DINE ON THE ROWE

Where: 12-14 Butcher Row, Beverley.

Call: 01482 502269.

Web: www.dineontherowe.com

Open: Closed Monday. Tuesday to Thursday, open noon-4pm; 6.30pm until late; Friday to Sunday, 11am until late.

Accessibility: Ground floor seating, various dining areas.

Vegetarian: Yes, options available.

Family friendly? More for adults.

Parking: Beverley town centre.

Anna's Happy Trotters Belly Pork: £6.50 With Apple Chutney dressing.

Caesar Salad: £6.95 With marinated chicken and crispy anchovies.

Venison: £21.95 Yorkshire venison with wild mushroom and truffle oil, polenta and a drizzle of extra-dark chocolate and chilli sauce.

Deconstructed Paella: £24.95 Smoked paprika chicken, crispy wild rabbit, king prawns, langoustine, served with la bomba paella rice.

W hat a way to spend a Saturday evening – a lovely, soothing massage, followed by a three-course meal in one of Beverley's premier eateries, which showcases the best of the region's food produce.

I had not visited Dine On The Rowe before, but the online menu and recommendations from others were enough to tempt me.

The restaurant fits in nicely in Butcher Row, blending in well with its surroundings – the large windows inviting you in. We were seated by one of these windows, so enjoyed a good aspect out to the street, where there were plenty of people milling around in their finery after a day at the races.

There were a few other tables already filled when we arrived and the place got busier as the evening wore on, creating a pleasant atmosphere and a cosy, relaxed setting.

The decor is simple and stylish, with comfortable upholstered chairs and various seating areas, so you could be tucked away in a quiet corner should you prefer an intimate setting.

Our evening visit allowed us to sample the delights of the May to June dinner menu, which featured a choice of five starters and eight mains, as well as a separate selection of daily specials.

It was from this list that one of my friend's ordered her starter – the scallops (£8.95), which came with a black pudding risotto.

She had never tried these before, but had always wanted to and was not disappointed with her choice – they were tasty and moist and the flavours of the other ingredients complemented the seafood perfectly.

My tomato soup, served with cheese croutons and crusty bread (£4.95), was also one of the specials and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Not one to go for this usually, as I find it quite uninspiring, I was pleasantly surprised to find the soup beautifully seasoned and creamy. It was piping hot and the croutons added that extra depth of flavour.

The final choice for starters on the table was the homemade fishcake with locally smoked haddock and freedom salmon (£6.45), taken from the main menu.

This was another success, crammed with plenty of fish and was deceptively filling.

While we waited for our main courses, the bottle of Petit Chaumont (£16.95) was going down very nicely and the three of us were already convinced that we should be making this type of convivial evening a much more regular occurrence.

It was a tough choice between the venison (£21.95) and the sirloin (£18.95) for me and I was still deliberating up until the last second. What came out of my mouth when I was asked by the waiter was the latter. This was described on the menu as four-week-hung sirloin with pancetta sautéed potatoes served with rocket and red pesto dip.

Served on a slate tile, which was a quirky touch, the flavour of the meat was delicious and cooked just how I had asked – medium. There was, however, more fat than I would have liked, so I was left with quite a large strip on the side of my plate.

There was plenty of rocket and the pesto dip added a nice touch.

The piri-piri style duck (£18.95), marinated for a day in spices and served on sweet-potato mash and local tomato relish, was cooked to perfection and was devoured with gusto.

Meanwhile, the haddock (£14.95) served in curry spice and soda-water batter on a bed of Bombay potatoes with yoghurt dressing, was a generous portion and all the flavours worked really well together.

On to dessert and pecan pie (£5.95), cheesecake (£6.95) and the Baileys brownie heaven (£7.45) proved too hard to resist.

I was looking forward to drowning my brownies and ice cream in a delicious sauce of Baileys and planned to leave the shot of espresso on the side, but unfortunately for me the sauce was a mixture of coffee and Baileys, with the overwhelming taste of the bean coming through, so I ended up just eating the chocolate and ice cream instead, which was a shame.

This is obviously just down to personal taste, but more Baileys, less coffee for me next time, please chef.

The pecan pie and cheesecake, however, hit the spot wonderfully for the girls and we left feeling satisfied and suitably pampered.

The bill wasn't as high as I had anticipated, coming in at £110, so less than £40 each for three courses and wine.

The venue is stylish, welcoming and the staff very friendly and efficient. I will certainly be paying a return visit as I still have that venison to try.

Type: Modern British.

Quality of food: Excellent.

Atmosphere: Lovely atmosphere, welcoming, busy, but not overwhelmingly so. Stylish decor, comfortable seating and a very relaxing setting.

Service: Very good. The waiters and waitresses were very friendly and chatty.

Value for money: You pay for the quality here. But even so, for three courses and wine for £110.50 between three, I thought this was pretty reasonable.

Best for: A sophisticated evening of fine dining with partner, friends or family.

Would you go again? Most definitely.