SITUATED on the busy A4 going through Beckhampton, The Waggon & Horses must attract a lot of passing trade, as well as locals who know about the pub’s delicious food and homely interior.

The building itself is gorgeous. Built in 1669, the timely pub invites you in with its thatched roof and old stonework. A chalkboard inside also boasts that Charles Dickens stayed at the inn while writing the Pickwick Papers.

My guest and I made our way into the restaurant, which was quiet but filled up as time went on.

The pair of friendly servers welcomed us and sat us down near an electric fire, and by the window.

The decor inside is absolutely wonderful, with old paintings and photos of the pub down the years. Period pieces of old-fashioned equine equipment adorn the walls.

So, we thought, if the food is anywhere near as pleasing as the interior we are in for a treat.

Owned by Wadworth, the drinks at the bar fit in line with other pubs owned by the brewery - which meant as a cider drinker I ordered their only tap cider, Aspalls, which isn’t my favourite.

The Waggon & Horses’ menu is what you’d expect, a mix of high-end pub classics and more modern, trendy foods.

For starters, my guest and I ordered the halloumi chips (£6.25) to share. They were absolutely delicious. Everywhere seems to serve halloumi now, but this was some of the best I’ve tasted, especially paired with the sweet chilli sauce. My only criticism would be they put in too much rocket to fill the dish out.

I decided to treat myself for the main course, and chose the 8oz sirloin steak cooked rare and served with garlic butter (£23.95), while my guest opted for the small battered fish of the day and chips (£8.95).

My steak was cooked to perfection and served with a generous helping of chips to accompany it. However, the chips weren’t the delicious triple-cooked ones you may hope for when paying more than £20 for a steak.

My guest’s fish and chips also looked, and tasted, very good. The batter was light and fresh and covered a piece of fish that was still pretty big.

Their only criticism was not with the food, but with the plating as they had served the fish and chips on top of a piece of paper on the plate, which when greasy began to rip as they ate.

Despite these negatives, we were both very satisfied with our meals and I was really looking forward to my pudding.

Browsing the dessert menu I was torn between the chocolate brownie and the passionfruit cheesecake. I eventually opted for the cheesecake (£6.50) as I’m a sucker for passionfruit, while my guest abstained from dessert all together.

The cheesecake was unbelievable. The creamy topping was rich with tangy, citrus flavours and combined beautifully with an oaty base.

I almost felt disappointed that I hadn’t ordered two of them, such was its brilliance.

Overall, our meal at the Waggon & Horses was excellent, if on the pricey side as the bill came to £63.40. Still, I look forward to going back, if only to just have that fantastic cheesecake one more time.

Isaac Garg