Our food reviewer Mark Heath and his dad Peter visited The Angel in Needham Market for lunch on a Tuesday. Here's what they made of it...

"What's the difference between a café and a bistro, anyway?"

Mouth half full of burger, my old man's got me stumped. I quickly Google it.

"Apparently a café is a place where people mostly go to get coffee," I inform him. "A bistro is a place which serves "a mixture of food and drinks."

"Ah," comes the retort. "Well this is definitely more of a bistro then - and a good one at that."

He's right. While The Angel can be found referred to as a restaurant, café or bistro depending on where you look - a sign says both café and bistro above its door - there's no doubt that whatever the classification, it's top notch.

Don't just take my word for it. No less an authority than Tripadvisor have given The Angel a Traveller's Choice Award, recognising the top 10% of eateries in the world, according to reviews.

It's that which has brought us here, on a crisp, sunny November afternoon. At least it did when we finally found it - though the Angel is on the High Street in Needham, it's fairly unassuming. I think we drove past it twice - not what you'd expect of a place with such a lofty reputation.

Once inside, we're seated quickly in the small but perfectly formed downstairs area - seven or so tables spaced out and divided with the now-familiar Covid screens. There's an upstairs too, which is worth remembering at busy times.

The menu is large and enticing, from all-day breakfasts to toasties, sarnies, salads, wraps, starters, mains and desserts - the Angel has all bases covered. From a café to a restaurant, one might say. It can serve alcohol too, which is always worth noting.

We're in this for the full experience, so each pick a starter and main - along with a latte for me and a pot of tea for popz - and await our scran.

That duly arrives quickly - crispy beef salad for me, crispy whitebait for dad.

Both dishes look good, and eat well. My beef is crispy and dry - in a good way - with a lovely Chinese style flavour and plenty of crunch. That's all offset nicely by the fresh, crisp and varied salad sitting beneath.

Dad, who it should be noted is something of a café connoisseur due to his passion for cycling - he lists me his top three scone and coffee locations in Suffolk and Essex while we wait - is also happy with his.

A plentiful portion of fish, coated in a light and crispy batter and served with tartare sauce and a salad.

The batter is particularly praised. "It's so light you can see the blighters looking at you," opines dad as he dips one headfirst into the tartare.

A good start, then, with the main event coming up.

Here, I've gone for the burger - a good indicator for any eatery, I always think. Dad, an athlete still at 74, has opted for the pan-fried seabass.

My burger, to which I've added cheese as an optional topping - and why wouldn't you - is nicely presented, clearly home-made and comes with a pile of skin-on fries and pot of coleslaw.

It's a brioche bun too - another tick. The fries are tremendous - crispy, salty, not at all greasy - and the burger is tasty, if a little dry. I prefer my patties to be left a touch pink, but it's not for everyone, of course.

Dad finds his seabass a little dry and overcooked too - though not by much - but is a big fan of the crushed potato, chorizo, pea puree and white wine cream accompaniments. The presentation, too, is spot on.

Two courses down then, and I ask dad if he can find room for a dessert. 'If that apple tart is homemade," he says, nodding at a menu blackboard over my shoulder, "I'm in."

We're promised the tart is indeed homemade, and thus we order two up to cap the meal.

And what a cap it is. We're presented with two very sexy individual tarts, topped with a sliced strawberry, dusted with sugar and making friends with a pool of custard.

They are delicious. Short, crumbly pastry, big chunks of apple - neither too sweet nor too sour - and that cracking creamy custard.

The best apple tarts either of us have had for a while, we agree.

All told, the meal comes to just over £52 which, for three courses and drinks, I think is perfectly reasonable.

"I enjoyed that, son" my old man says as we head out of the door.

Cafe, bistro or restaurant - whatever The Angel wants to call itself, we'll be back.