Alex Lloyd enjoys some Latin American sunshine at a new York eatery.

WITH such colourful and vibrant influences from which to draw, it is amazing that so many restaurants serving Latin American dishes fail to tantalise your tastebuds with anything like the excitement of the Rio Carnival or the rhythms of Buena Vista Social Club.

Thankfully, Bobo Lobo, a recent addition to York's trendy caf-quarter, is a rare establishment where the food does justice to its rich cultural influences.

Housing a stylish bar at the front, the cosy, laidback restaurant area is tucked away at the back. The decor comprises of bright prints on simple, whitewashed walls.

Visiting on a Friday evening, my friend Andy and I were pleased to find Bobo Lobo has a lively atmosphere minus the bustle. It is ideal for couples and groups and offers imaginative and varied daytime and evening menus.

Taking a seat and surveying the gastronomic wonders of a continent, the adventurer within me was in her element, taking a good quarter of an hour to decide what to eat. While I dithered, Andy ordered us a bottle of Chenin Blanc Argentina (£12.95).

I opted to start my culinary journey in Argentina, turning down a couple of tempting prawn dishes and tortillas for margarita marinated chicken skewers, served on a papaya and mango salsa with a citrus salad (£4.95).

Following an explanation from our friendly, but slightly nervous, waitress of what the dish was, Andy took a more adventurous route with the Cuban patacones con crema (£3.95), lightly spiced plantain fritters served on a mango and coconut salsa.

With the glee of travellers who have just left port, we topped up our glasses and soaked up the warm ambience.

However, we all know that no trip is problem-free and after half an hour's wait, our apologetic waitress announced we had encountered the culinary equivalent of leaves on the tracks - there was a computer mix-up and our order had only just been processed.

Disappointed, we perked up when two fresh and colourful plates appeared within ten minutes.

A big fan of starters, I sometimes find they can spoil the main course but my chicken skewers were perfect. Tasty and with a wonderful tang to them, courtesy of the lime and tequila, the salsa was fruity and the salad light.

Andy declared his fritters were "a pleasant surprise. He discovered plantain had the appearance of banana but tasted like potato, the salsa adding a welcome kick thanks to some chillis.

Now revived, our main course appeared rather more swiftly.

Andy, a man who likes meat, opted for the traditional Mexican fare of steak fajita (£10.95) while I chose the Cuban dish of pan-fried red snapper with red onion and mixed cherry tomatoes on saffron rice (£14.95).

I added a side order of fries (£1.95) but I needn't have bothered because both dishes were more than plentiful.

The fajita came with a beautiful medium-rare slab of steak and a plate loaded with huge roasted bell peppers, onions, sour cream, guacamole, tomato salsa, cheese and five flour tortillas.

Attacking his meal with the gusto of a trekker who has been trapped in the jungle for a week, Andy said his fajitas were "the best I have ever had" although he would have liked his steak a little rarer and had not been asked how he wished it cooked.

My red snapper was light and moist, the saffron rice perfectly complimenting its delicate flavour, although I would have preferred less rice and more vegetables.

Stuffed, we staggered on to our final destination - dessert - and opted to share a mango compote (£3.75).

Our joint protestations of being unable to manage another mouthful strangely evaporated as soon as the delicious pot of sweet, gooey mango puree, topped with a layer of creme fraiche and caramelised sugar arrived. Its sublime balance of sweet and tart almost caused a falling out as our spoons duelled to collect every last mouthful.

With the warm glow of those who had just come to the end of a good holiday, we settled the bill of £53.45, a little pricey given the average level of service, but far cheaper than a trip to Mexico. If only every meal was such a journey.

Bobo Lobo, 5 Little Stonegate, York. Telephone: 01904 621900.

Alex visited on January 30, 2004.

Food: exciting

Service: average

Value: reasonable

Ambience: inviting

Disabled facilities: No

Updated: 08:28 Saturday, February 14, 2004