SOMETIMES you just know that you are going to have an excellent evening and on the Saturday night we chose to visit the School House I had that positive vibe with me.

For a start our taxi had arrived on time, which is something of a novelty for us (25 minutes late is not uncommon at a weekend), and my wife and I were both looking forward to a nice quiet meal together before heading on to a family birthday party.

As we arrived at the restaurant there was a early evening bustle about the place, although there were still a number of tables unoccupied.

We were shown to a pleasant table for two in one of the various raised areas at the side of the seating area. From that moment on we were treated with the utmost courtesy, politeness and efficiency by our waitress, Lisa, who genuinely seemed pleased to be there and determined to make our evening highly enjoyable. Every question and request was greeted with a swift response and a big smile and she really made sure we (and many other diners nearby) were happy with everything.

The Old School House is part of the Beefeater restaurant chain, which until recently meant heaven for steak lovers but a limited choice for others. However, their menu has now had an overhaul and is backed by celebrity TV chef Brian Turner, who claims that it offers "Great British cooking using the best ingredients from around the world."

To be fair, the Yorkshire chef's assessment is a pretty good summary of what is on offer. Of course the steaks are still a central part of the menu, ranging from 7oz fillet through 10oz rump to an 8oz sirloin steak feast. But there is so much more on there as well to suit most tastes.

To start with my wife opted for the crispy chicken strips (£3.25) which come with a salad garnish and a choice of two dips. She said that they were really well cooked and wonderfully crispy. I decided on an interesting variation on one of my favourite starters. Instead of the breaded deep fried mushrooms, I selected the wild mushrooms and pastry layers in a whisky sauce (£3.25). This was truly delicious and to a whisky fan like me a great way to add extra bite to a mushroom dish. The puff pastry was also very light and tasty. Other starters that caught our eye included roast duck and orange salad (£3.25) and prime Scottish smoked salmon (£3.95).

Just the right amount of time was left between our plates being taken away and our main courses arriving so that we had a short break but were not left waiting too long for the main event.

I chose Brian Turner's Beef Tortelloni (£7.95). A small number of items on the menu carry the TV chef's name and personal seal of approval and this was one of those dishes.

It was a large bowl of beef pasta parcels in a rich and creamy mild horseradish sauce, served with two slices of garlic bread.

Despite it being very filling I made sure I finished every last morsel in the bowl because it tasted so nice. My wife selected prime loin of lamb marinated in mint served in a red wine sauce (£9.95). It was served with roast potatoes and vegetables (broccoli, carrots and peas). She really enjoyed it and having asked for the meat to be cooked well done she was delighted to report it was just how she likes it.

In the interests of research I tasted a mouthful and was glad I did because it was lovely.

Also on the menu for main courses are dishes including goat's cheese spinach and mushroom in a herb suet pudding (£6.95) and marinated chicken breast (£7.50).

I toyed with the idea of not having a dessert because I had been so greedy with my first two courses. But after a little reflection and a little rest I felt able to order an ice cream dessert, which I thought was excellent value for money at 95p. It was a generous serving and came topped with chocolate pieces and a flake. It rounded off the meal nicely.

My wife chose the fruit Pavlova with summer fruits (£2.95). She said it was very refreshing and tasty and the meringue was nice and firm without being too hard.

Quite a few of the dishes on the puddings section of the menu would have been more tempting if it had been winter rather than summer, such as Brian Turner's cherry jam roly poly and custard (£3.50). For those with a sweet tooth and huge appetite there is the Beefeater's ultimate chocolate challenge (£3.95). There are only five dishes highlighted as vegetarian options on the menu which means there is a limited choice for them.

The restaurant, which is all based on the first floor of the building up two flights of stairs, would be difficult for disabled diners to reach in comfort.

There is a well stocked wine list available and a range of special offers on selected wines from time to time in the restaurant. But we decided to have lager with our meal.

A children's menu is available, but we did not study this in detail as there were only the two of us dining. The total cost, including drinks, was £33.76 which we felt represented very good value for money. On this showing the Old School House is well worth a visit.