The pub-restaurant mix can be a tricky thing to get right, needing to find a balance to be able to appeal to all without losing the familiarity that each individual component can bring.

Located quietly away in Winchmore Hill, The Potters Arms manages to do it just right.

With its beckoning country exterior, The Potters Arms keeps the familiar feel of a good pub, with welcoming bar staff, a homely atmosphere, cosy décor and a lovely fireplace (always a plus).

There are a wide range of local ales – old accustomed classic lagers – alongside an array of wines and spirits. It is a little out of the way but this just adds to its quiet, country charm.

The restaurant itself keeps away from the rest of the pub revellers, but never loses the feel that it is a part of the same place.

On the menu are classic pub favourites (beer battered fish & chips, and sausage & mash) alongside world cuisines such as Thai green curry and confit of duck leg.

Being vegetarians, my wife and I often struggle to find varying options for grub that don’t just throw in sweet potato or butternut squash into every dish (fine for those who like it but we’re not fans).

While the actual vegetarian options on the Potters Arms menu are limited, landlord Richard Edwards told us the chef could make almost anything on the menu vegetarian or vegan, which is great for those who don’t want to rigidly stick to the vegetarian options provided.

But sadly we didn’t realise this until after we had ordered our food or we would have been much more adventurous with our ordering.

We went for the stuffed mushrooms (£6.25) for our starter, which were filled with a lovely tomato and garlic mix, full of flavour and tang. Mushrooms aren’t easy to cook, and can sometimes come out over-watery, or shrivelled and tasteless - but not these ones. They were cooked to perfection and a pleasure to eat, with every mouthful a taste sensation.

For the mains, I decided on the veggie pizza (£10.95) which came with roast peppers, sundried tomatoes, olives and pesto, while my wife went for the vegetarian risotto with garlic bread (£10.95).

In line with all good relationships, we shared pretty much everything.

The risotto was full of flavour, cooked al dente and bursting with fresh vegetables, including peppers, aubergines and courgettes. You could taste the parmesan in the dish but it wasn’t overpowering and complemented the dish well.

The garlic bread was also freshly made on ciabatta bread and topped with parsley, which was unusual but tasty.

The pizza was stone-baked to perfection. None of the ingredients overshadowed each other, and the sauce played its part bring through hints of the Italian herbs we know and love.

I struggled to not overindulge by eating the whole thing in one go, and failed miserably.

We decided against ordering dessert as we were so full from our first two courses but if we went back, we would definitely get the hot chocolate and orange brownie (£6.95) and homemade crumble with custard (£6.25).

And it’s not just all about the food – there is plenty going on at the pub too with comedy nights on offer every month, including at Christmas.

Usually a restaurant is perfect for a date and a pub is great to catch up with friends, but The Potters Arms does both with ease and is well worth a visit.