £14 (two courses) or £18 (three courses)

TripAdvisor rating: 4.5/5