The Flying Legends, Clifton Moor Retail Park, York.

UNTIL our son, Elliot, was born we avoided child-friendly pubs. But now we'd be lost without them, especially on miserable afternoons when the indoor soft play dens provide a welcome haven from the rain and cold.

We'd been to the Wacky Warehouse, the play area at The Flying Legends at Clifton Moor, York, many times, but had never tried the food. So, following a £200,000 revamp by owners, The Spirit Group, we thought it would be a perfect time to give it a go.

While Elliot let off steam in the play den, we looked at the menu as Jon Bon Jovi blasted out over the sound system (whatever happened to Bob The Builder or Postman Pat). As soon as our starters were ready we were buzzed through, although catching Elliot proved difficult.

The first-course menu contained the usual suspects - prawn cocktail, chicken goujons, soup of the day, deep fried mushrooms etc. I went for the combo platter for one (£3.25), while my wife, Jayne, a vegetarian, chose mushroom dippers (£2.95).

My finger-food collection of deep-fried mushrooms, a spicy chicken taco goujon, some onion rings, a couple of potato wedges and a chunk of crunchy garlic bread, was crisp, light and piping hot. It was let down by a limp pile of lettuce, which had seen better days, and the poor presentation - a little pot of garlic dip would have looked better than a plastic tub courtesy of Heinz.

Jayne enjoyed her mushrooms (there were about seven or eight of them), although she too was disappointed with the salad.

For our main meal we chose from the Fave Tastes selection - 16 dishes which included fish and chips, chicken tikka masala, lamb stew and grilled salmon.

Prices ranged from £5.50 to £7.50, but from Monday to Thursday diners can chose any two Fave Tastes for just £8, very good value indeed.

I enjoyed my Tuscan Chicken (full price £6.95) - two grilled chicken breasts served on a bed of bubble and squeak mashed potato and smothered with roasted vegetables including carrots, onions and courgette. The chicken was tender and nicely cooked and the creamy mash made a welcome change from new potatoes or chips. Great value for £4.

Jayne picked the cherry tomato mascarpone pasta (£6.25), which was basically pasta tubes covered in a rich and creamy sauce. It came with garlic bread. Although it was tasty, Jayne felt the dish lacked imagination and would have benefited from roasted vegetables or a side salad. The full price of £6.25, she thought, was too expensive.

After his exertions in the play den, Elliot attacked his Wacktastic Combo For Two with gusto.

The £3.95 dish from the separate children's menu was an assortment of kiddie's favourites, including chicken nuggets, sausages, onion rings, garlic bread, and thin French fries - again with a Heinz garlic dip.

Elliot seemed to enjoy it, although the meal did seem a little dry. It would have benefited from a helping of healthy vegetables or even some baked beans.

For deserts we pondered the Family Feast Belly Buster for two - a giant bowl crammed with ice cream, wafers, cream, flakes, meringue and fruit coulis - but in the end decided to go our separate ways. I went for the calorie-busting Caramel Crunchie Sundae (£2.65) - caramel and vanilla ice cream topped with toffee sauce, cream, curl wafers and Crunchie nuggets. Very rich, but very tasty.

Jayne had a healthy portion of profiteroles with hot chocolate sauce, which came with chocolate ice cream. Again, good value at £2.65.

With a couple of drinks, the bill came to a reasonable £26.75.

The new-look Flying Legends is bright and cheerful, with lots of contemporary pictures and, for some reason, dozens and dozens of vases. But missing was any reference to the past, and the reason the pub was named the Flying Legends - as a tribute to the air crews who flew from the Clifton Moor airfield during the Second World War.

A bomber used to grace the pub's sign, but that has now gone - and inside we couldn't find any photographs or paintings showing the link to the former bomber base, which was a shame.

Fact file:

Food: pub grub

Service: polite

Value: good deals

Ambience: breezy

Disabled facilities: Yes

The Flying Legends, Clifton Moor Retail Park, York.

Phone: 01904 693239. Children's highchairs are provided, and baby changing facilities are available

Simon and family visited on Wednesday, September 3

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 e-mail features@ycp.co.uk

Updated: 16:22 Friday, October 10, 2003