"WHAT do you fancy for lunch?" asked my colleague as he eased the car on to the A4074 and headed towards Warborough. That was an easy question to answer - I was dreaming of a fillet of white fish, which was so fresh and well cooked that succulent chunky flakes separated as I dug the fork in. I knew nothing else would satisfy quite as much.

There must have been an angel sitting on my shoulder because that's exactly what I was served. It's been some time since I've tasted such a delectable piece of beer battered cod.

Chris and I were returning to The Six Bells on The Green. We had turned up at this pub in late January only to find it closed pending a takeover. Having been informed it had opened again, we decided to see just how this picturesque little thatched pub, which overlooks the village green, was faring. As I've remarked before, it really does look like the paradigm English inn and certainly the sort of establishment that tourists crave to visit.

Nothing much has changed, except the licensees. The spacious bar area with its large fireplace and wooden floors is just as welcoming and the intimate and rather rustic dining areas behind just as atmospheric. Possibly the scattering of pictures adoring the walls were different, but the solid wooden tables appeared the same, as did everything else.

It's a Brakspear pub, so Brakspear Bitter was on tap, also Fiddler's Elbow, both of which are brewed at Wychwood Brewery in Witney. This is the Oxfordshire brewery which was taken over by Marston's recently.

I rather enjoy drinking Fiddler's Elbow at this time of the year, I like its malty flavour and sweet floral aroma. Let's hope that Marston's continue to produce it, along with Hobgoblin and all those other noteworthy brews that came out of Wychwood.

It was good to see several local customers sitting at the bar enjoying these ales, one of which had brought his delightful little dog in too. The little fellow seemed perfectly at ease, sitting at his master's feet. On patting the dog, I was assured that The Six Bells is very dog friendly. It's wheelchair-friendly too.

The blackboards in both bar and dining area advertised that Tuesdays are pie and beer nights. Customers are offered a choice of three different pies at £8.95 served with a free pint of beer or a glass of house wine.

Because the new chef is still in training, we were offered a limited menu, which is quite understandable. Far better to get a few dishes right - and he certainly cooked my fish perfectly - than battle with a large extravagant menu and make a mess of it.

My beer battered cod came with mushy peas, chips and tartare sauce at £9.95. Chris had cod, too, but requested it grilled. He also raved about his meal. Other dishes listed included home-made beef and Brakspear ale pie with creamed mash and seasonal vegetables (£9.95) hand-carved ham, free-range egg with bubble and squeak (£8.95), pork and leek sausages with creamy mash, onion and beer jam and gravy at £9.95.

The Sunday menu is more extensive and includes starters such as mussels steamed in cider, finished with bacon and Oxford blue cheese (£6.45) and prime English sirloin of beef with Yorkshire pudding and roast potatoes at £11.95.

When I first learned that The Six Bells would be run by the licensees who also run the nearby Chequers Inn, Berrick Salome, I was concerned that they might be taking on too much. Would the excellent service we enjoyed at The Chequers be diluted if they had two places to run? It seems not. We enjoyed an excellent meal served efficiently in a very friendly village pub.