HARVILLES in York is rapidly becoming a legend in its own lunchtime.

Newly-opened on Fossgate, York's fine-dining heartland, Harvilles is doing a roaring trade in the middle of the day with its £6.95 express menu, arguably the best deal in town.

For that sum, you can savour some of Harvilles finest fare. I've been twice already and can thoroughly recommend the rump steak and chips; the mussels and the battered fish won the thumbs-up too from my dining partners.

The restaurant underwent months of refurbishment to turn it from the former Trickster's Lane bistro into a sleek and airy Art Deco-styled eatery with a downstairs cellar bar.

The menu is equally stylish, with oysters and champagne and Aberdeen Angus steaks of varying cuts and weight.

A visit in the evening should be savoured for a special occasion, particularly when a three-course meal with wine can easily cost £40 a head.

It was our wedding anniversary, and Nick and I were looking forward to our first evening visit to Harvilles.

We arrived on a Thursday at 7.30pm when just another couple of tables were occupied. We decided to mix and match, picking from the specials and main menu.

To start, Nick stole my first choice from the specials menu - scallops wrapped in bacon with tarragon butter (£6.50) - but I was happy to settle for the lobster with asparagus and saffron mayo (£6.95).

We decided on white wine and chose a bottle of aromatic and fruity Santa Viognier, ripe with tropical flavours (£17.95).

The scallops (all three of them) were whoppers and came in open shells, swimming in melted butter.

I sneaked a forkload and agreed with Nick that they were about the best we'd had. The were beautifully cooked, soft and succulent, and the bacon and herby butter added a sweet and salty dimension.

My lobster was nicely presented, too. The meat was thick and meaty and found an excellent partner in the rich mayo. The asparagus was thick-stemmed and firm to the bite. The salad, with mixed leaves, peppers and onions and sun-dried tomatoes was lovingly coating in a limey dressing.

Nick scored top points again with his main course, an 8oz sirloin cooked medium with fries and onion rings and salad garnish (£19.50). The steak was superb, really well seasoned, and chargrilled so it was well done on the outside but still red in the middle.

It tasted sensational. The onion rings were nice and light and the chips were of the thick variety, and although tasty, were a bit overbrown on the outside and dry inside.

My main dish was from the special's menu: monkfish wrapped in Parma ham with red pepper and tomato mash and shrimps in butter (£16.95). It came with a very small side portion of vegetables; carrots, beetroot and broccoli.

It was a delicious concoction, giving a full spectrum of tastes and flavours. The monkfish was dazzling white, soft and meaty. The Parma ham, wrapped in thick layers, was crispy on the outside almost like a pork crackling.

I loved the mash: it resembled the colour of sweet potato, but was not as sickly-sweet and you could taste the roasted tomato and pepper through it.

The shrimps were browned in the butter and cooked with thin slices of onion, and were lovely, too.

However, I struggled to clear my plate, beaten by the generosity of the portion and the sheer kaleidoscope of flavours on the plate.

Sometimes, you have to conclude less is more.

Too stuffed to even finish my wine, I couldn't consider pudding.

Nick could and ordered one of his favourites, treacle tart with custard (£4.25). He polished it off and I had a spoonful. The pastry was very plain, just tasting of flour, but the treacly filling was suitably sugary. The tart was served cold but the custard, a thin and vanillaflavoured cream, came in a separate jug, was warm and delicious.

Nick finished with a coffee but I wanted a herbal tea. Our American waiter, who had been charming and attentive all night, suggested Early Grey or breakfast. I inquired about peppermint, but they didn't stock it. Instead, the kitchen made me a mint infusion, by putting lots of fresh mint leaves into a tea pot to brew. It was brilliantly refreshing and cleansing and just the antidote to my evening of indulgence.

Our hot drinks were £1.95 each.

The bill was £76, a bit of a whopper by any stretch of the imagination.

However, you don't need to bankrupt yourself to enjoy the Harvilles experience. Pop down at lunchtime, any Monday to Saturday from 11am-3pm, and enjoy some knock-out food at knock-down prices.

Harvilles Restaurant 47 Fossgate, York, YO1 9TF T: 01904 654155 www.harvilles.co.uk

Maxine visited Harvilles on Thursday, April 12

factfile

Food: very good Service: attentive Value: pricey Ambience: smart Disabled access: YES