When you hear “pub lunch” many things come to mind, and it’s often “processed”, – there’s very few pubs I’ll go to for a meal for this very reason – so I was pleasantly surprised after a meal at The Goddard Arms. As pubs go, this converted coach house is one of the better-looking ones in Swindon. The interior and menu have been modernised but still maintain some classic pub features including oak wood furnishings and an open fire place – perfect for Sunday roasts in the autumn, I should imagine. This particular visit was a working lunch – we kept it simple with a meal and a drink. The Goddard Arms has an impressive menu which offers a wide selection of main meals, starters and sharers including meat, fish, vegetarian and vegan. As a recently converted vegetarian it would have been nice to see a bit more selection on this front, but nonetheless vegetarians and vegans are provided for. 
I went for the Asparagus and Pea Pasta, which for less of a word is ravioli filled with asparagus, peas and cheese. It’s a pretty generous and colourful dish which was accompanied by cherry tomatoes, mixed seeds, watercress and garlic bread. There’s also a lot of sauce with this dish, – a very thin consistency – which gave the meal an added kick of flavour. Ocelot editor, Jamie, went for the Wagyu burger – for those who don’t know, this is from Japanese cattle said to have a very intense flavouring. Ocelot deputy editor, Ben, opted for the Superfood Salad with added chicken and bacon. He said: “If you’re hungry, ordering any kind of salad is always a risk. Sometimes restaurants use salad as a shorthand for ‘I can see you need to lose weight… allow us underfeed you.’ I needn’t have worried though. The Goddard Arms Superfood Salad was a proper meal fit for a growing lad like me – packed with supposedly healthy things like pomegranate seeds and beans – it was actually a delicious kaleidoscope of food, with the joyful addition of bacon… and chicken. That’s what I call super food. I shall be back. And I shall order the same again.” The Goddard Arms is a strong competitor in Swindon’s pub grub scene, and I’d happily recommend you venture there to grab some dinner or lunch.
