The White Horse Inn, Compton Bassett, near Calne

(01249) 813118

After months of hearing nothing but good things about the White Horse in Compton Bassett my boyfriend and I finally made the journey across Calne to the village pub.

We were greeted by landlady Tara Adams, who was dressed to the nines and we feared we might have underestimated the dress code on a Saturday night, but were soon told that there was a charity ball elsewhere in the village.

Any awkwardness was soon washed away as we were shown to our table and left with our drinks to peruse the extensive menu.

We decided against the home made celeriac soup and tiger prawns in garlic, tempting as they were, in favour of sharing a portion of garlic bread which, although was not on the menu, staff were happy to prepare for us.

We polished off the creamy, garlic butter-filled baguette in no time, leaving us with high expectations of the meals to come.

For mains, I opted for salmon with leekey mashed potato (£12.95), while Stew chose homemade steak and 6X Ale pie (£9.95).

My fish was cooked to perfection and served with just the right amount of mash, which was flavoured beautifully with slices of leek.

Stew chose boiled potatoes and vegetables rather than chips and salad to accompany his chunky pie, and was presented with a sizeable portion of red cabbage, carrots and cauliflower which satisfied even his manly appetite.

For dessert, I ordered white chocolate creme brulee with chocolate parfait, while Stew chose the special of the day – raspberry and vanilla cheesecake – on the recommendation of the waitress who admitted she had had a sneaky taste.

The creme brulee was deliciously decadent and served with a slab of rich chocolate parfait on the side, while Stew’s cheesecake was light, sweet and melted in the mouth.

The staff are some of the friendliest I have ever come across, and could not do enough to make us feel welcome. Our bill with two soft drinks each came to £49.20. We will definitely be returning soon.

Locally sourced ingredients with meat from Walter Rose of Devizes

Daily specials

CAMRA accredited

On site parking

Dogs on leads welcome

Quizzes, barbecues, live music and skittles

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