Pint to pint: The Marisco Tavern, Lundy Island Unsullied by the accoutrements of modern life, The Marisco Tavern is the sort of pub I fantasise about. Quiet, with a traditional but unique interior; no fruit machines, no music and no mobiles, tablets, laptops or gadgets of any kind, thanks to a ban that even someone as attached to their smartphone as I am will revel in. Drinkers have spent some two hours crossing the Bristol Channel to get to Lundy, and another good half-hour climbing the steep road to the pub. By then they will have dropped back a gear or two to join the pace of island life. They do not want, nor need, to be bothered by the demands of email, texts, social media or other trivialities that detract from life's simpler pleasures - a pint of beer, chatting with your spouse, sharing time with friends or gazing at stunning views out to sea. Remarkably for a remote island pub, there are three cask ales from which to choose. I order two pints of St Austell Black Prince (4%), a delicious creamy, chocolatey dark mild that is a rarity on the mainland. It is cool and perfectly kept. The Old Light ale (4.2%) is in similarly tip-top condition. Much later in the day, I'm tempted by a rum menu which boasts such gems as Pusser's Aged 15 years and Mount Gay, of which the bartender unflinchingly inquires, "Do you want it straight?" The nautical decor includes an alarming collection of lifebelts bearing the name of ships wrecked on Lundy's shores, and the date they met their fate. The floor is made of slabs of granite from the island's quarries. Like all the best pubs there is a variety of seating: a long table for large groups or convivial eating, traditional tables and chairs and cosy benched booths with sea views. It even has a mezzanine. Not that it is so pretentious as to call it that. Whether you've walked directly from the landing place or been for a yomp around the island you're bound to have worked up an appetite. The Tavern's menu ranges from cheesy chips, (the perfect lunch when arriving during winter - the helicopter drops you off almost at the pub door) via baguettes and jacket potatoes through to seasonally changing dishes prepared from an impressive range of meat reared on the island (prices vary but mains start at £8.20). Lundy lamb is among the leanest you'll come across; Soay sheep are also resident, their meat is darker, gamier and full flavoured thanks to a diet of turf and aromatic plants; venison is from the Sika deer population and Lundy pork sausages are available thanks to pigs imported as part of a sustainable waste-management programme. The Marisco is a microcosm of Lundy's character. An island out of time, nobly resisting those elements of the 21st century it sees no point in; a genuine respite from the rat race. The Marisco Tavern, High Street, Lundy Island, Bristol Channel, EX39 2LY (01237 431831). Opening times vary with the boat/helicopter timetable. Visit Lundy Island