Simple wooden tables, a huge blackboard chalked up with the

menu and funky modern art on the wall make this pub in Hewlett

Road, Cheltenham, bright and breezy.

Landlord Jo Diamond-Brown took over in November last year.

He was previously landlord of a pub in London but is originally

from Gloucestershire.

At first glance, food options are slim - only one vegetarian

main course. But there's plenty to satisfy the meat eater. And

it's very reasonably priced.

Dishes range from garlic mushrooms at £3.75 to poached egg

and crispy bacon salad to start for £3.95.

Mains include Cotswold ribeye steak served with chips or

fries, onion rings, garlic mushrooms and grilled tomatoes for

£8.50 and the veggie mushroom stroganoff.

If you're after something a little out of the ordinary, step

this way: jumbo garlic and chilli sausages served in a giant

Yorkshire pud with creamy mash and peas, smothered in red wine

and onion gravy (£6.50). Toad in the Hole to us commoners,

albeit much more elaborate than most I've come across.

Real ales include Bombardier with two local guest ales.

My friend and I opted for the original gourmet burger

(£6.75). Unfortunately, there were none left so we went with

our second option of scampi with chips, salad and tartare sauce

for £6.50.

Having sampled the old-style portions, they've definitely

been cut back.

While the perfectly crispy scampi was beautifully golden,

the same couldn't be said for the fries accompanying them. They

were disappointingly soggy.

For us, the bowls of cheesy chips were a bit of a let-down.

Rather than the chunky chips we expected, we got wafer-thin

fries, making the smothering of cheese a bit of a waste. Put

simply, there just wasn't enough to get your teeth into.

House white and red wine was the tipple for the evening. It,

too, is reasonably priced at £10 a bottle.

The pub was packed to the rafters on the night we went.

Numbers were boosted by the weekly poker night, but this didn't

detract or take away from the atmosphere, which I've always

found welcoming and warm.

The Fiery Angel might not light up your tastebuds every

time, but if it's reasonable pub fare you're after at a

reasonable price, this is the place for you.

Fiona Dryden