THE Ashbridge, Cwmbran, is an ideal place to take the whole family for an enjoyable meal.

Part of the Brewsters chain of restaurants, this converted farmhouse has an extensive menu offering something for everyone as well a separate bar area and Fun Factory for the kids.

By-passing the starters we went straight into the main course. I ordered smothered chicken, a succulent chicken breast with bacon, melted cheese and a choice of sauce.

It was a hard choice between stilton and tikka sauce, but being a curry fan I chose tikka, and this dish proved to be one of the more inventive and tasty of the new items on the menu.

My dining companion had an 8oz rump steak, cooked to perfection and complemented with those all-time classic steak companions, chips, tomato and mushrooms.

For dessert I decided not to be original and stuck with my favourite profiteroles, which, like my main course were smothered, this time in cream.

My companion had a chocolate and orange cheesecake, which he described as being just like a giant jaffa cake. With drinks the meal came to a reasonable £33.

The service was adequate and the staff were friendly, but the table-delivered drinks were a little slow in coming.

Too often chain restaurants like this pretend to be something they are not by recreating the atmosphere and architecture of a rural building. It is refreshing to know that the Ashbridge is one chain restaurant where the traditional feel is genuine. Darren Evans