Black Bull Edgworth has the best dish in Lancashire?

Whether you're in the hustle and bustle of the inner cities or enjoying the quaintness of our village, first-class food options are abundant.

I may have found the best example yet...

"Wow, what a view," was my impression as I pulled into the Black Bull's car park and glanced at its neighbouring bodies of water.

Backing onto the Wayoh Reservoir, views range from curious sheep to your left to the West Pennine moors in the background.

(Image: NQ) It makes for the perfect setting to please your palette, and after all, that's what I was there to do.

I first noticed the Black Bull when I was driving through Edgworth a few months ago, I was struck by its frontage.

The blocky font over the doorway, and the vintage signage boards; it just looks fantastic. I wish every pub looked like this.

(Image: NQ) Inside the pre-war boozer theme continues with small sectioned-off rooms, the perfect habitat for real ale drinkers.

Towards the back of the establishment though the mood changes, tables are more spaced apart, and wide windows, that show off the local views, make for a well-lit dining spot.

For starters, I indulged in the salmon bites, the dish is described as 'tikka marinated salmon, with a homemade raita dip pomegranate salad topped with crushed poppadom'.

The salmon bites (Image: NQ) At first, I didn't know how salmon and tikka would mix, but the Black Bull does it tremendously.

The pomegranate addition was inspired, it adds sweetness but not in overwhelming quantities.

I liked the crushed scatterings of poppadom as well - my only criticism would be that it needs one or two more salmon bites, but the fish is the most expensive part, and supply costs aren't exactly low at the moment.

£7.95 is how much the pub charges for the starter, not extortionate by any means.

Next on the agenda was the star of the show, gnocchi and rump steak, although I'd have believed it was sirloin.

The gnocchi and steak cost £19.95 (Image: NQ) "It's how you cook it," the chef gave as the reason for making one of the cheapest cuts of beef taste as good as it does.

Rare and full of flavour, it's a good job I'm not vegan.

The creamy mushroom sauce was amazing, absolutely amazing.

Gnocchi can sometimes suffer from just tasting like stale bits of bread, but the sauce extinguished any worries I had about having to partake in a bland bread-eating marathon.

A member of staff was telling me how a new chef has revolutionised the pub's food offerings, and taken a few budding cooks under his wing in the process.

From speaking to him, his enthusiasm for his food is evident, and when the grub is this good, how can he not be?

The steak and gnocchi was the best dish I've had at a restaurant or pub this year, and with an appetite like mine, that's a lot of food menus it has beaten off to land top spot.

I truly was blown away.

And there we have it, the Black Bull in Edgworth, astoundingly superb!