The Lime House, Goodramgate

I remember the occasion well. The food was pretty good, but the décor was terrible and at odds with the fine-dining menu and prices.

Since then, the restaurant has changed hands, garnered several accolades and some decent reviews. Friends also speak highly of the place.

Nestled halfway down Goodramgate, The Lime House is a restaurant of two halves. The entrance opens straight into the dining room with about six tables. Tucked down the hallway is the bar which leads to the second dining room, a corridor-like space with tables lining each wall.

Happily, the décor is neutral off-white rather than the lime green of my first encounter.

On arrival we were offered a table for two, straight in front of the door. Deeming it the worst table in the house, we asked for an alternative – then were moved to the worst table in the house, at the back, next to the swing door going to the loos and the pot wash.

We had placed our order before summoning up the courage to ask for another table. Luckily, our waitresses were delightful, and eagerly moved us to another spot.

The menu starred lots of classics; big hitters such as fillet of beef; rump of lamb; breast of duck; loin of venison, as well as monkfish and sea bass. For vegetarians, there was savoury bread pudding with cheese, spinach and chestnuts as well as avocado and brie cheesecake or onion, mushroom and stilton tart.

I ordered the celeriac soup with apple fritter and walnut bread (£3.75), while my husband Nick picked the smoked haddock soufflé (£5.25) ,with monkfish and leak rosti (£15.25) to follow for me and venison with sweet potato mash (£16.95) for him.

Mindful of costs, I chose one of the cheaper wines – a chenin blanc for £13.95 – hoping it would be cheerful enough. Oddly, this started off quite well, then took a nose dive. I mixed it with water to make it more quaffable.

Our starters took a while, but that is to be expected with soufflé. Nick’s dish was worth the wait. A mini tower of gold, it was pillowy-light but packed with lovely smoky fish flavour. Full marks to the chef.

My soup was a disappointment. Flavoursome but thick, it called out for culinary finesse and a silkier finish, perhaps with cream. The apple on top was not much of a fritter (was there a batter?) while the small hunk of weighty walnut bread piled on the stodge. It was rustic when I was expecting refinement.

Next, the mains. Nick’s venison was nicely cooked, still red in the centre, but he found the combination of sweet potato mash, mulled wine sauce with blackberry compot too rich.

In contrast, the creamy vegetable sauce was the best bit of my meal. Unfortunately, there wasn’t enough. The monkfish, a meaty fish, was a bit stringy, which was either down to it being not the best piece of fish or slightly over cooked. The leek and potato rosti was not crisp enough and felt wet rather than thoroughly cooked.

Both meals were perfectly edible, but disappointing considering they cost more than £15 each. We paid £2.25 for a teeny plate of roasted winter vegetables, that were equally unremarkable.

We were still up for giving The Lime House a chance, so ordered pudding. Nick is a crème brulée fan and was not disappointed with his choice (£4.50). Unusually, it came in a whisky glass, with no hard-sugar topping. Instead, the sugar had been made into shards which pierced the top of the pudding like a pin cushion. Raspberries marinaded in Glayva, a whiskey liqueur, topped off what Nick said was one of the best brulées he’d had.

Greedily, I picked the assiette of chocolate (£5.50); a slither of white chocolate and ginger cheesecake; a mini-pot of milk chocolate mousse and a hot chocolate fondant. Each was very, very good, with gold stars all round for taste and texture. I could only eat half, so definitely a pudding to share.

Before we left, I visited the loos. You have to climb a steep staircase covered in vile navy and gold carpet, and the toilet is equally in need of a makeover – if only to live up to the fine-dining experience the Lime House is trying to create. (And while they are at it, how about some decent salt and pepper mills on the table?) Throughout the night, the service was top-notch. Our young waitresses were charming, helpful and did the restaurant proud. The food had its moments, but didn’t live up to expectations.

Would we be back? Our meal, without coffees, cost £65. Truth be told, I’d rather spend that money elsewhere, where the food was more consistent and the surroundings more appealing.

And where you never have to sit next to the door to the pot wash.

•The Lime House Restaurant, 55 Goodramgate, York, YO1 7LS. Tel: 01904 632 734 www.limehouserestaurant-york.co.uk

•Maxine visited on Saturday, March 14, 2009