Katherine MacAlister admires the way an old haunt has been revamped: The Trout in Wolvercote was once one of the most picturesque but disastrous pubs in Oxfordshire - until recently, a blistering sore on my culinary antennae.

Because however bad it was, it was always packed, its idyllic setting somehow cancelling out however long you had to queue for a table or wait for a drink at the bar.

And yet this did nothing to dispel the endless succession of tourists who treated it like Oxfordshire's Holy Grail. But thank God, someone has seized the bull by the horns and decided to make eating at The Trout a pleasant experience.

On visiting one Wednesday night, having only been able to secure a table at 8.45pm (you have to book now) and finding the car park as rammed as usual, I assumed the worst. However, as soon as I entered via the new door at the back - one can no longer get in via the metal gate at the river, which used to jam up the patio eating area - I was impressed.

Standing in the tastefully decorated foyer where you can either wait to be seated or move to the bar, you are instantly heartened.

Gone is the dark wood interior and the tiny huddled rooms in which you couldn't even swing a mouse, let alone a cat. The new decor is airy, elegant, calm and huge. They can feed 100 inside and 100 out.

The menu is exciting and offers something for everyone, from oven fired pizzas to posh bangers and mash, steak and frites to smoked trout salad. But could The Trout deliver?

Yes, was the answer, much to our surprise, when we visited. We were seated in a charming room, ordered and served without a hitch.

The other people in the pub were a varied lot in terms of age and (it seemed) class. I know some regulars have been moaning that the Trout isn't a 'proper' watering hole any more, but the fact is the place was packed - and attracting young customers too, which must please the management. Pubgoers these days don't just want beer and a packet of peanuts - times have changed.

WHAT DID YOU HAVE? We tried the roasted mushrooms, pinot grigio, cream, garlic and bruschetta starter and a seared beef carpaccio, parmesan and rocket. Then followed the pork chops with frites, fresh vegetables and Béarnaise sauce and a mozzarella, tomato and basil oil pizza, completed by a shared nougat parfait with hazlenut brittle - and it all went without a blip.

WHAT DID YOU THINK? There was nothing earth-shatteringly innovative, but it was all quite acceptable. If I was being pernickety, I'd say the meat made up for in quantity what it lacked in flavour, in both the beef and pork, and the mushroom sauce with the starter lacked the piquancy I'd expected.

One niggle was that at the bar we couldn't put our drinks on the tab - we had to pay there and then.

VERDICT: Generally the meal was fun, and the management have not only sorted out the kitchen, but more importantly, the system.

We emerged having had a great evening with a bill totalling about £50 for two, with a bottle of wine. The Trout is back in business.