THE Ivy doesn't need any introduction – even if you haven't eaten at the Winchester restaurant it's impossible to miss on the High Street with its big green veranda.

If you haven't eaten there, no one would blame you. It's decidedly on the pricy side.

That said, their festive menu has come out ahead of Christmas, offering three courses for £55 per head and two courses for £50, and we went along to try it out. 

And someone did once say they've been to both the Winchester branch and the original restaurant in London's West End and that the Winchester Ivy is better, so there you go.

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To kick proceedings off my dining partner went for the roast pumpkin and butternut squash soup while I opted for the cured smoked salmon, both of which did the job.

This was all washed down with a glass each of Nyetimber Classic Cuvee, West Sussex's very own award-winning sparkling wine.

The service was impeccable and our waitress, Georgia, was impressively knowledgeable about food intolerances (in our case gluten), checking with the kitchen after each of our queries.

Then it was on to the mains – turkey ballotine with cranberry and pork stuffing and a delightful truffle sauce, and the goose, turkey and duck shepherd's pie.

It was all very festive and all very delicious. There were even some premature Christmas crackers with their charming jokes.

While everything had been good thitherto, it was the desserts that really stole the show.

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There was a massive edible snowman with edible skis and an edible hat, served up in a sort of misty bell jar (watch the video above). This was full of unexpected ingredients like honeycomb, chocolate brownie, milk foam, popping candy and all sorts.

It felt like being on holiday, although I had to grit my teeth to polish it off.

There was also a chocolate bomb which knocked our socks off, dissolving as it did with a caramelly sauce poured over the top.

One thing that mustn't be forgotten is how much the decor and the feel of the place add to the experience of eating at The Ivy. It feels like stepping into a place less like Winchester on a drizzly evening and more like the West End.