The Mason's Arms, Fishergate, York.

The clocks said 1pm when we rolled up for lunch at The Mason's Arms in Fishergate last Sunday. Our stomachs, however, said 2pm. We'd gone without breakfast so as to enjoy our meal more - and we were starving.

The Mason's, a pretty, unpretentious town pub located smack on one of York's busiest roads, reaped the benefit.

Inside, every table was occupied. After a bit of deliberation, we squeezed in beside two young women tucking into mountainous Sunday lunches of roast chicken with all the trimmings. Our stomachs rumbled.

It's an old-fashioned little pub, with dark-wood panelling and framed posters on the wall extolling such male-only pursuits as the rules of fishing. But it is cheerful and friendly: the sort of place where you can relax with a pint and a newspaper on a Sunday and not feel rushed.

There are two interconnected bar areas, one - ours - for non smokers. The menu is chalked up on boards over the bar.

I supped a decent pint of Fuller's London Pride and Lili an orange juice while we pondered. The Mason's offers good pub food, plus a few more adventurous dishes. There were a range of steaks to choose from, for example, and roast chicken, pork and lamb lunches, as well as hotpots and pies, all served with chips, potatoes or mash and vegetables. But we could have chosen also Thai fish stew, Mexican beef in tortilla wraps, or one of several vegetarian options, including broccoli and stilton pie or vegetable lasagne.

In the end, Lili opted for the lemon sole with prawns (£8.50) and I went for the lamb and Guinness hotpot (£7.25).

We were both starving, so the half hour or so we had to wait seemed an eternity, particularly with the two young women at our table obviously enjoying their huge chicken meals. The delay was understandable, however: the pub was heaving.

Our meals, when they arrived, were big enough to satisfy the most substantial appetite.

My hotpot came in a separate dish, crispy sliced potatoes laid above a bed of bubbling hotpot. This dish was sitting on a larger plate, which was filled with creamy mashed potato, steamed cauliflower and carrots and braised leek. Lili's lemon sole was accompanied by peeled prawns grilled kebab-style on skewers and a generous selection of boiled new potatoes. She also had a side bowl of salad, topped with generous lemon slices for squeezing over her fish.

I couldn't, to be honest, detect much Guinness in my hot pot. But the lamb itself was delicious; tender, juicy and bursting with flavour. It came in a rich, dark sauce that certainly had the colour and texture of Guinness, and was accompanied with chunks of mushroom. My mash was creamy and tasty, and the leeks complemented the hotpot well.

Lili was also pleased with her meal. The prawns, she said, were great - fresh and tasty, and cooked in a way she had never had them before. Her lemon sole was also fresh, and perked up nicely by a squeeze of lemon juice.

Lili finished every morsel on her plate, but I was defeated by the sheer quantity of lamb in my hotpot.

Haunted by the memory of my earlier hunger, I was still determined to have a pud, though. The hot fudge cake with custard (£2.50) sounded good. Lili wanted fresh fruit, but since this wasn't available, went for the home-made apple pie (£2.50) instead. We also had a coffee (£1.25) each.

My fudge cake came swimming in a sea of custard. It wasn't the greatest fudge cake ever - a little too sweet and not perhaps quite as moist as it could have been - but it wasn't the worst, either; and the custard was delicious. Lili's slice of pie was filled with apple and came in a light, broken crust. The coffees were fine.

The cost for this feast of wholesome pub food was £26.75. Given the friendly staff and cheerful atmosphere, it's little wonder this pub remains such a Sunday favourite.

The Mason's Arms, Fishergate, York. Tel 01904 646046.

Steve and Lili visited on October 31, 2004.

Updated: 16:12 Friday, November 05, 2004