SIMON RITCHIE enjoyed an adventurous fish dish at a North Yorkshire pub and was well and truly hooked

The closest I'd ever been to a marlin, before visiting the Farmers Inn, was watching big game fishermen wrestle with the pointed-nose fish on TV travel shows. I didn't even really know if you could eat them.

So I was surprised to see it on the specials menu at the Farmers in Brafferton or is it Helperby (the twin villages are rather confusing, so much so that on our receipt the pub's address was Brafferton and on its business card it was Helperby!)

Fish features prominently on the specials menu. We had the choice of tuna steak, Cajun catfish, as well as the marlin. When we arrived shortly after 8pm last Saturday, the place was fairly quiet but by the time we had sipped our drinks the tables were full.

We dined in the cosy, intimate restaurant which has a continental feel to it, although there are two other areas where diners can eat.

We were spoilt for choice for starters. After much deliberation I went for deep fried brie on a cranberry and redcurrant glaze (£3.25). The hot, soft brie came in bite-size bread crumb parcels set on a bed of crispy lettuce. The glaze was delicious and complemented the brie well.

My partner, Jayne, was impressed with the home-made salmon fishcake (£3.25) served on a spaghetti of vegetables with a tomato, chilli and coriander glaze.

There was a whole host of main dishes from which to choose including venison, game pie and roast duck. But in the end it was a toss-up between the catfish and the marlin. The catfish was tempting, but I kept visualising the little catfish which used to scuttle along the bottom of fish tank at my parents' house, and that put me off somewhat. The marlin won in the end, and as it turned out it was an inspired choice. The marlin (£8.25) was marvellous.

It came topped with crunchy parmesan cheese and alongside a bed of roasted Mediterranean vegetables, including peppers and courgettes. There was a separate plate filled with fresh, perfectly-cooked seasonal vegetables - cauliflower florets topped with cheese, broccoli, new potatoes melted in butter, carrots and cubes of swede. A really nice touch was the marlin-shaped piece of pastry which was placed on top of the fish steak.

If I had been blindfolded, I would have been convinced the marlin was some sort of poultry dish. It was quite meaty and rather dry like turkey, but extremely tasty. The hot and crunchy parmesan cheese gave it a bit of a kick.

Later, the manager, Sue Thomas, told me that the marlin, which she got from a supplier in Harrogate, had been on the menu for about two weeks. "It was quite slow to take off as people were a little wary, but now it's very popular," she said.

Jayne picked oyster mushroom linguini (£4.95), one of the four vegetarian options on offer, for her main dish. She was given a mountain of noodle-like pasta mixed with a healthy number of the fairly large and distinctly-flavoured oyster mushrooms. She enjoyed it, and like many pasta dishes it was very filling.

Jayne was counting the calories so she skipped dessert, but I forced myself to have the raspberry and chocolate eclair (£2.75) which was delicious. We finished off with a couple of coffees and Jayne's face lit up when a bowl of chocolate mini-eggs, her favourites, accompanied them. With drinks, the bill came to a just under £32 - very good value considering the quality and presentation of the food. Full marks to the two chefs, William Murray and Andrew Noble. The pub, open for food every day and night except Christmas night, also does a special children's menu, Sunday lunch and an early bird special (two courses £5.50, three courses £6.50 from 5pm to 7pm). Booking is essential especially if you're planning a weekend visit.

Restaurant: The Farmers Inn

Address: Brafferton/Helperby, near Boroughbridge

Telephone: Phone

Reviewed: April 10, 1999

Food: Delicious, plentiful

Value: Very reasonable

Service: Friendly, efficient

Ambience: Cosy, intimate, Continental