RARELY will you find a pub as versatile as The Black Lion.

In the week it’s a cosy cauldron of a place whereas on the weekend it explodes into one of the city’s most popular venues.

And in between, you can grab a top Sunday roast or – as I did – you can stop by for a spot of lunch, but I’d suggest you work up an appetite first.

After sitting down for a couple of ciders, we had the unenviable task of choosing from the lavish menu.

I settled on the chicken wings and the smokestack burger, while my friend went for the squid and chorizo salad to start followed by the linguini.

The wings came out covered in breadcrumbs and with a bucketload of sweet barbecue sauce on the side.

They looked as if they’d sit heavy on my stomach, but I needn’t have worried because they were as light as the salad.

A perfect coating for the tender wings and the sauce complimented them beautifully as well as the side-salad dressed with a tangy honey mustard sauce.

We ordered a couple more ciders and my jaw almost hit the table when our mains came out.

The pasta dish was clean and pretty, my burger was most definitely not.

The bun was rugged, the pulled pork slapped unceremoniously over the patty, chips piled high, a generous helping of coleslaw and some greens to at least make you think you’re being healthy.

Everything you’d hope for in a burger.

And with the first bite it filled you with the mixture of guilt and pleasure that only a good burger can.

I cut her in half because I physically couldn’t eat it whole, and the burger was a perfect pink.

After having put my cutlery on the plate to signal defeat I ended up going back for more three times before finally calling it a day.

I had no intention of eating a dessert until the waitress, who was a very good one at that, recommended the crème brulee.

It came served in a mug with a side of shortbread and it passed the crème brulee crack test with flying colours as the solid coating shattered under my spoon to unearth the creamy centre.

As well as leaving with a full belly, we had smiles on our faces.

It’s a pub for all occasions, and I can definitely recommend it for lunch – but make sure you’re not planning on going for a run afterwards because you won’t be able to resist the temptation of the menu.