The Horse and Jockey, Pontypool

THE Horse and Jockey pub has always had a good reputation and so it was in anticipation that my guest and I arrived on a cold, damp, weekday evening.

On entering the establishment we were greeted with a warm welcome at the bar. Our waiter took us to our table and politely pointed out some of the deals on offer. The Buy One Get One Free menu, which is available Monday to Thursday between noon and 9.30pm and on a Sunday between 4pm and 9pm, looked appetising but the la carte menu was a little more tempting.

Many of the starters are reasonably priced. My guest choose to start with pate and toast for £2.75. For the main course she choose sirloin steak with carrots, peas and saute potatoes at £8.95 and chasseur sauce for an extra £1.50.

I opted for the garlic mushrooms with garlic dip at £2.95 to start, and a sea bass steak in lime and tarragon sauce complete with double cream and an assortment of vegetables for £9.95.

Looking around the nicely decorated room while we waited for our meals we saw numerous diners, none of whom seemed to have been disappointed with their fare given the clean plates on their tables.

When our meals arrived, after a short wait, they were hot and pleasing to the eye.

The steak apparently was very succulent and tasty. I can vouch that the sea bass with its accompanying sauce tantalised the taste buds.

After the main course was finished our waiter kindly waited a decent interval before asking if we would like a sweet.

My guest, being rather full, declined. But I thought the prospect of black cherry ice cream with fresh cream to tempting to forgo, especially as it cost just £2.25 for a rather large portion.

Washed down with a beer and a bottle of fine, full bodied, black fruit-flavoured Shiraz from Australia, that goes under the rather outlandish title of Up a Gum Tree, and a coffee, the total bill for two and a half hours of culinary delight came to £41.80.