Mike Laycock visits an inn created by monks on an abbey's doorstep

Approaching the Abbey Inn on a miserably misty and drizzly night, we were greeted by a stunning sight. The pub is situated straight across the road from the spectacularly floodlit ruins of Byland Abbey, built by Cistercian monks almost 1,000 years ago and sacked by Henry VIII several hundred years later. The inn, itself built by Benedictine brothers from Ampleforth in the 19th century, is attractively covered in creepers and, at this time of year, tasteful Christmas lights.

We had come belatedly to celebrate my wife's birthday. It was a Saturday night and we had only just managed to get a table. That was a good omen. Dozens of diners don't drive along the dark and winding country roads of the Vale of York on a winter's evening without a good reason.

The barman welcomed us with a smile, even though he had just that second dropped a bottle behind his bar and could have been forgiven a scowl as he prepared to clean up the juice and shattered glass. We were soon shown to our seats in a candlelit room with tapestries on the walls, rugs on the stone-flagged floor and statues in the corners. My instant verdict: cosy and classy.

But what of the food? The proprietors Martin and Jane Nordli, who have refurbished the inn since buying it five years ago, say their food is British based, but with plenty of innovations determined by which fresh produce is in season.

I was amused to hear a Basil Fawlty-style suggestion that the "duck was off", but there still seemed plenty of choice.

From a list of several possible starters, I was drawn irresistibly to slow roasted pepper with a warm saladette and "sunblushed" tomato-dressing (well, at least it made a change from the ubiquitous "sun-dried" variety), for £6.25. My wife selected white Whitby crab tower, with a garlic and dill dressing and balsamic vinegar, for £7.25.

Both dishes were very good. My peppers were tender and moist, the saladette contained items beyond my powers of identification, and my wife's crab meat was pleasantly free of those gritty, shelly fragments that sometimes spoil the dish. Both dressings were tangy and tasty.

For our main course, I asked for cornfed breast of chicken, stuffed with Byland Blue cheese and spinach, and accompanied by a port wine sauce, for £9.95. The chicken was tender and the stuffing full of flavour.

My wife chose griddled sirloin steak, served with either stilton sauce or peppercorn sauce, for £12.95. She picked the latter sauce, and found it spicy, but not too hot. Nor did she regret her choice of steak, finding it pleasingly lean and free of gristle.

We were asked several times during our meal if everything was to our satisfaction, and we could only say: "Yes. Absolutely." The queries were indicative of the thorough and attentive service, although just a couple more and it could have started being irritating.

My wife was full, but I can't resist a meringue of the hard and crispy variety, and so decided to finish off our meal with en excellent fresh raspberry and marshmallow pavlova for £4.95.

The total bill, including a glass of wine, a half of bitter and VAT, came to £46.55, which seemed fairly reasonable for a good three-course meal in splendid surroundings.

In a slightly anoraky way, I like to keep a mental top ten of favourite restaurants I have visited during Eating Out duties. On our way back to York, I decided the Abbey Inn had soared straight into the charts with a top three placing, behind only the Star Inn at Harome and (possibly) the Spice Box at Boston Spa.

That's some compliment.

The Abbey Inn, Byland Abbey, Coxwold. 01347 868204.

Visited Saturday, December 14

Updated: 09:55 Saturday, December 28, 2002