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The Blacksmith’s Arms offers customers the best of both worlds: a good, traditional ‘boozer’ at the front, and a Thai restaurant serving tasty and authentic dishes at the back.

On arrival, we were greeted by the friendly waitress and although it was busy – both in the pub and in the restaurant, which is split over two rooms – we were shown to a table straight away.

For starters, we ordered chicken satay and spring rolls; £3.95 each but good size portions and tasty.

For mains, there was a large selection of dishes to choose from, with more unusual options including a range of Thai salads sitting alongside old favourites such as pad thai and red and green curry. All main dishes are rated Mild, Spicy or Hot, come with rice and are priced between £7.50 and £8, depending on which meat you chose (chicken, beef, prawn or duck).

I ordered the red curry with chicken, which was fresh and tasty with quite a kick (even after asking for it a bit milder! It was down on the menu as ‘Spicy’). My fellow diner ordered another curry dish (the name of which escapes me) which was also quite spicy but again well received.

To cool down, there’s a good selection of ales and lagers to choose from, including Singha Thai beer in bottles. There’s also a comprehensive wine list, offering wines which have been specifically chosen to complement the food and start at £14 a bottle.

With a couple of beers, our bill came to under £30 and we were both too full for dessert (although there were a number on offer, displayed on the chalk board).

My only criticism of the Blacksmith’s Arms was the service, which was a little slow, but the restaurant boasts a pleasant atmosphere, friendly staff and good food. And with the pub at the front, you’ll never be stuck on where to go for an after-dinner drink…

8/10