MY NAME is Marion and I am judgmental.

Don’t judge a book by its cover – over and over I remind myself not to fall in that familiar trap and yet I can’t help myself.

I am learning from my past mistakes but bad habits die hard and I still occasionally form an impression before giving pubs, films, books (pretty much anything) a fair chance.

For all my faults, I do swiftly admit I was wrong but that doesn’t seem to stop me from passing hasty judgment in the first place.

Restaurant chains have been chief on my long list of pre-conceived no-nos.

In my defence I have been served some of the worst food to ever be dished out on a plate in said chains.

Aubergines fried to an inch of their life, spewing oil with a sad cherry tomato swimming in the lot was once put in front of me after I ordered moussaka. Yes, I know I’ve not mentioned meat and that’s because as far as I could tell they had skipped that part entirely.

I’ve been served a spring garden pizza with two lonely peppers and a mushroom thrown in as an afterthought for colour more than flavour and a barely cooked meat pie with dough so raw you could still see clumps of uncooked flour.

These incidents have made me overly-suspicious and weary. I have been known to swear never to step foot in an Italian chain (most of these frightful culinary mishaps happened in Italian eateries) and yet I found myself caving in and agreeing to give Regent Circus’s new Ask Italian a try.

As my partner pointed out, you can’t paint all chains with a broad brush. Can’t you?

Perusing the menu, I must say I was quite excited. My favourite starter, Sicilian Arancini (£5.45)- risotto balls made with spinach, mushrooms and goat’s cheese - which so far I’ve only been able to find in London and Bath jumped at me.

To get a true measure the chain, I thought, I ordered my favourite dishes: lasagne, tiramisu and of course the risotto balls. I was willing them to fail and be vindicated.

My partner ordered calamari rings (£5.95) followed by a and agreed to share a tiramisu When the crisp arancini landed in front of me with their spicy tomato dip, my mouth watered. The smell was heavenly. And I must admit they were utterly delicious.

I was already softening. My partner’s calamari was delightfully soft.

But one starter does not a meal make. I was prepared to be disappointed further down the line.

My lasagne (£10.35)arrived and fighting the truth was fruitless. It was darn amazing. The fragrant Bolognese was just right, not overpowering the subtle béchamel as it so often does.

As for my partner’s Salami Misti pizza (£12.75), it disappeared in a ravenous blur.

I was almost defeated. But the war was not won yet – tiramisu (£5.25) was on its way.

From soggy bottoms to sugar-coma inducing tiramisus, I had lost count of my many disappointments over the years.

Presenting the generous portion on a plate instead of tightly enclosed in a ramequin was a bold move. At least it meant no soggy bottoms or liquefying cream.

I must confess it was the highlight of the entire meal. A perfect blend of sweet mascarpone, soft hints of coffee and chocolate to crown it all, it was up there with some of the best I had the pleasure of tasting in independent Italian-run restaurants.

In other words, I was wrong. Mea Culpa. You won’t catch me being quick to judge again. Well, not a chain anyway.

Ask Italian, Regent Circus, Swindon SN1 3DF, 01793 615381.