I am all for the ‘eat less meat’ campaigns, meat-free Mondays, and all that.

While I could never (willingly) go veggie, I accept that the fewer slabs of flesh I consume, the better for me and for the environment. I know all that. It’s just that I can’t resist a good steak.

So when Peppers, in Deddington, announced it had undergone a refurbishment and had brought in a revamped menu with a new steak selection, I felt drawn to give it a try.

It had been a while since my last visit, but I liked what they had done with the place. Aubergine walls and a generally cosy feel made it most welcoming.

The menu may be new, but it’s not straightforward. You can take the standard route of starters and main, or wander along the Spanish trail by taking tapas – smaller and cheaper portions of the starters.

We plumped for standard and I chose well with marinated red mullet with orange segments and seasonal leaves (£5.50). Two beautifully tangy pieces of fish, cured ceviche-style.They arrived with cherry tomotoes instead of the advertised braised fennel, but the dish was no worse for that.

My wife was equally impressed with her deep-fried brie with apple and plum chutney and salad (£4.95). The chutney particularly went down a storm and was a perfect accompaniment to the oozing cheese parcels.

There is an impressive selection of pizzas on offer at Peppers, cooked in its own stone-based ovens.

They’re pretty big and seemed to be flying out of the kitchen at regular intervals like... well, like flying saucers.

Tempting though they looked (and the Diavola, with its salami, pepperoni, olives and jalepeno peppers for £8.50 has got my name on it next time I visit), the main course had to be all about the steak.

After considering the 18oz T-bone (£21.95), I plumped for the more manageable 10oz ribeye (£16.50). It came with excellent ‘fat’ chips, a delicious field mushroom and roasted tomatoes.

Just to gild the lily, I had a prawn skewer (£2.95) to ‘surf and turf’-up my dish, and also opted for the blue cheese sauce (£1.25), which was tasty, but could have been a tad stronger for my liking.

The steak was really succulent, and cooked perfectly medium rare.

After checking that it was free-range, my wife devoured her New York-style chicken (£12.50), with BBQ sauce topped with Parma ham and cheese and served with potato bravas and mixed salad.

The chicken was moist, the sauce and toppings were unctuous, and the potatoes – in their spicy tomato sauce – went really well with it.

Our waitress, who couldn’t have been friendlier or more helpful, pointed us in the direction of the chocolate fondue (£7.50) for two to share as a desert. It was an inspired choice, with bananas, strawberries and marshmallows to dunk into melted dark chocolate (plus hundreds-and-thousands if you’re feeling extravagant). Just remember to share nicely.

Good wine and coffee too, plus excellent service, made this a very enjoyable dining experience.