THE Old Mill in Berkhamsted has undergone an extensive renovation transforming both inside and out into a beautifully designed space. Arriving on a very busy Wednesday evening I wondered if the seasonal cuisine would match the impressive new look.

What I really liked about The Old Mill was the many different areas- it had that lovely higgledy-piggledy feel that pubs can sometimes have with booths dotted here and there and separate dining rooms and a snug room.

But don't for one second think the decoration is mismatched- it is wonderfully designed with both light and dark shades, quirky pictures and a few stag heads adorning the walls. There's lots to look at.

The private dining room with an antler chandelier and deep red chairs caters for 14 people and the snug room can also cater for smaller parties. In the courtyard they have made a beautiful water feature out of the mill wheel, and there is even a 'moustache' booth- builders found a moustache shaped piece of wood from an item of furniture and made it into a face above the booth.

Once my friend and I had admired the décor we were seated in the busy restaurant and got down to business- looking at the menu.

Head chef Lee McQuoid changes the menu every three months to keep it seasonal. The steak is supplied by butchers Aubrey Allen (holders of a Royal Warrant) and the pork, chicken, eggs and ice-cream are all English and free-range.

It's a great menu with lots to choose from, including some lovely looking deli boards from cheese to cold cuts.

We had some delicious thick, warm bread with real butter to munch on while we perused the menus. I also sipped on a delightful glass of the Prosecco Spumanter Brut (£5.50) and my friend Lara was very content with her large glass of Marlborough Tummil Flat Sauvignon Blanc 2012 (£7.90).

The starters range from terrine to smoked salmon. I went for the Pan fried wood pigeon, sautéed spinach, celeriac purée and caramel apple jus (£8.25).

The pigeon was cooked pink and was served beautifully, with two thick slices of the bird atop a bed of spinach.

It is a rich, dark meat which to me has quite a gamey flavour but is not too strong. It was cooked very well so the texture was just right.

With the nutty purée and the sweet apple jus it was a great start to the meal.

There is a good selection of salads and rice which you can go for as a main or starter.

Lara went for the superfood salad of smoked trout, radish, bulgur what, toasted seeds and broccoli with a lemon and mint dressing (£6.95).

The trout was light and delicately smoked and was scattered throughout the colourful salad. I'm a big fan of bulgur wheat and think it is underused so it was great to see it on the plate.

Lara said for her the dressing could have been a bit stronger.

For the mains there is a selection of varied meats and fish with also a chargrill section.

I went for the smoked haddock and king prawn pie, parsley crust and autumn greens (£12.50). I'm a big fan of fish pies and although this did not disappoint- it was not up there with the best of them.

The fish was fresh and well cooked and the mash was just as it should- fluffy and creamy- but the sauce in the pie lacked that added punch- it could have done with more herbs.

The autumn greens of peas, shredded cabbage and curly kale were lovely and fresh and went great with the pie.

Lara had the 28 day dry-aged 8oz rump cap steak (£19.50), with chips and watercress. She went for the confit garlic and shallot butter. She was very pleased as the chips were homemade and thick and fluffy.

She was slightly disappointed with the steak, as although the inside was cooked medium rare as requested, it was slightly too chargrilled on the outside. She also said it would have been better if the butter had melted into the meat, rather than sit on top.

Then my favourite moment of the evening was my delicious pudding. I had the Dark Valrhona chocolate and mint terrine with salted caramel sauce (£6.50).

It was like no other dessert I had tried. It was a slice of a mixture of chocolate mousse and cake, with thin slithers of mint running through.

This was accompanied with a delicious, rich, salty caramel around the edge. It ticked all the boxes and was the perfect size.

Lara had the Apple, blackberry and almond tart with clotted cream (£6.25). She said all the flavours complemented each other well, and was pleased the clotted cream lived up to her expectations- as she is a big fan.

The place was packed when we were there and I can see why. As well as the ordinary menu, they offer a range of different nights- including gourmet burger night and fishy Friday.

The staff are friendly, the atmosphere is busy yet laid back, and the extensive menu will surely bring punters back again and again. For more details go to www.theoldmillberkhamsted.co.uk