Having adored The Three Crowns, Brinkworth, under its previous owners, I was keen to go back and see how the pub/restaurant had changed.

When I rang to book, I enquired how much Sunday lunches cost and to my surprise the woman on the phone said she didn’t know, and after putting me on hold for a minute or so she came back to tell me no-one there knew.

It wasn’t a great start. However, I booked for a Tuesday evening and hoped for the best. I decided I wouldn’t judge The Three Crowns based on my previous experiences there.

The atmosphere was welcoming and cosy, and the barman was jovial, offering a free glass of wine to the person before us as it was her birthday.

Our waitress took us to our table and told us about the specials, which included duck spring rolls, steak and a meat pie.

To start, I ordered the goats’ cheese salad, with olives and sundried tomatoes (£5.50), while my partner ordered the duck spring rolls special (£5.50).

The salad was fresh, light and full of flavour, and the spring rolls were packed full of meat and delightfully crispy on the outside. However, a sweet chilli, plum or hoi sin sauce would have made a well-cooked, but rather plain, dish absolutely delicious.

For our main, I ordered salmon in a white wine and grape sauce, while my partner chose pork fillet, pork belly and apple mash – only to be informed that neither were available that day.

I couldn’t help feeling disappointed that the waitress didn’t think to tell us that they had sold out of these when she was highlighting the specials.

However, my second choice, the duck with savoy cabbage, bacon, carrots and chorizo mash (£19.50) and my partner’s venison wellington with truffle pom puree and port jus (£22.50) came out promptly and were served on large plates in equally large portions. They were both cooked perfectly and presented beautifully.

For pudding we both opted for the chocolate royal (£6.50) served in a cup with vanilla ice cream. It was a chocolate lover’s dream dessert and was sweet, rich and a delectable end to a wonderfully well-cooked meal.

Despite the initial disappointments, I would say that, in its own right, The Three Crowns is a wonderful restaurant, with very fine chefs, let down only very slightly by the pleasant, but apparently inexperienced, staff.

The total meal cost, including two pints of Doombar and two soft drinks, came to £75.70.

* Food served seven days a week, noon-2.30pm; 6pm-9.30pm.

* 10 per cent discount voucher is available to download on the pub’s website.

* Two courses – £14.95; three courses £19.95 on a set menu.