HERE'S my idea of good service: you ask a restaurant to phone for a taxi for you at the end of the meal and they say, don't worry, we'll arrange for a limo to take you home instead.
 Free of charge. Door to door. And we didn't even tell them we were writing a restaurant review for the Daily Post either. That was the final, impressive touch that West Tower Country House Hotel and Restaurant, in Aughton, treated my partner and I to at the end of our Saturday night dinner to celebrate his birthday. Built in 1785, the hotel was originally the country residence of shipping magnate Lord Alfred Holt. The location was chosen for its commanding views over the Mersey estuary and the distinctive tower which gave the building its name was designed so Lord Holt could watch his liners sailing past Formby Point. The result is a turreted and towered fairytale house which is reached via a winding country lane just off the A59. In more recent times the owners have apparently invested £2m in the hotel and restaurant -and it shows. The resulting refurbishment is a pleasing combination of traditional elegance with a subtle contemporary twist. So the leaded light windows are complemented by the clean lines of white stone flooring, chandeliers are offset by modern high backed dining chairs, the oak panels in the lounge contrast with angular gilt mirrors in the dining room. We studied the menu over a drink after being shown into the lounge by a polite, professional member of staff (the first example of the impeccable service we continued to receive all night). The menu wasn't enormously extensive, but all the choices that were there sounded enticing. To start, my partner decided upon honey and soy belly pork with pak choi and sweet chilli jam (£5.75) - and literally couldn't have been more enthusiastic about his choice when it came. Usually a man who chooses lamb above all other meat, he decided that this was a revelation. A generous helping of succulent belly pork was beautifully infused with the flavours of the honey and soy and complemented to perfection by the pak choi and jam. | 
Article
