THE Lansdowne Strand is not what it was.

Back in the day, Calne’s iconic white-fronted hotel, right in the heart of the town was, on stepping inside, a dim, rather dingy place that had evidently seen better days. Certainly, I was never tempted to eat there.

Now everything is different. The hotel has been transformed, with new managers Joel and Anna Lear at the helm, an award of three AA stars, and an entry in the prestigious Trencherman’s Guide. Joel is also head chef and brings his experience learning classic French cookery in Chamonix, along with a focus on local, seasonal British cooking.

We decided to put the new regime to the test on Sunday, after making a last-minute reservation on-line and dropping in for lunch at 12 noon. The early start meant we were the first to take our seats in the long, light dining room. Those dingy days are long gone. Floors of stone and wood, a cosy lounge with sofas of leather and velvet, historical photos telling of the hotel’s long past and its place in Calne’s cultural history – the aesthetic of the Lansdowne combines contemporary styling with nods to its Victorian and Edwardian history, and a peppering of steampunk too.

We had a choice of four starters (£6 to £7) including the intriguing combination of mackerel rillettes with potato salad, radishes, sea vegetables and preserved lemons, and a smoked pork tenderloin with pork leg and white pudding terrine, fermented red cabbage broad bean hummus and sourdough. Our choice, to share, was field mushrooms on toast, with grilled goats cheese crottin, smoked almonds and crispy shallots.

The six main courses (£11.50 to £17) included the traditional Sunday lunch of roast sirloin of beef with Yorkshire pudding, roast leg of Buttle Farm pork, pan fried fillet of salmon with quinoa, salt-baked beetroot, crème fraiche and caviar, Malthouse battered haddock and chips and a butterbean and olive burger, with lime crème fraiche, haloumi, brioche bun, fries and harissa.

My partner chose the beef, and the kitchen very kindly agreed to put together a vegan ensemble using the items on the menu of the day. The field mushrooms starter (minus goats cheese for me) arrived swiftly and was a delight. Savoury, flavoursome and perfectly cooked, with a crunchy piece of toast to compliment the mushrooms, this was a miniature masterpiece, and between two was a perfect way to whet the appetite.

The roast sirloin of beef, served with roast potatoes, roots, green and Yorkshire pudding arrived heaped in a plate, just as you want for a Sunday roast. The beef was tasty and tender, and served with perfectly cooked portions of carrot, parsnip, beetroot and finely shredded cabbage.

My improvised vegan main course was a bed of quinoa with salt-baked beetroot, Harissa (a spicy red pepper paste) and a roasted half little gem lettuce. Despite the fact the kitchen concocted this combination on the spot, it was delicious. Every element tasted fresh and distinct, bursting with flavour.

The dessert menu (£6 to £8.50) offered four tantalising choices, including sticky toffee pudding with toffee sauce and clotted cream and double chocolate brownie with orange curd, crushed almond biscuit and cherry sorbet, as well as homemade ice cream or sorbets and a cheeseboard made up with local artisan cheeses.

My French partner was delighted to see Café Anglaise on the dessert menu – an English version of the French Café Gourmand he misses so much. It consisted of warm crème Anglaise over expresso, served with a selection of miniature pastries including a bite-sized double chocolate brownie. He was most impressed.

I choose the English strawberries, with olive oil cake, basil granita, crème fraiche and violet syrup – in my case without the cake or crème fraiche and with extra strawberries. Goodness knows how delicious it must be with all those elements, because even in its simplified vegan version, the dessert was extraordinary.

The strawberries were perfect, and their sweetness was enhanced by the violet syrup, with the unexpected and unusual counterpoint of the basil. Basil and violet and strawberries? It might sound an odd combination, but it worked.

And the icing on the cake? The very patient server, who had kindly and patiently sorted out my doubtless annoying request for an animal-free meal, asked my partner if he was a father. He said he was, and she returned a few minutes later with a bottle of Arkell’s beer and a handwritten tag wishing him a Happy Fathers’ Day. It was a very sweet gesture.

The food is superb. It’s no exaggeration to say the Lansdowne has now become, since the sad demise of the Bridge Brasserie in Chippenham, officially My Favourite Place to Eat. The bill of the three-course meal for two, with a shared starter and including an additional coffee, came to £50.

For more information, visit lansdownestrand.co.uk.