The Go Down Restaurant, Clifford Street, York

IT IS years since I last went for a good, old-fashioned steak dinner.

As a lad growing up in rural Gloucestershire, the annual family visit to a steak house at Christmas was a rare treat. Those huge, succulent slabs of meat with a grilled tomato perched on top, followed by coffee in a tall glass with a thick head of floating cream, were my idea of the haughtiest of haute cuisine.

Since those far off days, I've been to French, Indian, Thai and Chinese restaurants galore - and even the occasional English one, when such a thing can be found.

But never a traditional steak house.

So I was really looking forward to a meal at the Go Down restaurant in Clifford Street, York - especially since a former colleague had spoken of once having a steak diane to die for there.

Diane's not my cup of tea - but a nice juicy fillet would bring back those boyhood days, I thought.

From the street, the Go Down isn't much to look at. It is sandwiched in between a row of slightly dusty and Dickensian solicitors offices opposite York Magistrates Court.

The fun lies in the fact that, as the name suggests, you have to gown down steps to get into the basement restaurant.

Inside, it's as traditional a steak house as you could wish for - slightly old-fashioned yet welcoming, with dark wood chairs and tables, overhead fans and wooden plaques on the walls.

It is also very popular - we had to book up nearly a week ahead, and the restaurant was almost full on the Friday evening when we visited.

The first thing to be said about the Go Down is that it isn't only a steak house. There are plenty of other choices of mains on the menu, ranging from chicken forestiere to pork boudon noir, gigot of lamb and a selection of vegetarian choices. I still had visions of that fat steak with a tomato perched on top, however.

A really nice touch at the Go Down is the small, hot loaf presented on its own bread board along with pats of butter and a knife. It was a signal of generous portions to come.

We ordered drinks - a glass of house red for me, a fruit juice for Lili - then chose our starters. Lili went for moules Napoleon - deepfried breaded mussels in a creamy lobster sauce (£5.95) - while I had black pudding aurore (£5.95).

Her mussels were excellent, Lili said - but she was overwhelmed by the sheer size of the portion, and had to leave much of it just to keep room for her main course.

My black pudding, however, was slightly disappointing. Again, the portion was gigantic - but instead of being light and fresh, the pudding was a little dry and heavy. It was also overwhelmed by the accompanying stilton and apple sauce.

For mains, Lili opted for the duck a la Champagne - duck breast coated in honey with a bramble sauce (£15.95). I chose that grilled fillet steak with a tomato on top (£16.95) with a forestiere sauce (which I didn't notice on the menu would cost an extra £3.50, though it said so plainly enough).

Our food came in generous portions, accompanied by mountains of vegetables. There was a dish of thick, home-cooked chips, roast potatoes, roast sweet potatoes and a medley of other vegetables, which included cooked beetroot, deep-fried cauliflower, beans, broccoli, carrots and peas.

Again, Lili was more than satisfied with her duck - which came in thick, red-rimmed slices that were moist and tasty. But again, she was overwhelmed by the size of the portions.

My fillet wasn't quite as delicious as I remembered from childhood - perhaps my fault, for asking it to be cooked medium-well done - but it was tender and tasty, and the grilled tomato was all I remembered.

As for those vegetables - sadly, we could make little impression on the mounds of food in front of us.

The best were the roast sweet potatoes - deliciously soft and mushy under crispy skins, with a wonderfully sweet aftertaste. The roast potatoes were good too, as was the broccoli and carrots. But the chips weren't the best ever, the courgettes were a little bitter, and the deep-fried cauliflower didn't work for me.

Nevertheless, it made for a satisfying and hugely filling meal.

Although full, I forced myself - in the interests of research - to try a pudding: the brandy snap basket filled with vanilla ice-cream (£4.50). It was indeed a basket made out of woven brandy snap.

The snap was a little thick, but deliciously crisp and gingery, and it went well with the ice cream inside. A nice finish.

A good meal overall, in friendly, cheerful and welcoming surroundings. Even so, the bill came as a slight shock. Yes, I'd had three courses and Lili two, and we'd had drinks and a cafeteria of excellent coffee. But even so, £63.35 seemed a little on the steep side for what had been good, cheerful but not the most subtle of cooking.

For a family night out, however, as long as you come with your wallet ready, I can think of few places in York where you will be able to relax so nicely.

The Go Down Restaurant, Clifford Street, York. Tel: 01904 640117

Steve and Lili visited on Friday, November 10fact file

Food:heartyService:friendlyValue:priceyAmbience:relaxingDisabled access: NO