MENTION the tiny hamlet of Harome and three words normally trip off the tongue...The Star Inn. Yes, the famous gastro pub/hotel that is left proudly clutching a host of honours every time dining awards are doled out by food critics.

But many may be surprised to hear that tiny Harome, a quintessential English village with thatched cottages pulled straight from the pages of Beatrix Potter, boasts another fine eating out experience.

Perched beside a tranquil duck pond and stream, we discovered The Pheasant country house hotel dished up a delightful Sunday lunch - and fully deserves to step out of the imposing shadow of its limelight-hogging neighbour a mere stone's throw away.

Attempts to book a table at the Pheasant earlier in the week proved unsuccessful. We were brusquely told over the phone to take our chances and arrive early.

With the phrase "we can get very busy" still ringing in our ears as our rumbling stomachs competed with the Minster bells, we set off into the sprawling North Yorkshire countryside and headed for Harome, near Helmsley.

After a minor detour through some of the county's narrowest, sign-free roads, we finally ambled into snug Pheasant bar area at about 12.15pm.

Luckily there was one table going spare, but already there were a healthy number of guests and locals tucking into meals.

The dining area was peppered by the hawkish gaze of several stuffed pheasants in glass cases, while a low, oak-beamed roof generated a welcoming atmosphere in a hotel that used to be blacksmiths' cottages and a shop.

The Pheasant's menu is certainly not jostling with choice: the starters, main courses (including sandwiches and salads) and desserts filled just one side of A4.

Traditional home-cooked food was definitely the order of the day, with a heavy Whitby-inspired fish influence swimming through the selections.

Ordering at the bar, I decided to sample the home made cream of vegetable soup (£3.25), while my partner, Laura, went for the country pate with hot toast (£3.95) for starters.

The pate, pleasingly thick with a hint of orange, was cheerfully presented and came with a healthy helping of salad and grapes. My soup was laden with cream and had fresh courgette, broccoli and runner beans bobbing to the surface which added to the satisfying flavour.

Laura's main meal - home made prawn pie (£7.75) - had a lasagne look to it but a quick delve inside revealed steaming hot cheese, potatoes and a healthy helping of prawns in a buttery sauce, rich enough for her to give up two thirds towards the end.

I also hit the high seas and caught a fresh battered Whitby haddock and chips (£8.50). The fish was the size of a large sailor's shoe and would have had Moby Dick quivering in terror. The batter was light and crispy but the fish itself was delicious without a bone in sight. The only disappointment proved to be the McDonald's-like chips.

Stuffed to the gills, we took the sensible option and decided to share a dessert: home made mince pie with brandy and cream (£3.75).

Fighting off protests from Laura that it was bad luck to eat this before Christmas, I tucked in and any thoughts of reindeers, mistletoe or Queen's speeches were swiftly allayed.

The pie was packed with fruit and the pillow-soft pastry perfectly complimented the potent brandy sauce.

And that seasonal treat marked the end of a fine, relaxing, two-hour meal at The Pheasant.

But the venue really found its wings and soared when we ordered two coffees. Instead of being railroaded away, we were invited to retire to a room crammed with what could easily be the country's comfiest settees.

We paid our bill (a reasonable £37.70) and slumped into a sea of cushions opposite a snoozing elderly couple, and we were tempted to follow their lazy lead into the land of nod.

But we finished a generous cafetire of coffee (£2 per person) and headed off refreshed and invigorated into a maze of C roads, u-turns and scratched heads, safe in the knowledge that Harome boasts another shining star.

Food: tasty

Service: friendly

Value: fair

Ambience: relaxed

Disabled access: Yes

The Pheasant Hotel, Mill Street, Harome. Tel: 01439 771241.

Dan visited the Pheasant on September 26 2004.

Restaurant reviewers aim to be fair and accurate. Any comments on this review should be addressed to Chris Titley, Features Content Editor, Evening Press, 76-86 Walmgate, York, YO1 9YN or email

features@ycp.co.uk

Updated: 16:41 Friday, October 01, 2004