Maxine Gordon discovers a stylish eatery in York

Having a dummy on the door of a new restaurant on a busy Saturday night to greet guests may be a wacky gimmick, but is it the wisest? That was just one question I posed myself after dining at ASK, the new pizza and pasta restaurant in the Assembly Rooms, Blake Street.

But there were plenty others.

Like why were prospective diners guided to Thomas's pub around the corner in Museum Street for their aperitifs instead of being invited to relax on the comfy leather sofas in the bar area of the restaurant?

And why, when we eventually returned at our allocated booking time, was the dummy suddenly bald?

I couldn't answer any of these questions, but here's one I could: If you were to open a restaurant in the mould of Pizza Express but offer a wider selection of pastas, would people like it? You better believe it.

Saturday night at 8pm and the place is booked out.

We were in luck. A waiter offered to squeeze us in in 15 minutes. So off we trotted to Thomas's for a quick-speed G&T.

Back in the grand dining hall, Uncle Fester (as the staff call the follicly-challenged mannequin in homage to the character from the Addams Family) stands with tray in hands, holding batches of menus. A piano rests in the corner and chandeliers hang low from the ceiling. Tables are set out in rows, stretching the length of the elegant Georgian building. There's a candle on each table, but it only seems to emphasise how un-intimate the setting is.

ASK is all about being casual and stylish at the same time. Let's face it, when you strip away the grand setting, it's just a pizza and pasta joint.

We had our second aperitifs at the table as we studied the menu. It was nippy outside and I fancied some warming minestrone soup (£2.95) for starters. Nick chose chevre grill (£3.40): grilled goats' cheese on beef tomatoes and ciabatta bread.

My soup was thick and hot, and certainly warming, but it wasn't minestrone. Turnip and tomato might have been nearer the mark. Clearly, the bacon, beans, cabbage and pasta had gone the way of Uncle Fester's wig.

As did the ciabatta of Nick's starter, which consisted of two tiny ovals of French bread with goats cheese and tomato and a few pieces of lettuce on the side. If overpricing were a criminal offence, I'd give this starter ten years.

For our main course, we both fancied pasta: for me, penne al pollo della casa (£6.50) which was a promising combination of chicken, mushrooms and parmesan covered in a cream sauce with mozzarella, all baked in the oven. Nick opted for penne con pomodori secchi (£5.90): sun-dried tomatoes, artichokes, basil and green chillies with olive oil in a light tomato sauce. My pasta arrived suitably browned on top and was tasty, with succulent strips of chicken in a creamy, mushroom-flavoured sauce.

Unfortunately, while Nick's dish was generous in size it had far too many green chillies for comfort. Eyes watering, he had to give up half-way through and cool his palate with a glass or two of the quite delicious, crisp, dry white Pinot Grigio del Veneto (£11.20) we had ordered.

Desserts came on a separate menu and our waitress recommended banoffee pie (£3.50) which we opted for, asking for some ice cream on the side. It was only when we got our bill we realised we'd been charged another £2.50 for two small scoops of vanilla. Make that sentence 12 years.

With coffees, we didn't have much change from £50, which seems rather a lot for what was at best mediocre fare.

To get the best value from ASK, I reckon you should keep it simple: a mushroom pizza and a Peroni beer will leave you ample change from a tenner to tip Uncle Fester on the way out.

Will I be back? Probably. I'd like to try out the extensive pizza menu.

Restaurant:ASK

Address: Asembly Rooms,Blake Street,York

Telephone: Tel. 01904 637254

Reviewed: October 23 1999

Food: Top pub grub with a good helping of imagination

Value: Very reasonable

Service: Friendly

Ambience: Warm and welcoming