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I thought it wise not to mention our mutual interest in cycling. And, of course, one should never discuss politics in the pub - even with the Leader of Her Majesty's Opposition. In the end, at David Cameron's invitation, I talked about restaurants.

We were at Witney's Old Court Hotel, where Mr Cameron had just poured a first pint to mark its reopening after ten months of repairs following last summer's floods. It was the fourth such ceremony he had performed in the previous few weeks. "An excellent excuse for a pub crawl," he joked.

While last Friday saw my first visit to the Old Court, the Tory leader knows it of old. He told owner Julian Bones: "I stayed here in 1999, when I first came to the town to be interviewed to become the Conservative candidate." A happy visit? "To be honest, it was a bit ropy."

Mr Bones, who has had charge of the hotel only since 2006, then took Mr Cameron for a look at his old room. He was impressed with the changes, but mildly surprised to find a stay would now cost 85 quid a night, including organic breakfast.

Back in the bar, drinking his pint of Donnington bitter with gusto, Mr Cameron told me that he and his wife Samantha were both big foodies. Familiar with my restaurant column in The Oxford Times, he asked if I had any recommendations. I said he could not do better than the Kingham Plough, the subject of my previous week's review.

"It's my wife's birthday today," he said, "and I am talking her there tomorrow night to celebrate."

I am sure that chef Emily Watkins will have made it a meal to remember.

9:45am Thursday 24th April 2008

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