Pom’s Thai Cuisine, 24 High Street, Old Town, Swindon, SN1 3EP.

01793 480046

You may never have noticed Pom’s Thai Restaurant, as it is cleverly hidden behind The Bell Hotel on Swindon’s Old Town High Street.

This charming little eatery may be hard to spot but once inside, the tranquil atmosphere and Eastern décor ensure you that you’ll be in for an authentic experience.

It bills itself as the oldest Thai restaurant in Swindon, and offers both eat in and out.

This was my first trip to a completely Thai restaurant but I do have a personal favourite, which I chose, being mixed tempura vegetables (Tempura Pak) with a sweet chilli sauce – what could be better than taking a load of healthy vegetables and battering them?

Jacky went for the Hoi Mang Poo Op, or steamed mussels in a white wine sauce, which caused her to wax lyrical about their rich flavour.

The hot and sour sauce which accompanied them was delicious, so much so that I had to try it myself.

It turned out that the main dishes are large enough for two people to share.

We ordered the Gai Tord Rad Prik, which was pieces of battered chicken in chilli and soy sauce and the magnificently named Weeping Tiger, which was flavoursome shredded sirloin steak in a fruity special Thai herb sauce.

Both dishes were accompanied by fragrant coconut rice and traditional noodles, which bore a striking resemblance to fettuccine pasta.

The food in Pom’s was varied and smacked of authenticity – even down to the crockery, with the spicy chicken dish coming in a plate shaped like a chicken.

The waitresses were polite and were all wearing traditional dresses, further adding to the Eastern feel of the evening.

The fact that they were looking after a young child while providng us with attentive service hinted that the business is family-run.

Starters ranged in price from just £1.65 for prawn crackers to £10.20 for a mixed platter while main courses peaked at £14.99 for the steamed sea bass.

Our meal, along with two glasses of wine and two soft drinks, came to £47.76.

Thai chef

Customer car park

Take away service for both collection and delivery

All food cooked fresh at time of ordering

All dishes medium-hot but extra spice available on order

Open seven days a week

Our Eating Out is an independent review carried out by the Times without prior knowledge of the owners