KATHERINE MACALISTER visits a restaurant that more than lives up to its good reputation.

It was definitely my turn. But I’d had to bide my time – resentfully. Never has a restaurant been so popular in terms of reviews.

People I didn’t even know turned up at my desk in a constant stream, cap in hand, asking to check out The Black Boy in Headington, such is its reputation.

Which is all well and good, except that I wanted to go, so I waited until the boss’s birthday – a cast-iron excuse – and pounced.

Yes, I knew about the endless awards, the community events, the children-friendly ethos, the cookery classes. The Black Boy’s halo was shining so brightly it was getting in the way of the Kidlington flight path. But when you have a reputation the size of Fatima Whitbread’s biceps, it’s a hard act to live up to.

I was still totally taken aback when we arrived. For a start, I had no idea Old Headington existed as such. That’s Oxford for you – take a wrong turn and you stumble upon these pockets of glory. In this instance you drive past the new Waitrose and keep going, and there is a charming square surrounded by Georgian houses, with the Black Boy perched on the corner, quietly going about its business.

The interior was even more of a surprise. Expecting an olde-worlde gastro pub, the purple flocked wallpaper and clean bright decor were utterly unexpected. Calmed by the cheerful staff and a glass of Prosecco (birthday must, your honour), we were led to the dining room and perused the lunch menus in fascination.

A nice fresh selection, not too predictably autumnal, and some novel dishes, all good.

And so we ordered – the Black Boy Greek salad (£6.50) and the chicken liver and foie gras parfait with seasonal chutney (£7.50), two immediate hits.

But it was the mains that carried us away on a culinary dream-boat.

They had me in the palms of their hands from the first mouthful. Simple dishes – the Black Boy beer-battered fish & chips with pea and mint puree (for the dazzlingly good value price of £9.95) and the spiced potato and herb cake with chickpea cassoulet (£9.95).

It may not sound like the kind of food to blow your mind but then that’s to underestimate the skills of chef Chris Bentham, because the seasoning, delicacy and attention to detail of these two dishes was magnificent.

Bearing in mind my boss was working his way through the bottle when he gave this description, it’s more effusive than normal but no less accurate. “Really, really lovely and the batter melts in the mouth. The fish is astonishingly solid without being dry – a tough trick to pull off. As for the puree, a fascinating twist on an old favourite.” Yes, a good lunch.

As for me, the designated driver, my meal was no less spectacular, if slightly more inhibited. The unassuming-sounding potato cakes were so cleverly spiced that they perfectly matched the piquant Moroccan-style cassoulet, a sumptuously exotic dish dropped into suburbia.

Finishing up with a chocolate brownie with vanilla ice cream (£5.95), which had me moaning like Divine Brown at an audition, and some great coffee, we made our triumphant exit – knowing that not only had we finally cracked the holy grail, but it had matched all our expectations. Happy New Year.

* The Black Boy is at 91 Old High Street, Headington, Oxford OX3 9HT. Call 01865 741137.