Charlotte Percival takes a pew for dinner in a former York church.

HOW many times have you dined under a tombstone?

I'll bet the markings on ancient memorial plaques aren't your regular ingredients for dinner time conversations but it certainly makes for a change.

Tombs are just one of the things to set The Parish, in Micklegate, aside from many York bars and eateries.

If the food does not make it remarkable (and at this early stage in its career, we thought it probably does not) then the dcor and ambience certainly provide a talking point.

The Parish, formerly St John's Church, closed to worshippers in 1934 and was converted into an arts centre complete with a drinks license in the 1970s.

The struggling centre closed in 1999 and work began to transform the 11th-century church into £1.7million development, The Parish.

Builders have preserved much of the ancient stonework, including a tomb belonging to a long-deceased knight called Sir Richard Dorke.

From the outside, burly bouncers are the only clues to the church's new identity. Upon stepping inside the large wooden doors, you are greeted with a world where old meets new.

Ropes to the original church bells hang by the bar and much of the stonework has been preserved, around new crimson coloured boards and art work.

The bar, new and gleaming, is built upon a glittery tiled floor which looks perfect for spinning around in party shoes, while laminate flooring and carpets are rolled out near the tables and on the mezzanine floor.

Tables are positioned along the altar and down the sides, some cast into darkness by the structure's looming shadows.

We settled on high stools towards the back and supped on a lager shandy (£2.50) and ros wine (£2.50) while pondering the menu.

The Parish operates a self-service system where you order at the bar and wait for your food at the table.

This was fine at about 6.30pm, but a little later on when we had to queue to order drinks, I would have probably run out of patience with a growling stomach.

We got the impression The Parish hadn't really set itself up as a restaurant, concentrating more on the drinks side of business.

Although the menu was large enough, it was entirely bar-snack based, with little room for a romantic meal. It's the kind of place you could meet your mates on a Saturday lunchtime for a natter and nachos, or have an early tea after work, as we did.

Having deliberately starved himself for the task in hand, my boyfriend, John, singled out a mountain of nachos (£5.75) and breaded garlic mushrooms (£2.75) for us to share, before scanning the meatier options on the menu.

Other choices included various toasties priced between £3.25 and £3.45, salads, such as three cheese Caesar, sirloin Caesar and honey roast ham, ranging from £4.95 to £7.95, or burgers, including chicken, veggie, and the special burger topped with mushrooms, bacon and cheese. All burgers are served with chips, onion rings and a rocket leaf garnish.

Pasta dishes include homemade lasagne, creamy chicken and mushroom penneta rigati, and tomato and meatball fusilli (all £5.25). If you only fancy a sandwich, choices include prawn cocktail or chicken and mayonnaise, served on sliced farmhouse white or brown granary with rocket leaf and chip garnish, priced between £3.50 and £4.25.

For mains, I chose fillet of chicken breast topped with cheese and bacon (£5.95), while John went straight for the 8 oz sirloin steak (£9.95)

The nachos did not disappoint, topped with melted cheese and generous portions of guacamole, soured cream, chilli and salsa. The mushrooms were less of a hit. Bite-sized and coated in crispy breadcrumbs, John said they were tasteless and slimy, and left them to go cold.

The main dishes took a while to arrive, but the waitress was polite and efficient, quickly clearing empty plates away.

My chicken breast, while small, was absolutely delicious. The bacon and cheese mixture running through the middle gave it a quite salty taste, which is just how I like it. It came with oven chips and a fresh and crispy leaf garnish. While it didn't look like a lot of care had gone into it, it tasted gorgeous.

John was fairly disappointed with his plate. Although we had ordered the steak grilled medium to well done, he complained about the pinkness of the meat, which also lacked taste.

He stared glumly at the two impoverished onion rings at the side of the plate, but enjoyed the chips and mushrooms - less slimy than their earlier counterparts.

Desserts are not yet available at The Parish.

The bill came to £34.40, which included two rounds of drinks. We left with the impression that for the moment, food at The Parish still had a little way to go - but we wouldn't hesitate to return for more of those nachos.

The Parish, Micklegate, tel: 01904 643424

We visited on November 10, 2005

Food: mixed

Service: friendly

Value: reasonable

Ambience: holy!

Disabled access: Yes

Updated: 16:15 Friday, November 18, 2005