Fate seemed to be keeping David Wiles from the Abbey Inn. Then he managed to book a table at last. Mind you, he only just made it.

WE thought we would never make it to the Abbey Inn. On our first attempt to secure a table, this restaurant in the shadow of the ruins of Byland Abbey was fully booked. Plan B was foiled because it does not open for evening meals on Sundays.

Third time lucky? No. Our mid-week expedition was called off due to snow flurries and sub-zero temperatures.

Having at last bagged ourselves a reservation on a Saturday evening, an unscheduled visit to York District Hospital threatened to scupper our plans yet again, but it was with more than a touch of relief and with hearty appetites that we finally arrived, late for our booking.

Worth waiting for? Absolutely. We instantly felt at home on walking in through the front door of this several-hundred-year-old country inn.

The welcome was warm and friendly, and the atmosphere and decor of the place were extremely cosy, with stripped wood tables, exposed ceiling beams, flagstone floors, and old photos and paintings on the walls.

But the icing on this rustic, homely and very authentic cake was the floodlit ruin of the 1,000-year-old abbey, almost within touching distance and neatly framed by the window of one of the restaurant's three dining areas. A more idyllic setting you could not imagine, and classical and church music added drama to the proceedings.

A glance at the menu showed the Abbey Inn is not one of North Yorkshire's cheapest eateries, but the setting alone made whatever expense awaited us well worth it.

The menu looked promising. Ever the sucker for a good prawn cocktail, I chose their take on the classic starter, branded "posh" on the menu (£6.95). My partner, Karin, who is pregnant and had to tiptoe around the menu avoiding all things raw or unpasteurised, went for one of the day's specials - smoked chicken with a yoghurt dressing and parmesan cheese (£6.25).

Both were excellent, although they did made me work for mine, with the prawns coming unpeeled on top of the filo pastry basket the dish was served in.

For main course, Karin had selected sirloin steak with black pepper sauce (£12.75). The sauce had a real kick - perhaps a bit too much of a kick - but the dish came with what I can only describe as the world's best onion rings, which fizzed on the tongue before melting in the mouth.

Carrying on my own seafood theme, I went for the tower of Scottish salmon with spinach puree and a dill hollandaise sauce (£12). It wasn't the most flavourful piece of salmon I have ever eaten, but, then again, if you want a fishy fish, you don't choose salmon. As it was so mild in flavour, it let the spinach and dill through perfectly.

Among the dessert offerings, all of which were priced at £4.50, were such treats as lemon posset with whipped cream and shortbread fingers, and summer pudding with whipped cream in a filo pastry basket.

I passed on the sweets, but Karin chose baked amaretto cheesecake with whipped cream. It was a big old serving and was, she said, absolutely delicious.

The attention to detail with the dishes at the Abbey Inn was not quite to the same standard as some of the restaurants we have visited recently, but that adds to the charm of the place. While some other restaurants in this price bracket (our meal cost £44.95) serve up works of art on a plate, the Abbey Inn is more down-to-earth and rustic, both in setting and fare, and I like it that way.

For an all-round dining experience, it is hard to beat. I was so taken by the mood that I proposed (she said yes).

The Abbey Inn, Byland Abbey, near Coxwold. www.bylandabbeyinn.com

01347 868204