Josue and Mel Choppy hail from slightly warmer climes, the Seychelles, and it's lucky for us that they chose to bring a touch of the laid-back island culture to Hertfordshire. At Choppy's the focus is on leisure, pleasure and, of course, relaxation. So unwind in stylish comfort with a glass of Sancerre, and allow Josue and his dedicated team to spoil you.

At Choppy's Restaurant, local produce is the name of the game, and Josue works tirelessly to source the freshest, most delicious ingredients from the local area. Virtually everything is created from scratch by head chef Ben Rule, whose outstanding knowledge of the area has allowed him to build up excellent, enduring relationships with local farmers. All meat is traditionally reared at a farm in Watton-at-Stone owned by the Borlase family, who have been farming the land for five generations. It's good to know, when you're tucking into one of Choppy's juicy steaks, that Mr Borlase's 400- strong herd of prize-winning Simmental and Belted Galloway cattle have been happily grazing in open pastures during the summer, bringing natural flavour to your plate; and your pan-roasted Temple Farm chicken breast has not long ago been scratching about in the fields and hedgerows of nearby Roydon.

We visited for dinner on a warm evening in June and were shown to a table in the garden. Surrounded by roses and hollyhocks, we cast our hungry eyes over the menu, with the faint scent of rosemary emanating from the nearby herb garden making our mouths water and preparing us for the feast ahead. Each dish at Choppy's is garnished and flavoured with herbs and salad leaves from the garden, where Josue and Mel hope to cultivate their own vegetables over the coming months. Choosing a starter proved more than a little difficult, but finally I settled upon seared scallops. They were tender and sweet, lightly seasoned and served with a slick of minted pea purée, a scattering of crisped bacon and caper berries. My guest chose the duck hash, served with a poached hen's egg and a handful of peppery rocket, drizzled with balsamic dressing. Next I went for the fish pie, filled with chunks of tender fish and served with fluffy mash flavoured with Kent Cheddar - delicious. My guest's lop-eared pork belly was served with parsnip mash, honey-roasted carrots and a sweet cider sauce. I couldn't resist dessert, and, though he had declared himself full to bursting only moments before, my guest immediately followed suit when he spied the slice of cheesecake on my plate. In possession of a very sweet tooth, I helped him finish off every last crumb of his hazelnut chocolate brownie, which was served with a generous dollop of double-chocolate-chip ice cream.

We finished with a couple of coffees, brought to us by a friendly waitress who, like an old friend, invited us to stay as long as we liked. 'There's no hurry,' she assured us with a smile. What better way to while away the evening than with a visit to Choppy's Restaurant' I guarantee you'll be back for more, with family and friends in tow.