OKAY, so it’s not everyday that you get the chance to taste lobster, but on a dark and windy winter’s Monday evening, The Wappy Spring Inn provided just that opportunity.

The Wappy, on Lindley Moor Road, is quite renowned for an excellent Sunday lunch service offering a two course special for £12.95 and three courses for £15.95.

But, by way of the review, we were interested to taste what the à la carte menu had to offer.

And we were certainly not disappointed.

There was a wide choice of seven starters and 12 main courses, plus an additional fish board hung up in the bar.

Unfortunately the salmon mousse starter had run out so I opted for the chef’s homemade pâté, of chicken liver and wild mushrooms with a homemade peppercorn marmalade and salad garnish.

And, after making a slight faux pas . . . “Ermmm, is this the pâté,?” I asked Dale anxiously while I scraped at the fatty protective coating. “Phew,” I then added as I broke through to reveal the gorgeous smooth beige mix underneath, much to Dale’s amusement.

Meanwhile, he had opted for the homemade sea bass, lime and ginger fishcake with a tangy orange and lemon mayonnaise with a dressed salad and boy, was that good.

While Dale laughed at my ridiculous attempt to break into the pâté, he was left with laughing taste buds as the side accompaniment to the fishcake really packed a punch.

Both were priced £5.50 and £5.95 respectively and were quite reasonable for the generous portions presented.

The Wappy, which at one time seemed to go through several changes of ownership, is now run effectively by Austin Wylie and Trevor Simpkins.

We arrived on a quiet Monday evening at which at one point there were no more than eight people dining at once, making the restaurant area feel homely, without being too crowded.

There was a warm and relaxing ambience, interesting prints of Huddersfield landmarks on the walls and the service was brisk and considerate.

For our main courses I had lamb Henry roasted with rosemary and served with a tasty redcurrant and port wine jus which set it off a treat. It came with four new potatoes and a generous side dish of vegetables and it just fell off the bone and melted in the mouth.

And now for the piece de resistance – tucked inside the leather-bound menu was a rare special on offer that evening – Lobster Thermidor served with a velouté sauce on a bed of creamy mash and it caught Dale’s attention straight away.

It looked absolutely fantastic when it came to the table in a huge bowl.

Despite dining at a restaurant in the heart of the Pennines – a venue with a Halifax telephone number but a Huddersfield postcode – the lobster brought a touch of the Parisian to the cold winter’s eve.

Feeling decidedly stuffed we took a short break discussing if the lobster had, in fact, been a Lily or a Larry the Lobster, before deciding to share a dessert and opted for the chef’s homemade cheesecake.

It was a good shout and had a rich and crunchy doorstep base with a plentiful topping, bursting with rum and raisin flavours, served with scoops of delicious vanilla ice cream and topped with a chocolate straw.

It was a great end to a wonderful evening.

In addition to the à la carte menu, the Wappy serve Early Bird menus, a choice from four starters and four mains featuring battered black budding, Thai fish cake and deep fried brie, along with pan fried chicken breast stuffed with Cheddar cheese, spring onions and strips of red pepper, to an asparagus and mushroom risotto and homemade steak, ale and mushroom pie.

The Wappy also promote their fish and steak nights which are staged on Tuesdays and Thursdays. It’s £20 for two, including a bottle of wine and couples can choose to mix and match, order one steak or fish dish each or decide to have two fish or two steak dinners.

Venue Wappy Spring Inn

Tel 01422 372324

Website link via www.itsourlocal.com

Opening hours Mon: 5pm to 9pm; Tues to Sat: 5pm to 11pm; Sun: noon to 11pm.

Children Yes

Disabled access Yes, restaurant and toilet facilities are all on one level.

The bill £44.70 (excluding drinks)