Writing for a newspaper is generally good fun, you'll be relieved to hear. But sometimes readers become irate about things beyond any writer's control.

Visiting restaurants to write these reviews, you can only go when you can. Sounds straightforward?

Not according to the reader who complained that a city centre restaurant we visited early on Wednesday evening had turned out to be busy at 10.45 on Saturday night - and we had never pointed this out.

So, let's be clear: my visit to the Fauconberg Arms Hotel in Coxwold was on a Saturday afternoon in early April - we arrived at 12.15pm and left after a hearty repast at around 2.30pm.

It is quite possible that Sunday lunch, for instance, is a busier affair.

It was surprisingly busy when we arrived, but after a few minutes the logjam of thirsty guests was cleared, our order was taken, and we sat down with a drink. We had booked for lunch, and were shortly shown through to the old-fashioned dining room. This is by no means a criticism. The ambience of the Fauconberg Arms is pleasingly 'old-fashioned' in the ways that 'old-fashioned' equals good.

When you were a child, you knew that from time to time adults disappeared into secret places called pubs and hotels, where they talked grown-up talk, consumed fiery drinks and smoked more than they did at home. The Fauconberg Arms is exactly that sort of establishment, though smoking is - as everywhere else these days - much reduced, and the dining room is mainly smoke-free.

The slightly faded tablemats bearing the hotel's name are a hint of grandeur, and the dining room is the sort of place you imagine spotting Alastair Sim's head pop up from behind a newspaper.

Until July 1, the Fauconberg has a special offer called Sizzle Into Summer, whereby you can have two courses for £6, though not on bank holiday weekends.

Starters were homemade mushroom soup for me and puff pastry parcels filled with Wensleydale and ginger pate and warm apple chutney for Antonia. Both were good.

Main courses (supreme of chicken, salmon and tarragon risotto) were first class, and I particularly liked the accompanying vegetables - new and roast potatoes, roasted garlic and carrot and swede. As Loyd Grossman would say, it's all too rare that the delicious swede makes an appearance.

Our table in the window was dappled with sunshine, a version of the Z Cars theme was playing softly in the background, and all was well with the world.

Perhaps because we were by now the only guests left in the dining room, the service came to something of a halt at this point, but eventually we managed to place a pudding order.

Disappointingly, the apricot and ginger trifle in a mascarpone custard was both too gingery and insufficiently apricoty.

But the atmosphere is relaxing, everything before the trifle was excellent, and the bill including drinks came to a tad over £26. Coxwold is a pleasingly hilly village, and the drive out of York on a fine day is wonderful.

Restaurant: The Fauconberg Arms Hotel

Address: Coxwold, Near Easingwold

Telephone: 01347 868214

Reviewed: April 15, 2000

Food: ***spiffing

Value: ****Very Fair

Service: ***Friendly

Ambience: *****A taste of England as it was

Disabled access: No