Sign of The Angel, Lacock (From This Is Wiltshire)

I HAVE always heard good reports about the Sign of The Angel but took it upon myself to venture to quiet Lacock to see what the fuss was about.

Run by the Levis family since 1953, the 15th century Sign of The Angel,is the quintessential English inn.

Fodor's guide describes it as epitomizing "comfortable antiquity" with polished floors, gleaming silver - and upstairs is a bed that once belonged to the engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel.

We had booked our table for 7.30pm but despite arriving 20 minutes early we were allowed to take our table straight away.

The warm atmosphere of the Church Street inn, a 15th century wool merchant's house, was instantly calming with its cosy lighting, creaking floor boards, oak beams and and wood panelled walls.

My mother Kim and I were drawn to a two-person table in front of one of two roaring log fires.

No sooner had we arrived then the restaurant began to fill, a good sign of a popular place.

A ramekin of olives in garlic butter and home-made cheese straws were brought to our table along with our drinks as we browsed the menu and made our selection.

My mum chose the pate trio, including one of the house's specialities, Stilton and walnut, followed by homemade steak and kidney pudding as her main dish.

I opted for Cornish crab soup and grilled goats cheese on olive bread.

We waited only ten minutes for our starter and were not disappointed by the size of the portions.

The pate suited every possible taste with a generous slice of Stilton and walnut, chicken liver and trout.

Each pate was twinned with a sweet relish and the rack of homemade brown bread was more than enough for my mother and I.

The crab soup was deliciously creamy with large flakes of crab and really was a taste of Cornwall.

The soup came in a very large bowl, and, although offering value for money, left me struggling to manage my main course.

The creamy goat's cheese, which I found on the extensive vegetarian menu, was again an ample serving with a large salad that I just could not manage, not for the want of trying.

I was disappointed with the olive bread which was very brittle and left a greasy aftertaste.

The steak and kidney pudding was packed with chunks of steak and came with a choice of vegetables including carrots, broccoli, creamed garlic potatoes and baby new potatoes.

Needless to say, by the end of the meal we couldn't have managed another bite so sadly we waved goodbye to the possibility of the cheeseboard or chocolate roulade.

By the time we ordered coffees, the meal service had dwindled as the waiting staff bustled round the other tables.

After 15 minutes our coffees arrived and, being dedicated chocoholics, we were pleased when a selection of apparently homemade chocolates was brought to our table.

By the time we had finished our coffees it was nearing 9.30pm but, as there was no pressure to pay-up and leave, we decided to take in the warm atmosphere and chat.

Just after 10pm we were politely handed the bill which came to £51 including drinks.

By Hayley Court

Sign of the Angel

Lacock,

SN15 2LB

(01249) 730230

• Disabled access
• Non smoking
• Vegetarian options
• On street parking nearby

Eating Out is an independent review carried out by the Gazette without the prior knowledge of the owners.