Lucy Stephens is spoilt for choice at a York restaurant.

SOMETIMES you can definitely have too much of a good thing. That was the feeling I had when studying the evening menu of the intriguing looking Michael's Brasserie, in Low Petergate, York.

I say intriguing because despite its location in one of the city's busiest streets, you can easily miss this restaurant.

Maybe that's because it doesn't seem to have made up its mind what kind of restaurant it is.

Take one look at the menu, and you'll see what I mean.

On the night my husband Martin and I went for dinner, you could have gone for the table d'hote, which included traditional classics such as prawn cocktail, fried fillet of haddock and home-made apple pie.

Then there was the a la carte menu, when things got more adventurous. Instead of your plain prawn cocktail, there was a prawn and smoked salmon cocktail to start.

Other starters were Tandoori chicken and the very odd-sounding Thai fish bruschetta.

There were pasta dishes, which went from the ordinary (tagliatelle carbonara) to the bizarre (tequila

lime chicken).

You could have a meat dish, local English lamb chops perhaps, or grilled gammon with fried egg, or

something from the choice of fish dishes.

There's a 'salad bowl' section, and a choice of 'sizzling dishes' including Caribbean chicken and

Mexican chicken and beans.

Just when you think there couldn't possibly be any more choice, I glanced upwards and spotted the specials board, which had a wide range of choices, including Barbary duck or swordfish steak.

It's exhausting before you even start eating. And the atmosphere of the place doesn't really help you relax either.

Everything about the dcor feels very dated, from the 1980s pop coming from the stereo to the stiff pot plants dotted around the place.

When we eventually managed to wade through the menu, a friendly waitress came to take our order.

After much deliberation I went for a champagne pat (£4.85) to start with.

Martin stuck to the table d'hote menu (£15.50 for three courses) and ordered home-made Thai fish cakes with a spicy chilli dip.

The chef, we learned from some literature on the table, was from Thailand, so we expected the fish

cakes to be good. When they arrived, four of them served with a generous side salad, we were not disappointed. They were small and tasty with a good sweetish sauce.

My pat, which came with toast and a salad, was ordinary. It would not have been out of place in a

pub, but this restaurant seemed to be aspiring to a fine dining experience.

For a main course I ordered enthusiastically from the specials board, picking the 'exotic red snapper supreme with asparagus, served with king prawns and scallops' (£12.95). Martin stayed traditional with the home-made steak and mushroom pie.

Maybe it was the word 'exotic' that had tempted me. My mouth was watering by the time my main course arrived.

It looked good. A large piece of snapper sitting prettily atop asparagus - sadly rather overdone - beneath which were a great many prawns and scallops, with lots of rich sauce.

But it was just too much. So many beautiful ingredients in one dish, not one done to perfection. The prawns were plentiful, but small and overcooked. The scallops - a favourite of mine - were fat and prosperous looking, but unexciting. A bit of a disappointment.

Martin's pie, though, was excellent. Lots of tenderly-cooked steak, which really melted in the mouth. Good pub-style thick chips came with it.

We were served a selection of vegetables too - but hardly touched them because our main dishes were quite large enough.

On to puddings, for which we were presented with yet another menu.

I went for the lemon cheesecake, (£3.25), Martin, the treacle sponge, (£3.25) which he ordered with custard.

My cheesecake was definitely the best course so far. Pleasantly lemony, with a good biscuit base. They had not been able to resist gilding the lily with a splodge of cream on top, though.

Martin pronounced his sponge, invisible amid about a tonne of custard, excellent.

We washed the lot down with a bottle of Merlot le Charme NV vin de pay's d'Oc (£11.40), which was

drinkable, if unremarkable.

It all came to £47.95, not including service, which for two three course meals with a bottle of wine was reasonable.

But, sometimes, less is more.

Michael's Brasserie at the Galtres Lodge Hotel, 54 Low Petergate, York. Tel: 01904 622478.

Food: variable

Service: friendly

Value: fine

Ambience: dated

Disabled access: No

Lucy and Martin visited on Wednesday, July 14, 2004.

Restaurant reviewers aim to be fair and accurate. Any comments on this review should be addressed to Chris Titley, Features Content Editor, Evening Press, 76-86 Walmgate, York, YO1 9YN or email

features@ycp.co.uk

Updated: 08:36 Saturday, July 24, 2004