That's because this separate wooden building just looks like a rather large but unremarkable clubhouse for the adjacent golf course.

It's just so simple and perfunctory - and not in a intriguingly stylish or minimal way - just featureless.

It totally belies the interior however, a fact which is apparent the minute you step inside.

What they've tried to create is a warming chalet feel, somewhere between a highland retreat and a post-ski resting place where you retire after a long day on the slopes.

Which works remarkably well given that they've run with the idea while giving it a contemporary twist.

The decor is rich but nothing too lavish. There's hints of tartan which, I'm reliably informed, is the Yorkshire variety - who'd have known there was such a thing? This place is full of surprises.

Dark wooden framed photos line the walls, there's open fires, stonework and spongy carpets, all sumptuous and cosy. Just a few things taint the overall look - the doors which lead outside are intended to act like French windows creating an expanse of glass, but they look like what they are: a long line of fire doors leading onto the veranda.

And the view isn't as great as you might imagine, unless you like golf courses of course.

But overall it's all rather delightful, even if it isn't entirely clear what sort of restaurant this is trying to be - just a few feet away is the bar area where golfers can come to grab a gin and tonic and, presumably, a sandwich or toastie which are the first things which greet you on the menu.

Naturally this leaves you even more puzzled since it seems The Claret Jug is striving to be something more silver service than fast food - might it have been better to carry these on a separate bar menu?

More confusion came when we pushed on with the menu and realised that there are no starters as such, merely 'light meals' - just what constitutes a 'light meal' exactly? A small portion of something hearty or a large portion of something light?

We threw caution to the wind and I ordered a Whitby crab and crayfish cocktail with toasted fennel bread while my dining partner had the smoked haddock and Swaledale goats cheese fishcake with watercress, bacon and tomato dressing.

Both were great except, at £9 a throw, I'd have expected more than the dollop of crab and crayfish I got glooped into a glass. It tasted pretty good but was gone in a few spoonfuls. Now I understood what they meant by a light meal, but I couldn't see how I'd consumed almost a tenner's worth of seafood.

My dining partner was more impressed with the taste and portion she sampled until - ouch! - a crack which could shatter a windscreen came from her mouth. The tiny squares of bacon which were intended to be crunchy were as hard as diamonds.

Some people may have enjoyed this experience, if they were masochists and didn't value their enamel, but it was a rather big blunder on the part of the chef since these tiny grit-like fragments were scattered throughout the dish.

Her luck didn't improve vastly with the main course (which even more confusingly didn't come from any section marked 'Main courses' instead it came from the 'Classics' section).

She went for the braised lamb shank but was disappointed to find that it was rather fatty throughout, even if it was sizeable and nicely cooked. Meanwhile my calves liver was delicious but a tad mushy and overdone.

Despite the handful of gripes the rest of the food was flawless and everything came in good time and accompanied with a friendly smile.

The desserts were divine, the coffees perfect and the red wine the perfect accompaniment.

But be warned: The Claret Jug isn't cheap. Our meal for two came to around £95 for three courses with wine and coffee, which is a little bit eye-opening but not a huge surprise given the surroundings or the standard of the menu which uses the highest quality, and invariably local, ingredients.

This is, after all, Oulton Hall and the only five star hotel in Leeds. It's also obvious that they've put a great deal of time, money and effort into creating something special both in terms of atmosphere and culinary excellence.

It isn't perfect and the few mistakes they make are particularly noticeable but all the positives are equally apparent - extensive and imaginative food, top service and surroundings which are as welcoming as they are surprising.


FACTFILE

The Claret Jug, Oulton Hall, Rothwell, Leeds

OPENING HOURS: 11.30am - 9 pm
WEBSITE: http://www.devere-hotels.com/our-hotels/oulton-hall/eating-and-drinking/dining/the-claret-jug


RATINGS

FOOD 4/5
VALUE 3/5
SERVICE 5/5
ATMOSPHERE 4/5