With all the madness kicking off in the US over immigrants, my dining guest and I decided it was entirely appropriate to show our support for free movement by dining at a restaurant that celebrates the recipes handed down by some of the early immigrants to have made it across the pond.

Okay, so Mr Trump hasn’t taken issue with the Italians as yet but in this frantic climate of raising the drawbridge and fortifying the castle walls we thought it appropriate to celebrate the diversity of the UK dining scene – which let’s face it, would be pretty poor without the fantastic flavours that have journeyed across the seas to our rather small island.

And it was also a pretty damp and miserable evening (one thing this country is good at), the sort that can only be improved with a bottle of good wine, plenty of cheese and a carb-heavy meal.

So in the car we jumped for the short drive to Buca di Beppo (Or Joe’s Basement to those non-Italian among us), The Village hotel’s very own corner of Italy at Shaw Ridge. Now I know what you’re thinking here – out of town leisure park with a chain Italian restaurant, it’s basically going to be like Frankie and Benny’s, which does Italian inspired American cuisine relatively well, but is fairly uniform wherever you happen to go. Well, first off we didn’t realise that Buca di Beppo was a chain, which was an oversight on my behalf as I had spent a drunken evening in the bar of The Village in The Wirral only last year having enjoyed a wonderful meal in their very own Buca.

Once seated in the intricately decorated restaurant the haze began to lift and it all came flooding back. The décor of the restaurant really does deserve praise for the sheer amount of effort that has gone into it to create an authentic American-Italian Ristorante feel – right down to the hundreds of framed photographs adorning the walls. Although alarmingly I was seated at eye level with a picture of a chap in a very fetching 1920s bathing suit. And I want to say he still had his top hat on too, although I may have been mistaken. Keep your eyes open for that one.

But on to business, and after scouring the menu I went for the stuffed mushrooms (£6.50) while my guest chose the prawn cocktail (£7.95). We very nearly went for an anti-pasta platter to share (£12.95, or £6.95 for one) which promised a wide selection of Italian cured meats, olives, roasted peppers and mozzarella. But remembering the frantic battle that had ensued at our last dinner out where we had tried to share such a starter - there was much jabbing with cocktail sticks for the final olives, and I'm fairly sure I came worse-off – we decided to stick to our own meals. She also chose wisely because she knows I am not a fan of prawn cocktail, but she assures me it was delicious. The stuffed mushrooms were something else too – they came packed with prosciutto, that old American favourite provolone cheese, sage and rosemary, and a generous serving of spicy marinara sauce.

For mains I went for the Buca Burger which came topped with mozzarella and bacon and a serving with skin-on fries (£14.50). My eye was almost swayed by the mushroom risotto (£14.95) which comes with a selection of sauté mushrooms bound with risotto rice and finished with tarragon and truffle oil, but as I was getting into the American spirit of things, I knew I would feel short-changed with anything other than a satisfying burger.

My dining companion went a little more high-brow, going for the garlic and herb butter stuffed chicken which came with deliciously creamy mash (£14.95). I must admit, I did have momentary food envy with this one as it looked fantastic on the plate, and the chicken was cooked to perfection. But then my burger arrived and I knew I had made the right call.

When it came to dessert we felt we ought to go for a sundae, or in the very least some gelato, but I was swayed by that old favourite of tiramisu (£5.95) while my companion chose the highly refreshing lemon sorbet (£4.95), which I must admit, I mucked in on to help finish, even though my assistance was not required.

For a weeknight evening, the restaurant was relatively busy, although I suspect mainly with hotel guests rather than those out for a spot of dinner, which given its location at the leisure park is surprising, but goes to show just how many people are missing out. A quick scour of the restaurant’s TripAdvisor page, where it is rated as a very surprisingly underwhelming 3, showed what part of the problem may be - with one diner posting the following review a year ago: “This restaurant is overpriced and does not sell basic Italian food such as lasagne and pizza, my friend and I left to eat elsewhere.”

Probably at Frankie and Benny’s I suspect, although the nearby Asda also does dirt cheap ‘basic’ Italian food, so ‘Kate’ may wish to consider that next time. For those in the mood for something a little nicer though, you can’t go wrong with Buca di Beppo. The service is first-class, and the menu offers a real variety of Italian cuisine, and even has a 500 Club with inspiring dishes such as black pepper fillet steak and tiger prawns for those watching their figures. And after this evening of comfort food, perhaps I ought to consider that from now on.

Buca di Beppo,

The Village Hotel,

Shaw Ridge Leisure Park,

Whitehill Way,

Swindon,

SN5 7DW

01793 889320

www.village-hotels.co.uk/hotels/swindon/eat-drink

Parking: Yes

Disabled access: Yes

Our ratings:

Food: 9/10

Choice: 9/10

Decor: 9/10

Customer service: 9/10

TripAdvisor rating: 3