For about two decades, Sharju in Adlington has been attracting people from across the North-west. This is partly because it has built up a reputation for good food and also because it is, unusually, set in an old church.

Mention Adlington to many people who live miles away and they will often identify it with the Indian restaurant.

Since the early 1980s I have dined quite a few times at Sharju. But I had not been for a while and decided to see if it was as good as it once was.

There is no question that the restaurant is impressive to look at, from the outside as well as when eating inside.

When you walk through the front door of the old stone church you enter the reception area which consists of a bar to the left and a cosy waiting area to the right.

We had booked by telephone on a Friday night and there was no waiting around. We looked through the menu while enjoying drinks and dipping into the free Bombay mix.

The menu, like many Indian restaurants, was comprehensive, with plenty to choose from.

There were 22 starters, ranging from Shami kebab, to Stuffed mushrooms and Chana Puree. Most were £3.50.

I opted for the Chicken Rashmi Kebab (£3.50) and was a little disappointed. I have had the dish at other restaurants and it has been very good.

In this case, there were just three slices of chicken covered very thinly in egg, served with an uninspired salad garnish. The chicken was very dry.

My partner opted for a non-traditional Indian dish, Prawn Cocktail. She too was not very impressed.

The serving was quite small and the prawns were hard and quite tasteless.

After a disappointing start we hoped our main courses would be better.

There were dozens of dishes to choose from, ranging in price from £6.50 (not including rice) to more than £10 for dishes like Tandoori King Prawn.

There was also a good selection of vegetarian meals, including mixed vegetable curry, mushroom bhaji and Saag aloo.

There was a full list of chef's recommendations at around £9 and the Royal dishes, which included Chicken Shaslik, marinated chicken cooked in Tandoor with onion, tomato and capsicum.

I decided to choose my old, reliable favourite, Chicken Madras (£6.50), with mushroom pilau (£2.95).

There were plenty of pieces of chicken, which were good, but not the best I have tasted and the sauce was also tasty, but not as hot as I would have liked. The rice was good, though, and the meal was generally satisfying.

My partner chose the Chicken Bhuna (£7.25). The menu described this dish as "tossed in butter and seasoned with medium hot spices, cooked with tomato puree, capsicums, onions and thickened to give a rich taste". My partner said it was a vast improvement on her starter and we were both reasonably happy.

Next was the dessert menu, which was one of the better ones you will find in an Indian restaurant. Most of the dishes cost £2.50.

I opted for the Chocolate Bombshell which was ice cream covered in chocolate. It was delicious.

My partner chose the Bailey's cheesecake which was also a hit, although she would have appreciated a larger slice.

The service was very good, although it could have been a little more relaxed. Our plates were taken away so swiftly you got the feeling the waiters were standing in the wings, waiting for us to finish.

But they were very polite. Disabled access is good and the majority of the restaurant is non-smoking.

Overall, my visit to Sharju was enjoyable, but still left me a little disappointed.

To put it simply, the food was not at the standard I have experienced in the past.

The bill came to £44.20, which included two drinks and a bottle of red wine (£9.95), which I felt was quite reasonable.

How to get there

Take Chorley New Road out of Bolton town centre. Carry straight on, through Horwich, until you reach Adlington. At the first set of traffic lights turn left on to Railway Road. At the mini roundabout turn right on to the A6. Sharju is on your right. There is a large car park at the front.

Quality of food...***

Menu...***

Service...***

Value for money...***

Atmosphere...**

Overall rating...***