The Melbourne Arms, Main Street, Melbourne

WHEN learning that my next Eating Out engagement would be in Melbourne, I couldn't help but raise a quizzical eyebrow. Would I really be sampling the culinary delights of the city that gave us Neighbours and Vegemite?

Well, no. Melbourne, for the uninitiated, is a village near Pocklington and my destination was The Melbourne Arms, which reopened late last year after a three-week refurb by new owners Justin and Clare Brosenitz.

The pub/restaurant is an imposing white stone building, its interior a surprisingly contemporary take on the rural inn. Light colours were complemented by the natural light that streamed in through large windows at the front. However, there was little sense of homeliness or cosiness.

A steady stream of customers, both at the bar and in the restaurant, created a pleasant hubbub, rendering redundant the pointless pop music in the background.

I was joined by three others - my brother John, his fiance Christina, and friend Anthony - and we began with two pints of John Smith's (£2.02 each) and two gin and tonics (£2.35 each).

We were disappointed to find that the a la carte menu was not available and would have to choose from the early-bird menu and the specials board. This restriction was perhaps due to the fact that only two people were serving front of house, presumably the owners themselves. I say presumably because we didn't get past the pleasantries stage, although they served us speedily.

We each plumped for the early bird menu (£7.95 for three courses), though I strayed to the specials board for my main course.

The starters arrived and, sadly, we were not overly impressed. The two Greek salads were poorly presented, resembling something one might receive during a school dinner, and were equally unpalatable. "Not fresh" was the cry from my dining companions.

John's garlic mushrooms were lacking in garlic, while my soup (tomato and basil) was watery with little flavour.

For the main course, I had chosen a ten-ounce sirloin. This looked appetising, although the necklace-thin onion rings with which it came were sorry affairs. I had asked for the meat to be cooked medium-rare and was anticipating a pleasant hint of pink when I cut into it. Unfortunately, the steak was 'not in the parish' (as my father would have said) of being medium rare. The meat was a white-grey colour on the inside, resembling, as John put it, a pork chop. I struggled manfully through half of this bland bit of beef, before abandoning the thing as a bad job (or should that be a bad steak?).

I am pleased to report my dining companions had more luck. They described the chilli con carne with tortilla chips as being "hearty meals" - filling, and a great improvement on the starters.

John's steak and ale pie was also a success, with big, tender pieces of meat and a pleasant puff pastry, though he confessed he preferred the thick-crust versions. The chunky chips were acceptable, but hardly world-beaters.

For dessert, things improved further. We ordered two caramel apple pies, one with custard, which Anthony declared the high spot of the meal. Not so good was the white chocolate cheesecake, which was described as "stodgy".

Early-bird prices meant this was always going to be inexpensive affair - my sirloin pushed the price up slightly - but the food bill for four of us was only £37.05. Good value, but I would add the caveat that many other rural pubs charge similar prices for comparable early-bird menus and produce far better food.

The Melbourne Arms, then, is clearly not the place to visit if you're looking for a gastronomic experience of a lifetime. However, it would be well suited to couples with young children, a number of whom were in evidence during our visit. They will find it a friendly, efficient place, which serves low-cost, no-frills food.

The Melbourne Arms, Main Street, Melbourne. Tel: 01759 318257.

Food: uninspiring

Service: brisk

Value: reasonable

Ambience: modern/rural

Disabled facilities: No

James visited June 2, 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: 09:50 Saturday, June 12, 2004