EATING in pubs, rather than restaurants, is always appealing. On top of good food, you can often be offered a great atmosphere, a decent pint, a relaxed setting and a warm welcome.

All these factors are amplified when you spin out to a traditional, English, well-established country pub - such as the Fleece Inn at Bishop Wilton.

With a table at the Lord Halifax-owned pub booked, we made sure we were geared up for a big feed - and we were not disappointed.

Entering the pub, adorned with the usual horse-brasses and perched locals, we were treated to a traditional Yorkshire welcome - a couple of pints of Theakston's Best Bitter.

Booking a table in advance proved unnecessary on this night, but just turning up on spec might mean missing out on a chance to sample the perfect chicken pat, served with tangy cumberland sauce. It was flavoursome without being heavy and spreadable without being too soft, said my dining partner.

But my choice was even more of a hit. Even the considerable beauty of our young waitress couldn't distract me from my deep-fried brie with cranberry sauce. All three heavily-battered morsels disappeared quickly - a theme for the evening where both consumption and service were speedy.

My mate, who is big-eater, plumped for the biggest-sounding dish on the extensive menu, which turned out to be the most expensive: fillet steak with garlic mushroom garnish.

And from the mouthful I stole of his feast, it was worth every penny.

The heavily-garnished and "beautifully done" medium-rare steak must have been great judging by his silence during the main course.

A decent portion of chips also kept him busy, although he largely ignored the side salad with its surprising presence of strawberries and pineapple.

The arrival of my cajun chicken special was a welcome sight indeed. A huge portion of heavily-sauced chicken on a bed of perfectly-cooked rice with a healthy serving of chips certainly kept me happy.

The sauce was just piquant enough that I had to keep reaching for the bottle of Chenin Blanc to my left to soothe my mouth - or maybe it was just an excuse to sup what proved to be a surprisingly good wine for £7.50.

Even after five years of living up in the north, there is something so special about "a proper meal in a proper pub" that I couldn't help getting over-excited and nearly spoiling the otherwise relaxed and agreeable ambience.

The portions were ample enough that two strapping-lads were satiated without being stuffed, leaving plenty of room for the desserts. But first a trip to the toilet.

And what a toilet.

The immaculately-clean facilities are adorned with a selection of the funniest canine caper cartoons you could conceive.

The decorations are such that after our meal I refused to leave the pub until my partner had also paid a visit to see these pictures.

For desserts, we plumped for the grape and butterscotch cheesecake, with a touch of ice-cream, and the banoffee pie.

And, yes, the cheesecake did taste as nice as it sounds, if not nicer.

Despite my attempted diet, I had no hesitation in wolfing down this creamy, soft and excellent pudding which tasted like the sort of thing your gran would make.

We were not disappointed by the size of our slices, with the tasty banoffee pie also receiving a big thumbs-up.

The whole shebang came to a creditable £47.55.

Evening meals do not get much better - the food was superb, the atmosphere charming, the beer spot on, the staff appealing and the price reasonable. And let's not forget those great toilets.

u Fleece Inn, Main Street, Bishop Wilton. Tel: 01759 368251.

FACT FILE

Food: Tasty

Service: Fast

Value: No Complaints

Ambience: Rural

Disabled Access: Yes