PORK belly is one of my favourite dishes- having eaten it out many times- I was mightily impressed with the Crowne Plaza's take on this increasingly popular dish.

My mum, who tends to be one of those people who says she doesn't like something before she has even tried it, usually avoids eating pork belly, seeing it as a fatty meat.

And yes of course, the layers of fat are what makes this beautiful piece of meat so delicious.

However, the chef, Stuart Hine, at the Crowne Plaza in Marlow has made this meat into a dish, which would suit even the likes of my mum.

He has pressed the pork meat into cubes, with just a thin layer of fat sitting on top, and then a slither of the most delicious crackling.

This was my main course at The Glaze Restaurant but it is absolutely worth mentioning first- served with a delightful sage rosti, caramelised apple and an apple sauce it was a well designed dish and was fantastically presented.

It was also served with a sour apple foam, which I believe could have been left off this almost perfect dish. But what of the rest of the meal?

We arrived at the hotel on a Saturday evening in February.

The restaurant was relatively quiet- but I think this was emphasised by the amount of space in the area. It is quite minimalistic and echoey and as my fellow diner, Tom, said it almost feels like a restaurant abroad.

There is a great selection on the menu, which also offers three courses for £30 and two for £25, with supplements added on with various dishes.

Starters range from a pumpkin, thyme and garlic soup to leek and ham terrine to smoked chicken risotto balls.

As we were waiting for ours to arrive we enjoyed an light glass of Merlot and some fluffy bread rolls and delicious, soft, garlic olives.

Tom went for the North Atlantic scallops with pea emulsion, chorizo foam and oil £9.95. There were three, plump, buttery scallops served with a smattering of chorizo on top.

The smokiness of the chorizo married very well with the scallops, and the pea emulsion just finished the dish off well without being overpowering.

I had the Moules marinières (£7.95), which was a big portion of really plump, well cooked mussels. They tasted very fresh and there was a delicate creamy sauce, which was just the right consistency.

For the mains, again there is a good selection of fish, meat and vegetarian options, which is where I had the amazing pork belly dish.

Tom had the 8oz sirloin steak served with chips, mushroom and vine tomatoes and a red wine jus (£22.95). He asked for the steak rare, and he said for him it could have been a little less cooked, and perhaps did not quite live up to his expectations.

The chips, however, were fluffy and well seasoned and the mushrooms and vine tomatoes were well done.

Onto dessert and the toffee treacle tart had sold out.

No matter though- I had the hot chocolate fondant with pistachio crumb and ice cream (£7.95). There is a 15 minute wait for this dish, but it is of course worth it.

I plunged my spoon into the chocolate casing and the melting centre poured out of it.

It was rich and delicious and the nut icecream took the edge off this with its light and modest flavour.

Tom had the Green tea brulee with cinnamon shortbread (£7.25). It was a great change to the usual creme brulee and was smooth and creamy, with just a hint of green tea.

The service was exemplary with knowledgeable, helpful staff and I liked the way the menu offered classic dishes, but with innovative twists. It's worth going just for the pork belly.

For more details go to www.ihg.com/crowneplaza