We visited The View restaurant, at All Saints resort, near Bury St Edmunds, and found an idyllic view, expertly cooked food and great flavour combinations

It was a surprisingly bright and warm Friday lunchtime when my husband and I arrived at All Saints resort, in Fornham St Genevieve, near Bury St Edmunds, and headed inside its hotel reception and up to The View restaurant.

On arrival we were greeted warmly and shown inside, where we found the restaurant certainly has the wow factor. Offering contemporary yet classy interiors, the standout feature has to be its expansive views across the golf course.

Soon seated in a coveted window spot for our lunch date, we delighted in the peaceful sights of golfers making their way around the course and the geese hurrying into the River Lark to escape the leaf blower-wielding groundsman heading their way.

We spied a terrace which, in the coming warmer months, will no doubt be a superb spot to enjoy a meal in the sunshine – and even more of those elevated views.

While the restaurant offers an extensive drinks menu, we opted for mineral water and Coke Zero before allowing our hungry eyes to devour the lunch menu.

With a seasonal menu offering lighter bites, including a tantalising selection of sandwiches, baguettes and nibbles (with a ‘chef’s sausage roll served with date and walnut ketchup’ sounding particularly tempting), these two diners instead plumped for the three-course lunch menu for a very reasonable £26 a head (two courses £22.50).

The starters on offer included moules marinieres and wild mushrooms on flatbread.

I had barely had time to read the list before my husband David declared his choice of smoked duck breast, served with celeriac, winter greens and pickled walnut.

And when it arrived, he was in raptures. Seldom have I seen him so enthused about a dish, praising its intense flavour combinations (being particularly keen on the pickled walnut – a personal favourite of his but rarely seen these days), preparation and presentation.

Meanwhile, on discovering soup of the day was parsnip, my starter choice was easily made.

It arrived with a hefty hunk of delicious toasted bread and the soup garnished with delicate parsnip crisps.

The soup had a great depth of flavour with a hint of a fruit I couldn’t place, while those crispy slivers of parsnip simply melted on the tongue.

And the bread… the bread. How can carbs possibly be the enemy when fresh and flavoursome bread like this exists?

Next up, we needed to select our main courses from a list including Thai green fish curry, truffle risotto, flat iron steak, beer battered haddock and signature The View burger.

This was a tough decision for us both. David settled on The View burger, served with bacon, barbecue sauce, Monterey Jack cheese, fries and house slaw.

It arrived in a lightly-toasted bun with the burger steaming hot and a gloriously generous serving of cheese melted over the meat.

“I made the right choice,” said David as he tucked in enthusiastically.

Meanwhile, as it was a Friday I eventually settled on the beer battered haddock, served with triple-cooked chips, crushed peas and tartar sauce.

I was delighted to discover satisfyingly crispy batter enclosing juicy white fish cooked to perfection, while you can’t go wrong with mushy peas and home-made tartar.

By now, our bellies were rapidly becoming full, however we felt it important to sample the desserts in the interests of our review (and nothing at all to do with the fact we are a little greedy).

I was tempted by the vanilla rice pudding, apple tarte tatin and caramelised white chocolate parfait, however when our server informed me the specials board dessert was vanilla cheesecake with poached rhubarb, I was sold.

It was rich and creamy on a tasty biscuit base – and definitely complemented by the tang of that pink poached rhubarb alongside. The flavour combination was an absolute winner in my eyes.

Being a creature of habit, I knew all along that David would opt for the duo of Suffolk cheeses, served with chutney, grapes and crackers.

And there was no disappointment as it offered two generous portions of potent cheese and all the trimmings to satisfy any cheese fan.

The only downside? Our eyes may have been bigger than our bellies, as by now our appetites were definitely waning.

However, with a sense of peace and relaxation in the restaurant itself, there was no feeling of being rushed. Instead, the calming atmosphere allowed us to slowly savour our expertly-prepared dishes while taking in those panoramic views.

During our lunch I had spied the adjacent Snug, where diners were enjoying coffees, drinks and afternoon teas. David and I had intended to end our experience there, supping a latte. Alas, we couldn’t consume another morsel of food or drop of liquid.

We will hold that thought for our next visit… as we will certainly be back.

• The View is open for breakfast, lunch, dinner and afternoon tea, with its bar also open to residents and non residents daily. Find it at IP28 6JQ, or call 01284 706777.