The Snooty Fox, 1 Brook Street, Warminster, BA12 8DN.

We had heard good things about The Snooty Fox in Warminster before we ventured over on a Saturday evening to try it out.

It’s obviously popular as it soon filled up with families and locals who were greeted by name at the bar and contributed to a lively and friendly atmosphere.

The service was generally quite good, with friendly bar staff and short waits between courses.

We decided to skip starters and moved straight to main courses and were impressed with the menu, a variety of classic pub dishes including steaks, as well as more adventurous modern fare.

Prices for a main course range from about £10 to £23.50 for a 16oz T-bone steak.

Kate chose chicken breast stuffed with goat’s cheese and red onion marmalade (£14), and I was intrigued by the lamb with ginger, garlic and baked mozzarella (£16).

The chicken was a generous portion, well cooked and complemented by the accompanying flavours.

When I ordered I was warned the lamb would be pink, which didn’t bother me, but when it arrived it was overcooked with only the merest hint of pink.

Overall the combination of flavours just didn’t work together, and coupled with the overcooked lamb I was disappointed with the dish and underwhelmed.

But worse was to come. The side of dauphinoise potatoes we chose to accompany the mains had shocking presentation. It was just a yellowy-grey gloop piled on a plate which looked like something you might imagine gets served in prison.

It tasted okay, if a little salty, but the appearance put me off so much I barely touched it.

On a brighter note – the desserts. Kate opted for sticky toffee pudding, which was rich, moist and delicious.

My apple pie was almost as good, with a filling nicely balanced between sweetness and tartness, and lots of crunchy, crumbly crust – a good example of the pudding.

Two main courses, two desserts, a pint of lager, glass of rosé wine and a Diet Coke came to £49.30.

Considering what you can get elsewhere in Wiltshire for a similar cost, we won’t be rushing back.

Open Tuesday to Thursday 12 noon-2.30pm, 6-10.30pm, Friday & Saturday until midnight, food served until 9.30pm every night; Sunday, 12 noon-10:30pm, food served until 2.30pm and 6-9pm.

Booking advisable, especially at weekends.

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