Lizzie Wood - Freelance Journalist

The Pink Geranium -Melbourn

'It stands today as picturesque as it ever was, and is now home, somewhat unexpectedly, to Thai Cuisine'

With a history as colourful as its name, the Pink Geranium has struck out in a new direction. The beautiful cottages have played home to many ventures, growing from a traditional tea room serving service men and women during the Second World War, into a restaurant famously patronised by Prince Charles, before attracting celebrity chef Steven Saunders in the 1980s. Subject to a devastating fire in the early 1990s, the Pink Geranium has been beautifully restored, and stands today as picturesque as it ever was, and is now home, somewhat unexpectedly, to Thai Cuisine.

Voted as East Anglia's most attractive restaurant, and quoted by Egon Ronay as one of the prettiest in Britain, neither the change of hands nor the fire have done anything to alter this reputation. It's a beautiful prelude to the main venue walking up the gravel drive and through the gardens; visiting in the summer, the white cottages stood out against the soft green foliage. Playing on its moniker, intensely pink orchids grace each table, themselves dressed with crisp, white linen, visible through the glass windows of the conservatory as you enter the restaurant.

Inside, the restaurant is no less well-kept. The décor has been chosen with respect to the heritage of the building, with beautifully exposed beams, clean, white walls and large mirrors placed to minimise the impact of the low ceilings. Tasteful, traditional Thai paintings adorn the walls, and the solitary stems of bright orchids stand out all the more against the minimalistic decorations. It's certainly not your usual Thai restaurant, full of gilded Buddha, wooden carvings and suffocating vegetation. More, the restaurant has the sense of entering a beautiful, tranquil conservatory in the country.

You are allowed to relax in the more laid back, bar area of the restaurant before being shown to your seat, and here you can enjoy some fantastic Thai beers, cocktails and wines. A selection of spicy Thai prawn crackers help you to look over the menu, which is extensive in its selection, ranging from soups and Thai salads, to barbequed and fish dishes and the more common Thai curries. The set menus offer a fantastic selection of dishes, and if you're new to Thai or there's a large group of you, this is a great option. The mixed Thai starter is always a great indication of the quality of the food, and the chicken satay, served with nutty, homemade sauce was wonderful. The Tung Tong - alike to Chinese Dim Sum - was also beautiful: a delicate mixture of prawns and minced chicken wrapped in pastry and then served both steamed and fried. Neither did the main courses disappoint: the Pad Nua Loua Dang offered tender cuts of beef served in a sharp red wine sauce, complemented by cashew nuts and tomatoes, and the Thai style sweet and sour prawns (Pad Preow Wan) were succulent and served in a balanced sauce. If you're feeling hungry, there's certainly no need to over-order - we were served with so much food we thought there'd been a mistake!

The Pink Geranium is no longer the preserve of the affluent, and the new team are obviously doing all they can to maximise their success. Their food has been opened up to all, with the restaurant now offering a take away and delivery service, as well as an 'express lunch' menu, which offers two courses including curry and stir fried dishes, all served with Thai fragrant rice, at a bargain set price.

After such an eclectic history, it seems that the Pink Geranium has once again found its niche. However, with such a great location, you can't help but think that anything would succeed here. Take our advice: forego the take-away and come and enjoy this terrific Thai food in its beautiful new home.