Agar Arms, Warthill

A MEAT treat awaits those who venture off the beaten track and head to the pub by the pond in the village of Warthill.

I made it my mission to check out the Agar Arms after a distant relative of mine sang its praises on our first encounter.

With promises of hearty portions ringing in my ears, I persuaded our Eating Out editor to let me sample the fare on offer.

We arrived just after 7.30pm on a Friday. When I'd phoned ahead, I was assured there was no need to book, so I was slightly concerned to see numerous vehicles parked behind the pub.

Inside, I was struck by the number of people already tucking into platefuls of food but, thankfully, there were still plenty of tables free.

There were different dining areas to choose from with designated smoking sections. We chose a raised section close to the bar which was cosy with a real fire.

The dcor was country-cottage style with wooden beams and an assortment of old pictures adorning the walls.

I had a white wine and lemonade (£2.61) while Gary supped a Sam Smith's bitter (£1.26) as we perused the menu. It offered steak, steak and more steak.

Whether rump, fillet, sirloin or T-bone tantalises your tastebuds, there's plenty of choice - from six to 20 ounces with prices ranging from £10.95 to £15.95.

Token dishes for vegetarians included mushroom balti (£7.95), vegetarian stir fry (£7.50) and cream cheese and broccoli bake (£7.95).

Starters included soup of the day (£2.95), potato skins with dip (£3.30) and garlic bread (£3.30). There were more choices on the specials board, from which Gary chose the duck spring rolls in filo pastry (£4.25).

They were good, with a crispy outer layer, no grease in sight, and a scrumptious filling, although there wasn't a strong presence of duck. The accompanying hoi-sin sauce was tangy and worked well.

My plaice goujons with tartar sauce (£3.95) were meaty with a distinct fish flavour and a crisp outer layer. Both came with a mixed salad garnish.

Main meals included a mixed grill (£12.95), haddock fillet (£7.95), and pork escalope (£9.75).

Gary chose the 16oz gammon from the specials board (£9.75) and was not disappointed. The steak was thick, but tender, and not overly salty with a pineapple slice on top.

All meals came with a choice of potatoes as well as peas and salad.

Gary went for chips and proclaimed them to be the best he had eaten for some time. They were hand-cut, coming in different shapes and sizes, and were piping hot and crispy.

He turned down the peas, hoping for a larger salad. He was out of luck, but certainly didn't miss the extra lettuce leaves after tucking in to his feast.

I was tempted by both the sweet chilli chicken (£7.25) and 8oz salmon fillet (£8.95).

But, as the Agar Arms has been serving steaks for more than 30 years, I felt obliged to plump for a ten-ounce fillet steak (£15.95) with a Diane Sauce (£3.50).

I asked for my meat to be "tender, but with no blood". The result was perfect - a tender, prime piece of fillet which was slightly pink in the middle, but far from raw, with a crispy edge and not an ounce of fat.

The sauce was delicious - thick, creamy and sweet - although the steak was tantalising enough to savour on its own.

Other sauces included cream and garlic, cream and pepper, and red wine (all £2.80).

I chose roast potatoes from the specials board. There were 13 on my plate. The ones I managed were soft and fluffy, but not particularly crispy on the outside. Next time I'd have chips.

The peas were a boring addition. I would have preferred a portion of mixed vegetables to ease the load of carbohydrates, but didn't want to pay extra for the privilege, although there were "extras" to choose from.

In the interests of a thorough review, we took the plunge and had dessert, even though our stomachs were bulging.

There was ice cream (£2 for two scoops) with more choice on a hand-written menu which listed desserts such as lemon mousse log, toffee addiction and exotic fruit mousse (all for about £3.50).

Gary had the raspberry snap, which was a sweet raspberry mousse on a crunchy biscuit base, topped with a layer of dark chocolate and glazed raspberries. It was a sight to behold and scrumptious, with a different taste sensation for every mouthful.

My fudge mountain cheesecake - layers of dark fudge cake interspersed with cheesecake fillings - sounded promising, but was incredibly bland and a disappointing end to an otherwise very enjoyable meal. The bill was just shy of £48.

Nadia Jefferson-Brown went to the Agar Arms on Friday, February 3, 2006

Agar Arms, Warthill, (turn left off road to Stamford Bridge), York. Tel: 01904 488142

Food: hearty

Service: friendly

Value: good

Ambience: cosy

Disabled access: No

Updated: 16:10 Friday, February 10, 2006