DAN RUTSTEIN went to Ristorante Bari looking for the perfect Italian meal, and left still searching.

THE lighting, the decor, the atmosphere, the location. This little Italian on Shambles seems to have all the ingredients for the perfect restaurant.

Tucked away in one of our city's most historic and magical streets, you enter Bari to a sea of red. You can feel the romance, you can hear the waiters shout impatiently in their own language and you can smell the sweet aromas of Italian fare.

York has more than its fair share of eateries from the country that brought us pizza, pasta and footballers in tight shirts.

So, to stand out, a restaurant needs something that bit special. At first glance, Ristorante Bari seems to have it - but it lets itself down where it matters most: on the food front.

To kick off, we ordered a carafe of house white (one litre, £11.45).

It proved to be a good start. The wine, poured from a very authentic vase-shaped glass container, was very drinkable.

And our starters began well, too.

My Conchiglie di Pollo (£4.95), was a lovely melange of chicken, mushrooms and peppers in a creamy sauce. A truly continental starter, it was a delight and was just how starters should be, tasty without being too filling.

The garlic bread was a treat also. Strangely lacking in garlic, it was more like a soft tomato pizza, but nonetheless was delectable and the four slices soon disappeared.

But the Pollo Affumicato e Gamberetti (£5.15) was not such a success. On the menu it appeared an appetising dish - smoked chicken and prawns with chive and walnut mayonnaise.

But in reality, it just didn't work.

"It is just a few nice things put on a plate next to each other," was my dining partner's comment.

And he was right. The ingredients didn't go together and it looked and tasted boring, save the pieces of smoked chicken which had a nice flavour.

However, we were still confident the evening would pick up, and were looking forward to our main courses.

But, disappointment struck again.

My friend's steak, with capers, oregano and garlic (£12.55), was nice - but he had ordered medium rare and it arrived well done.

While the accompanying sauce was very nice indeed, the vegetables were somewhat of a let down.

He was offended to receive a clump of pasta with a token dollop of tomato sauce on it. The roast potatoes, which I ate, were fine, but the broccoli was on the limp side.

The best part of the main course was the side salad. I ordered the Insalate Mele e Noci (£3.55) a green salad with apple, nuts and mayonnaise and it was very good. If it had been the only thing I had eaten, then I would be recommending Ristorante Bari to everyone.

Unfortunately I also had the cannelloni (£7.25) which was not as nice. It was a little dry and, disconcertingly, hung around in clumps in my dish. It is rare that I turn my nose up at food, but on this occasion, I had to fill up on the already mentioned salad and roast potatoes.

Our desserts, like boring car journeys, came and went with little to comment on.

The selection on the trolley (nice touch) was comprehensive, but my friend's chocolate mousse (£3.45) and my fruity cheesecake (£3.45) were unexceptional and a little too much like the ones available at the supermarket.

The disappointment of the meal wasn't helped by the sharpness and lack of interest shown by the second waiter who dealt with us, and the bill of £54.95.

If you want the perfect Italian meal in York, then by all means look through the window at the romantic decor of Ristorante Bari, but then go elsewhere for the food.

Fact File

Food: disappointing

Service: very Italian

Value: better elsewhere

Ambience: romantic

Disabled access: Yes

Ristorante Bari, Shambles, York. Telephone: 01904 633807.