MAXINE GORDON fills out her report card on a restaurant in a former village school near Easingwold

MUST do better. My old form teacher's voice rebounded inside my head as I made a schoolgirl error and missed the turn for The Gables Restaurant and continued north on the A19 towards Thirsk.

To be fair, it was an easy mistake to make. Coming from York, as you drive out of Thormanby there is a sign for the restaurant. But the track leading to it off the A19 is unlit and unsigned.

So I turned back, sighing. The detour had made me late for my 8.15pm booking. What would Sir say?

But luckily The Gables Restaurant has left its school days in the past. Instead of a gowned master tapping a cane, my partner Nick and I were greeted by a friendly waiter who led us into the bar and handed us some menus.

Quite ravenous, we opted for a four-course set dinner at £21.50 a head. However the choice on the a la carte was extensive, with fish, meat, poultry and vegetarian selections and it would be possible to eat well for less than the set-dinner price.

The waiter quickly returned to take our orders: chicken indienne (strips of curry-glazed chicken fillet in a mango coulis) for Nick and deep-fried Monterey cheese squares with a black cherry dip for me.

The second course was a choice between a sorbet or soup of the day, which turned out to be pumpkin with stilton. "Really delicious," enthused our waiter. How could we resist?

Next, Nick chose honey-glazed pork and I picked roast duckling with apricot and brandy sauce.

We were not shown a wine list, but told house wine was available in red or white. We settled for a half-carafe of dry white, which was very drinkable. However the restaurant has a comprehensive list of 54 wines.

Minutes later, our table was ready. "Number 11" our waiter informed us. It was easy to find - it had a plastic marker with the number 11 on it. As we took our seats it dawned on me The Gables wasn't so much like an old school room but a traditional, family guest house.

The small, wooden tables were set just far enough apart to stop you overhearing your neighbour's conversations, but close enough for you to take a peek at what they had ordered.

The other thing which struck me was the age profile of the diners: middle-aged-plus. Nick and I were among the few 30-somethings in the restaurant and you could understand why.

The decor reminded me of my granny's front room: cream and brown with dried flowers on display. It was old fashioned in a no-nonsense yet twee sort of way.

The fare was equally solid, with the emphasis on quantity as much as quality.

Our first courses were served with a water-fresh, crisp salad - a good start.

The pumpkin soup with stilton was a real star turn, with the full-flavour of the strong, blue cheese allowed to steal the show.

The meal carried on in this vein. Nick swore his pork was "the most tender I've ever had" while my duckling's dry edge was taken away by the ample, conserve-like apricot and brandy sauce.

Two large trays of vegetables came with the meal: perfectly cooked broccoli and soft, melt-in-the-mouth potatoes of the kind my Nan used to make. I like my vegetables plain, so not such a hit were the carrots in a white sauce and the gooey potato slices in tomatoes.

Full-up, we needed a rest before pudding. Service had been quick-fire and no sooner had we cleared our plates than the next course had arrived.

We asked for a breather and the waitress handed us a small Union Jack and a base with a hole in it. "Just put the flag in there when you're ready to order and it will stop me bothering you every few minutes."

It seemed ridiculous, but suitably apt for a restaurant which had no appetite for pretension.

So after a few minutes, we raised the flag and before you could mutter God Save the Queen, our desserts were before us.

Nick's vanilla ice cream was of the best kind, creamy with a real vanilla taste while my profiteroles in butterscotch sauce were pregnant with thick cream and drenched in pouring cream too. Naughty, but very nice.

We were offered coffee and mints in the lounge, but were too full to move, so we stayed put and contemplated how to fill out my report card.

Restaurant:The Gables Restaurant

Address:Birdforth, Easingwold

Telephone:01845 501495

Reviewed:14/11/98

Food:Hearty and tasty

Value:Good

Service:Friendly and whippet-fast

Ambience:Fine if you hate frills and fuss

PICTURE:The guest-house-like interior of The Gables Restaurant