IF only all meals out were as enjoyable as this.

A relaxed environment, friendly staff, and fantastic food at reasonable prices. Alley Cats may bill itself primarily as a coffee bar rather than a restaurant, but as a city-centre eatery it certainly holds its own.

Tucked away in Coffee Yard, off Stonegate, this is a diner's dream - central enough for an enjoyable pre-meal stroll and drink, but secluded enough to ensure a peaceful and relaxed evening. Alley Cats is easy to walk past, but those who do so are missing a treat.

Helen and I arrived a little early for our 7.45pm booking and were immediately greeted by friendly and welcoming staff.

We were shown to a table by the upstairs window, but our waiter said we could sit elsewhere if we preferred. It was a nice option to be given, but we were happy as we were.

We ordered a jug of water while we read the menu, which had a wide choice, including several tempting pasta and meat dishes.

For a starter, Helen chose the deep-fried brie with redcurrant jelly and salad (£4.50) while I went for the homemade soup of the day, cream of vegetable. (£3.95) Helen was more than happy with her two hearty slabs of cheese in a light, crispy batter. The portion was generous, and the salad garnish was a pleasant accompaniment. The jelly was runnier than expected, but delicious nonetheless, and it complemented the cheese superbly.

My farmhouse-style soup was equally enjoyable, and came with a couple of pieces of baguette and butter. The portion was too big however, and I left some in anticipation of the main course.

Helen followed with sirloin steak (£10.50) in red wine sauce (an extra £1.95). Alternative sauces included peppercorn, mushroom, or garlic. The menu promised accompaniments of homemade chips, onion rings and mushrooms, but Helen asked if she could have something else instead of the mushrooms. The generous servings of broccoli and peas formed a more than adequate replacement, while the meat was cooked perfectly to Helen's medium-rare tastes.

I had the pork medallions in honey and mustard glaze with fresh vegetables. (£9.95) The sauce filled the plate, with the pork neatly piled in the centre. Such presentation meant the meat was not swimming in the sauce, ensuring a more subtle and enjoyable dish. Again, the meat was both tasty and tender, and the plentiful serving came with small portions of carrots, broccoli and cauliflower.

For dessert, we were offered sticky toffee pudding or chocolate fudge cake (£3.95 each). After the substantial starters and mains, we decided to share the fudge cake, but asked for a short break first, which we were duly given.

When the cake did arrive it was very rich, and came served with wafer biscuits, strawberry slices and cream in a dark chocolate sauce. It was enjoyable without being exceptional.

We ended with a latte (£2.10) for myself, and a normal coffee (£2.00) for Helen.

Throughout the meal, the staff were attentive but not pestering. We remained the only customers upstairs, but were not ignored, with the waiter regularly checking that everything was as it should be.

Our only cause for complaint was over the wine. We ordered a bottle of Brampton Sauvignon Blanc (£13.95) at the same time as our starters, but had to remind our waiter about it when he brought our main courses. He was very apologetic, but then put the glasses and unopened screwtop bottle on the table, when we would probably have expected it to be opened and poured for us. It was a minor blemish in otherwise excellent service however.

We appreciated that we were never rushed at any stage. Even after we had finished eating and settled the bill we continued chatting over our wine and coffee for the best part of an hour, with no pressure to leave.

The bill came to £48.90, excluding the dessert for which they forgot to charge us. We settled up later when we realised the error.

Gavin Aitchison visited Alley Cats on Monday, March 20, 2006.

Alley Cats, Coffee Yard, Stonegate, York. Tel: 01904 643307