When it comes to restaurants, Lynne Martin discovers the old ones are the best

During the build up to this year's York Festival of Food and Drink it became a talking point among the Eating Out team, here at the Press, as to which was the oldest restaurant in York, excluding hotels.

This sent us on a trip down memory lane and eventually we couldn't decide between The Willow in Coney Street or Ristorante Bari in Shambles. If you know, or can think of somewhere else, let us know.

Another restaurant which has stood the test of time is Pines. Off the beaten tourist track, in a less-than-attractive setting on Nunnery Lane, this small restaurant has been keeping its customers happy for many years so we went along to try to discover the secret of its success.

The restaurant is more tea-room than trendy. The walls are white, the lighting is bright and the pine tables and chairs are fairly close together, but on a dingy Wednesday night in September the place was almost full.

When our starters arrived we could begin to see why.

A crisp cloud of thin batter encased my two large goujons of monkfish which cracked open to reveal the delicious moist sweet fish inside. It was accompanied with home-made tartare sauce and an attractively-arranged salad garnish.

Chris decided upon savoury mushrooms from the long list of starters. A large steaming dish of mushrooms in a rich sauce of onions and tomatoes, topped with melted cheese arrived. Almost a meal in itself.

For the main course I finally opted for chicken breast stuffed with mango chutney, rolled in coconut, and served with a mild curry sauce. This was a wonderful fusion of sweet and savoury with the coconut giving a delicate crispy crust.

It was the unusually named Fish Rendezvous, from the specials menu, for Chris. It was indeed a delicious meeting of pieces of halibut, cod, salmon, prawns and mussels in a creamy sauce.

Buttered new potatoes and salad completed the dishes - or so we thought until the waitress brought a dish of ratatouille and another dish containing broccoli, mange tout and carrots.

Everything was nicely-presented, fresh and wholesome and cooked to perfection.

We were left alone to get on with our food - after an inquiry to make sure everything was all right - which pleased me as nothing irritates me more than being hovered over while I am eating.

Our only complaint was that there was just too much food. Neither of us had room for the home-made puddings, of which there was a long list, including an old favourite - treacle tart.

Instead, we enjoyed regularly topped-up coffee upstairs in the bar area.

The bill came to £44.40 which included a very acceptable bottle of Jarrah Ridge Shiraz at £10.75.

The food here doesn't dazzle with the latest trendy tastes, but the people at Pines seem to care about their customers and giving value for money.

It's homely and not at all pretentious. It has found its audience and caters for it. Quite a few who were dining on the night we went were obviously regulars.

A note on the menu says that if you have a particular favourite, and give them 24-hours notice, they will cook it for you.

Obviously a recipe for success.

Fact file:

Food: Tasty and fresh

Service: Unobtrusive

Value: Excellent

Ambience: Unpretentious

No Disabled access

Pines Restaurant, 23 Nunnery Lane, York. Tel: 01904 627267.

Open every night except Sunday and Monday.

15/09/01