Bringing contemporary dining to a traditional building in historic Old Harlow, The Gables is a place to impress a new girlfriend, cheer up a friend or put you in the parental good books. Attractively appointed with dark beams arching over swagged windows and Victorian fireplaces the atmosphere is intimate and relaxed throughout the restaurant and the less formal bar. The menus, whether Sunday lunch or Table d’Hote, are of the umming and ahhing kind – packed with dishes it’s just impossible to choose between. Examples? Roast monkfish with red pepper sauce or spiced breast of duck with hoi sin... well, we certainly couldn’t pick.