Nestled in the heart of Royal Wootton Bassett, Ganges restaurant has a modest and understated frontage. I easily walk past it amongst the other restaurants lining the high street and manage to find it just before a sudden downpour one Friday night.

Taking my seat in a quiet corner I wonder briefly if this was the same Ganges I was expecting. It’s basic and unpretentious, but with a warm and friendly atmosphere, giving it the feel of an extension of your living room or a family friend’s house.

But after all owners Enam and Jasmin Chowdhury have been serving the town for 25 years already, and you get the sense that its become part of the furniture for the locals.

As I’m given menus by my friendly and easy-going waiter for the evening I feel at home, even though I was dining solo that evening.

The drinks and wine menu cover a reassuring three pages, with a good selection of beers apart from the standard Cobra and Kingfisher, though ale drinkers might be have to settle for a John Smiths.

Mourning the fact I shouldn’t have a lager with my meal before driving home I opted for an orange juice and lemonade (£2.90).

I dutifully accept the offer of a few poppadoms that arrived with four mini-cauldrons of chutneys and pickles, which, despite my best efforts, I fail to make any kind of a dent in after the last shards of poppadoms have gone and my side plate looked like a Picasso.

Alongside the traditional favourites there are seven chef’s specials and an even longer list of royal specials to try something different. I spot several interesting meaty options, like Batera Massala (£13.95), quail on the bone, Mumbai Fish Nowagis (£7.95), a fish curry served with ginger and mango pulp.

There are also a handful of more interesting options for vegetarians as well, or if you want to just go for something less heavy and avoid eating generous amounts of cream.

There’s Baingan Mirchi Ka Chalon (£6.95), baby aubergine cooked in sun-dried chilli and coconut, and Dum Ke Broad Beans Panir, (£6.95) homemade cottage cheese with broad beans.

After a tour around the menu I order the seared scallops to start (£5.49), the Mumbai fish from the specials and the broad beans with a coconut rice.

While I wait I take in my surroundings, more people begin to fill out the rest of the restaurant with the after-pub crowd who filter into the back room.

There is a small bar in the corner and a waiting area for customers to collect takeaways. Round tables sit on either side of the door for groups to sit by the windows, and there’s a spacious and bright middle and backroom for larger parties.

The scallops arrive after a small wait and are presented in a neat trio flanked by a coriander chutney and chilli tomato chutney. They’re cooked to perfection, soft and succulent with a hint of some spices, which blends with the sweetness of the scallops.

The chutney is fresh and complements them well but I find the chilli sauce too sweet and overpowering for the delicate shellfish, although I was impressed to see something different on the menu.

After a brief interlude two well-presented and brightly coloured mains arrive, and after the first few bites I’m taken aback by the broad beans and paneer.

The cubes of homemade cheese are chewy and soft, the broad beans are slightly sweet and al dente, little hints of coconut run through the sauce and the fried onions on top lift everything to another level.

It’s a bit of a mini revelation. As an amateur chef who makes curries using veg at home I usually struggle to get the same intense flavours. But after trying this maybe there is hope after all.

The fish is cooked so its flaky and soft, it’s well-seasoned, and I have no qualms with eating as much as I can with lumps of soft coconut rice, but I find the sauce doesn’t marry up with it, maybe its my western palate but I miss the mango in the sauce.

By the time I begrudgingly admit defeat there’s a gentle buzz about the place, and I can only assume everyone else is feeling the usual headiness of spicy curry with a pint of lager.

The bill is lighter than expected and for the quality of the food I happily pay up and take the rest home, looking forward to treating either myself again, or for someone else to a taste.