LYNNE MARTIN opts for elbow room in the White Swan at Deighton instead of a bar meal...

We hadn't realised when we ordered our meals that there are two different menus at the White Swan until the waitress came to our table in the bar and put place mats in front of us.

"Can't we eat in the restaurant?" we inquired. The bar is fairly small with just three tables and I envisioned being a bit squashed if several people came in just for drinks - and the restaurant was almost empty. Obligingly she put our first order on hold and brought us the restaurant menu.

This was more expensive but the dishes on offer were also a bit more upmarket. The bar menu sounded fine with all the usual pub grub favourites including steak pie, grills and fish dishes - and very reasonably priced - but we decided to go for the extra elbow room in the restaurant, and something a bit different.

As time was getting on by now I opted for the one dish that caught my eye immediately - steak Rossini, an old favourite.

Chris's decision was also rapid and he ordered monkfish on a bed of peppers, although the halibut did sound tempting.

Starters were a bit trickier, but peppered chicken and a prawn and grapefruit salad with yoghurt and lemon dressing won the day.

As one of us was driving (guess who?) we decided against a bottle of wine and stuck with the Mansfield Home bitter, although a good selection of wine by the glass was on offer.

We were quickly shown through into the restaurant which is a pleasant room, rustically decorated, fresh flowers on the tables and wooden partitions separating most of the tables.

A nice touch affording a bit of privacy although only two other couples were our dining companions that night.

Our starters arrived quickly, my chicken accompanied by some warm crusty bread and Chris's prawns by thickly buttered brown bread.

The salad was a little short of grapefruit but he wasn't complaining as a veritable mountain of prawns was piled up on his plate, although it did look a bit bare without any garnish at all.

The yoghurt dressing he declared was sharp and tangy - a nice change from the usual marie rose.

My slices of chicken with their thin crust of ground peppers arrived on a bed of shredded iceburg lettuce, croutons and citrus dressing.

It was pleasant but a few mixed leaves might have livened it up instead of the ubiquitous iceburg.

After a short pause our main courses were served accompanied by a bowls of chips, new potatoes, carrots, green beans and peas.

My steak Rossini arrived sitting on its crouton and smothered with pate, but this time, unlike the croutons with the chicken, this was a bit soggy.

The chunky piece of steak was fine and tender but I found the red-wine sauce a little bitter.

An enormous piece of monkfish was put before Chris and it looked mouth-watering, but then the disappointment set in, it was very dry, the outside was hard and overcooked and would definitely have benefited from a sauce to help things along a bit.

We declined puddings even though I was tempted by fruits of the forest ice cream and citrus meringue pie and instead headed home feeling just a little disappointed.

Restaurant: The White Swan

Address: Deighton, York

Telephone: 01904 728287

Reviewed: August 161999

Food: A mixed offering

Value: Mixed

Service: Friendly

Ambience: Pleasantly rustic