IT has to be said that there are quite a few cool places in Truro to eat and drink.

And the Thomas Daniell is most certainly one of them.

It might look like a traditional pub from the outside, but inside it is modern, classy and a lovely place to eat.

The food is really rather good, too.

The TD serves breakfast, lunch and dinner and it was a birthday evening meal that was our particular occasion.

It was a Saturday night in January and the place was busy and buzzing.

Starter options cover all tastes, from moules to soup, cured meats to terrine.

The other half and I went for the onion bhaji, which seemed about right for a little nibble of a starter.

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What arrived was far from that – two hefty bhajis, two large poppadums, a hefty pot of mango chutney and salad.

It was delicious, but it was also hard to believe that this was meant to be a start for one person.

And that was the slight problem for us ¬ portions can be too big, too soon.

That meant that we slightly regretted our choice of mains – the seafood mezze.

On the face of it, it didn’t sound like too much – fish goujons, fried squid, king prawns, chips, bread and salad.

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But my, it was a lot of food. We could have easily shared it between the two of us.

The goujons were more like mini fillets and, as delicious as they were, I sacrificed two of my three to make sure I could enjoy the rest of the experience.

That experience was excellent. The prawns were beautiful, the squid just salty enough, the chips perfectly crispy and the bread toasted just right.

Eventually, I got through it bar the two aforementioned sacrificed goujons, which filled me with slight dread when I looked at them.

But it’s all subjective, of course, and one person’s definition of too much food could well be different to another’s.

It did, though, spoil our enjoyment of the meal just a little bit.

There is an impressive mains menu, with fish, pies, paella, steak and burgers among the offerings, as well as veggie options like the falafel burger and mushroom pie.

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We ate with friends, who had the meat and non-meat variations of the pies, which they reported were just right in both taste and portion size.

Something a little different is also on offer in the form of raclette, which is cheese served on a heater with a choice of sides. You even get a ‘how to’ guide of how to eat it. That’s definitely one for next time.

Because we would absolutely go back, but we’d certainly order less.

Key information

Drinks selection: A wide range of beers, wines, cocktails and spirits

Our cost (two people, without drinks): £39.10

Contact: 1 Infirmary Hill, Truro, 01872 858110, www.tdtruro.com

Opening times: 10am to 11pm Sun-Thurs; 10am to 12am Fri and Sat

Ratings (out of five)

Atmosphere: 4/5

Décor: 5/5

Food: 4/5

Service: 4/5

Overall: 4/5

In order to ensure objective reviews, the Mystery Diner is carried out on an independent basis without the prior knowledge of the establishment.