The Old Bear Inn and Samuels Restaurant, Staverton, Trowbridge

(01225) 782487

Our evening at The Old Bear at Staverton did not start auspiciously. We were shown to a fireside table which proved a bit too cosy as more smoke was coming into the room than up the chimney.

We moved to a larger table at the far end of the pub, which had the added benefit of larger seats, as the two men had found the fireside seats a little too small.

Nick and Lorraine opted for garlic prawns with ciabatta and spicy tomato relish. The prawns were cooked well with a good hit of garlic.

Ian and I chose goats’ cheese, sun blushed tomato and pepper tart with pesto. The flavours worked well together but the pastry was too heavy and very fatty.

The staff kindly made my starter without the peppers, a privilege not extended to the main courses. Indeed, the menu stated in block capitals that you cannot ask for variations on the dishes.

I went for chicken breast in bacon with white wine and mushroom sauce. It came with crushed new potatoes although I would have preferred hand cooked chips.

The chicken looked a little raw near the wing but the potatoes proved a pleasant surprise as they were piping hot and more like a rösti.

Nick’s lamb shank with red wine and garlic sauce on colcannon was tender and the sauce had a nice tang. Lorraine’s smoked haddock with hollandaise sauce, poached egg and mash was lovely, although the egg was overcooked.

Ian had duck with spinach in Madeira sauce. The duck was nice but was cold and the sauce lacked flavour.

For dessert Nick and Ian chose Belgian chocolate mousse with strawberries, served on an impractical slab of granite about a foot long.

The mousse was in the middle with a pot of cream at one end and a strawberry at the other. The cream ran over the edge once poured and the mousse was so bitter that Ian spat it out. A passing waiter told us that it was made with 89 per cent cocoa. It’s all a matter of taste as Nick enjoyed his.

Overall, the food presentation was modern but the quality didn’t quite hit the mark. We felt the pub was trying to do fancy restaurant meals rather than good old fashioned grub.

The bill was just over £100 with two rounds of drinks.

Website www.theoldbear.co.uk

Special offers Tues and Wed

Locally produced ales

Car park

Disabled access

Function room

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