MAXINE GORDON checks out the art of fine dining at Arras in York

THERE are works of art on the wall as well as on the plate at Arras, the smart new restaurant in Peasholme Green in York.

Anyone turning up expecting to find Le Langhe, the popular Italian which occupied this spot for many years, will be surprised to find a completely different offering – both inside and on the menu.

But they should not be disappointed. Le Langhe developed a loyal following based on fine ingredients and quality cooking, and Arras is aiming to uphold such standards, albeit offering plates in the fine dining style.

One word of caution. Diners should check the menu – and more particularly, the prices – before booking. The dinner menu offers two courses for £35, three courses for £45 the five course tasting menu for £55. Most of the wines appear to be at the upper end of expensive too, although a few are in the sub £25-a-bottle bracket.

A more economical visit would be at lunchtime, when menu prices are £20 for two courses, £24 for three.

So we knew we were in for a credit-card blowout when we turned up for a table one early evening mid-week.

It was fairly quiet, with only four other tables dining during our two-hour visit.

The interior is striking. Brilliant white walls are decorated in bold graphic designs in primary colours, almost like street art. Chairs are beautifully upholstered and comfortable. But the whiteness of the walls means Arras will never feel cosy or intimate.

But we were here for the food.

Arras is an import. Adam Humphrey and his wife Lovaine ran the original Arras in Australia. It was named after Arras in East Yorkshire where Adam grew up. So in many ways, York is the restaurant's true home.

Time will tell whether locals give it a warm welcome.

And speaking of hospitality, the service we received was top-notch. We were looked after by a waiter who once worked for the Michelin-starred Pipe and Glass.

The menu is a straightforward affair, with a choice of five starters, five mains and four puddings. I like that. Sometimes menus can be so confusing, or too long, that you spend an age deliberating your choice – only to wish later you'd picked something else.

We were served a few appetisers, including a dish of nuts and bread sticks, a small cheese pastry and an amuse bouche ensemble of chickpeas and yoghurt as well as half a loaf of deliciously crusty homemade herby potato bread with soft butter liberally scattered with rock salt.

I was dining with my friend K, who is a pescatarian. This made divvying up the menu between us a bit easier: she plumped for the fish, me the meat. She considered the scallop, with Jerusalem artichoke, quinoa and sea vegetables, before setting her mind on the red mullet and smoked eel, with fennel, edamame and nashi pear salad and soy butter. She was full of praise, loving the sweetness of the eel (a first for her) and said all the elements worked wondrously together – a 5/5 of dish. My choice was enjoyable too: roast quail with a square of pumpkin, served in a meaty quail broth with salty black beans. Presentation is in the MasterChef tradition: lovely crockery, with a few choice ingredients arranged prettily.

For the main act, dishes were a bit more substantial, and just as appealing to the eye. K's cod, peas and potato, with crab and lobster sauce, was a handsome palette of creams and corals with a hint of herby green. The fish was cooked beautifully, but its salty crust was overpowering. The wafers of potato, as in a dauphinoise, tasted raw. On checking with the kitchen, we were told they were served "al dente" like pasta. K's reply: I would have preferred pasta.

My dish was a Moroccan-inspired concoction of spiced lamb rump, slow-cooked, sticky onions, large couscous and sumac labneh (a middle-eastern yoghurt-like dish). The meat was amazing, soft and flavoursome and my knife went through it like butter. The onions were sweet and sticky; the couscous drizzled in a tangy, orange jus. The overriding taste was sweet and rich – some might find it too rich.

Try not to miss out on desserts if you come to Arras. Talk about saving the best 'til last. K loved the 'Toffee, Coffee, Crunch', a sculptural sensation of toffee jelly swirls and thick ribbons of chocolate ganache over coffee ice-cream and parfait and crispy puffed rice.

But the dish to have has to be 'Not Terry's' – Arras's homage to one of the city's best exports, the Terry's Chocolate Orange. The star of this show is a chocolate ball, which you shatter to reveal a smooth chocolate mousse, oozing with an orange curd centre. Over the top sit long translucent ribbons of orange jelly. It is one of the best desserts I have ever had and if you can find a better sweet in York, I want to know where.

Arras is serious about food, and gourmands will enjoy checking it out – but be prepared to pay a hefty price, particularly in the evening, for the privilege.

Arras, The Old Coach House, Peasholme Green, York

T: 01904 633737

W: arrasrestaurant.co.uk

Food: Skilful 4/5

Service: Attentive 5/5

Ambience: Clinical 3/5

Value: Expensive 3/5