TO some people, the Slug And Lettuce would not be their first choice for a snack. You can have a substantial and reasonably expensive meal in this eatery. However, with care, it is possible to have refreshments without breaking the bank.

Tea and coffee start at £1.50 with hot chocolate at £2.25. Sandwiches and wraps range from £5.95 to £7.75 and salads are £5.75 for a baby portion or £8.75 as a main. It was half past one when we entered. The place was quite busy with customers ranging across all ages.

We took time to assimilate the menu. Many items were dual priced, either as a light bite or for a larger helping. Should we share the Ultimate Slug Platter (£11.25) even though the name was a total turn off? Southern-style chicken breast pieces, tempura vegetables, BBQ pork ribs, crispy wedges and toasted garlic ciabatta all sounded appetising. We were intrigued by the tostada which was described as a cross between a toasted tortilla and a thin-crust pizza.

Sausage with mash or the vegetarian butternut squash and goats’ cheese lasagne, both priced at £7.95, could easily have been our choice.

Ann is partial to fish cakes and requested them with salad (£8.25 as a main). It was an excellent choice.

The steak and mushroom pie in a red-wine sauce topped with puff pastry and served with chips and green beans was also a winner at £8.95. The meat was tender, there was plenty of it and the contents of the pie dish remained extremely hot to the last mouthful.

We couldn’t resist sharing a portion of tropical cheesecake (passion fruit and mango with a raspberry coulis) and chocolate brownie torte, both priced £4.45. We fully expected these to taste like the ubiquitous sweets that emerge semi frozen from the kitchen. Nothing could have been further from the truth and we agreed that they scored highly compared with the many we have sampled over the past 13 years!

Perceptive readers who have totalled the cost of the four items we ate will want to comment that we had spent far in excess of our current budget of up to £15/16 per outing. True, but our visit was made on Monday, known in the Slug as ‘Happy Monday’ when all food is half price. We paid £13.03 for our snack.

Where in York could we find a snack of such quality and at such a bargain? Please tell us.