Going undercover in pubs across the Cotswolds and north Wiltshire, our spy  reviews a different boozer each month, this time Pub Spy visits the Bear Inn in Cirencester.

UNTIL a few years ago, The Bear Inn in Cirencester had a reputation as a spit and sawdust pub, known more for its cheap beer and bar brawls than good food and drink.

In 2013, owners Brains refurbished The Bear, which is believed to be the town’s earliest coaching inn, and relaunched the place as an up-market gastro pub with a fine dining restaurant – and it has certainly changed for the better.

Located in Dyer Street in the town centre, the pub is ideally situated to catch shoppers and tourists as well as locals.

The decor is reminiscent of a charming country home – open fires, Tudor style beams and a bookshelf brimming with a range of titles.

When I arrived at the pub early one evening it was fairly quiet, so finding a table and ordering at the bar was a stress-free experience. I went for the recommendation of the barman, who praised the “tender and succulent” pork belly.

To my delight, the food arrived within ten minutes, and the meal was as good as the barman promised. Priced at a reasonable £12.75, the pork was wonderfully tender with crackling and a fantastic apple and fennel sauce.

It came with the popular Irish dish colcannon, which was creamy and included a decent selection of cabbage, onion and ham, which made it extremely flavoursome. It is a great wintery dish and was just what I needed on a cold January evening.

To wash down my meal I opted for a Brains Original Cask Bitter, a drink priced at £3.05 that was beautifully crisp and sharp.

On reflection, the food at the pub is top notch and is most definitely the selling point, but there was one drawback with my meal – not much thought was put into the presentation.

It felt like the items had just been plonked on the plate, as they were awkwardly clumped together.

This may sound a minor quibble, but most diners will agree that they want their food to look good on the plate.

There is a decent selection of draught beers and spirits, but only a limited selection of other ales and bitters, which could disappoint some drinkers with a broader palette.

Although the service was prompt, I did feel that the staff failed to go that extra mile which can often mark out an eaterie as really top class. Although friendly, the waiter did not check to see if I was happy with my food nor ask if I wanted coffee or desert.

The barman made no effort at all to engage in conversation. He had very little to say when I asked him about the menu, other than to recommend the pork belly.

Nonetheless, a visit to The Bear Inn was an overall pleasant experience.

The beautiful decor created a wonderfully relaxed environment and the food rivals anywhere in the Cotswolds.

SCORES

Atmosphere: 8/10 Relaxing

Decor: 8/10 Homely

Staff: 6/10 Friendly but need to make more effort

Drink: 6/10 A decent enough selection

Price: 7/10 Reasonable

Food: 8/10 Delicious but poor presentation

Overall: 7/10