It was a bleak and very cold night when we ventured out to Hutton Magna. Crunchy snow under the tyres, sparkling black skies, trees filigreed in ice. The contrast inside this cosy little pub in this charming village couldn't have been more marked. Warm wood panels, low lights and a crackling fire made a welcoming first impression. What warmed us further was the open and genuine smile from the landlady, Claire Ross - although that somehow seems the wrong term for such a delightful and professional hostess.

We started with a pre-prandial - I had a cracking pint of Black Sheep (although also tempted by one of my favourites, the Timothy Taylor Landlord, and also the Bombardier) and my wife settled for a glass of sparkling wine. A lady of sophisticated tastes, she likes a good sparkling wine, and it's not often you find a village pub or even a small restaurant prepared to sell it by the glass. It was declared "perfect".

My wife chose from the specials board while I stuck to the main menu. She ordered a crab mayonnaise to start and I opted for what turned out to be a great winter soup - smoked haddock chowder. Before they came we were treated to a couple of canaps each of chicken liver and smoked salmon terrine - sensual little mouthfuls that just whetted the appetite.

The crab was really lovely and beautifully presented, although my wife wasn't sure that the marie rose sauce was strictly necessary. My chowder was great, slightly under seasoned with lots of haddock, mushroom and peppers, although the seasoning came through as the level went down. Very nice, with the generous helping of fresh, warm bread, and at a cost of £9 for the pair, very reasonable.

Claire Ross, who owns The Oak Tree with husband and chef Alastair, was pleasantly, but unobtrusively attentive and we never once felt rushed or hurried. She has a very engaging nature and appears to know her business very well. She must have been disappointed by the turnout however. The cold snap had chased away some of her custom - two tables had cancelled we were told, and another just didn't turn up (I always think that's incredibly rude...). Because the restaurant area only has about six or seven tables, this resulted in this cosy pub - with its dark wood tables, silvered place mats and shining glassware - initially feeling a bit cool. Also, the open fire is at the opposite end of the room to the dining area and on a perishing night such as this, felt a bit distant.

My wife's main course was rabbit with Toulouse sausage in a chicken mousse and tagliatelle, served with potatoes (with pasta?) and cabbage and carrots with caraway seeds - superb tastes. The meal was declared delicious, but although not overly hot. My rump of lamb was pink - not as pink as I normally have it, but perfectly acceptable - and very tasty, served with wilted greens, green beans and potatoes. Both cost around the £13 mark.

My wife stuck to water during the meal, whereas I went for a bottle of Don Jacobo Reserva Rioja - dry, mature, sophisticated and superb, kept at just the right temperature and costing £16.50. I enjoyed a couple or three glasses and took the rest home to enjoy in front of my own fire.

We were almost too full for desert, but were tempted by one offering on a really good list, which announced all deserts - including the ice creams - were home made and cost £4.75.

So we shared - at least I managed to wrestle two spoonfuls from my wife - a wondrous little pot of pistachio crme br-le. There are hardly words to describe my wife's delight. Creamy, delicately flavoured and with just the right amount of crunchy, sweet topping, it was a triumph of tastes.

And just when we thought we were all done, there was another treat. Two petit fours - sumptuous squares of a caramel confection and I snaffled them both - served her right for purloining all the br-le.

As we relaxed over our coffee and tea the place started to fill up a bit. According to Claire, the "locals" come in after about nine o'clock, when most of the restaurant visitors are relaxing into post-prandial satisfaction. As the sound of friendly chatter rose around us, so did the feeling of warmth. It's a hard blend to master, but the Oak Tree manages to mix pub and restaurant culture with ease.

The not unwelcome noise also served another purpose - it pushed the music into the background. A CD of odd mood music, periodically sticking - didn't do much for the ambience.

However, that's a minor criticism, and almost churlish in an otherwise most enjoyable evening. We paid the bill - £65.20 for the lot - and crunched our way home through the frost-laden lanes, perfectly content with a very warm experience.

* Bill Oldfield owns Oldfields restaurants in Durham and Jesmond, Newcastle.