JANET HEWISON is bowled over by The Carlton.

THE first sign that there was something special about The Carlton was when I rang to see if I needed to book a table for a meal for two on a Saturday.

I was told this would only be possible in three or four weeks as they were so busy, so I settled on a Monday evening instead.

We arrived to find a village pub that had devoted much of its floor space to restaurant tables, but had not sacrificed any friendliness or cosiness.

The two rooms were softly lit and decorated in cream, beige and terracotta, with dried flowers, dark wood, bare beams and open brickwork.

We were given a warm welcome and handed menus as we arrived at the bar to order drinks, and were told that the usual dinner option was to go for the £11.99 table d'hote price for three courses.

This seemed too good an offer to turn down. There were more than 30 starters to choose from and more than 40 main courses - although few were vegetarian.

The starters included drinks as well as food, say a pint of bitter or a glass of wine. Dishes included old favourites such as prawn cocktail or melon as well as more adventurous options, but many involved paying an extra charge of two or three pounds. It was tempting to go for some of these - and I suppose that is where the table d'hote menu was quite clever - but we stuck to courses within the £11.99 offer.

Mike went for mushrooms in a garlic and cream sauce with garlic bread and I chose smoked trout pat, but was told they had run out so went for chicken liver pat instead.

The pat arrived in a white ramekin dish on a large white plate, with crispy, wafer-thin, triangular pieces of toast piled up delicately, an accompanying dish of sweet and tangy chutney and beautifully-arranged salad with leaves and fruit. It was delicious.

The garlic bread was also artily arranged in the middle of a plate, surrounded by a creamy sauce with juicy button mushrooms.

The main course menu included coq au vin, fish pie, beef stroganoff and steaks cooked in different sauces, but also more unusual dishes, including fish and Thai flavours. I went for Swaledale lamb and Mike chose Vegetable Wellington.

My lamb was lovely, tender and tasty, cooked in a rich gravy with red wine, mint and cranberries, and decorated with mint leaves and a few extra berries.

The puff pastry Wellington contained Mediterranean vegetables in a tomato sauce, and it was covered in a creamy bernaise sauce flavoured with tarragon.

We were just as impressed with the accompanying vegetables, especially the lively red cabbage cooked with sultanas or raisins and tarragon again. The broad beans, fresh peas, carrots and cauliflower were cooked so they kept all their flavour and bite and we also had a dish of chips (real ones, not French fries) and another of new potatoes.

We couldn't manage a pudding each, so asked if we could have one pudding and one coffee, and this was fine with the friendly waitress, who seemed used to answering questions about the food - and taking compliments about it.

We shared a slice of baked almond tart, served warm with cream and a jam-like fruity sauce. Again it was beautifully-presented and delicious.

While we finished our drinks, we overheard the couple on the next table enquiring about booking a table over Christmas.

I almost felt tempted to do the same and thought it would be a nice place to take a family group.

Our bill came to the expected £23.98 for food, plus £14.40 for wine - good value for a great meal.

Fact file:

Food: delicious

Service: friendly

Value: good

Ambience: comfortable

Disabled facilities: Yes

The Carlton, Main Street, Carlton Husthwaite, near Thirsk

01845 501265

Janet and Mike visited on August 11

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 e-mail features@ycp.co.uk

Updated: 08:51 Saturday, August 16, 2003