This particular Craven Heifer Inn is situated on the brow of a hill on the edge of Addingham village, near Ilkley, and is a beguiling combination of old world charm – the building dates back some 200 years – and modern brasserie chic. It has been steadily building up a good reputation as a gastropub, and local competition is pretty stiff, with the reliable and popular Fleece just down the road. The bar and restaurant underwent a major refurbishment in 2006 and the decor is simple – light-coloured plastered walls and wooden flooring – yet warm and welcoming with bistro-style high-backed chairs in the dining area as well as snug corner units with banquette seating.

The overall effect is of an intimate yet classy space with a relaxed and informal feel, which is further enhanced by the friendly, helpful service.

The small bar area has more of a "pubby" ambience about it and there are good Yorkshire beers on the pumps – Tetleys, Black Sheep and Timothy Taylors – but at the same time, it's hard to imagine many people just popping in for a pint, since this is an establishment that gives the impression of being all about food.

The separate comfortable seating area seems to be more designed for people waiting for a table in the dining room than for those enjoying a beer and the fact that there are five bedrooms available adds to the idea of a "restaurant with rooms".

On the Tuesday evening we visited, the restaurant was busy with groups and couples enjoying the food available from a sensibly brief brasserie menu with further choice from a specials board offering a variety of starters and main courses – although there isn't currently a great deal of choice for the vegetarian diner.

The brasserie menu offers a range of traditional British pub dishes – haddock and chips, steak and ale pie, sausage and mash, liver and onions, gammon, four-egg omelette, homemade scampi – all available at reasonable prices ranging from £7.95 up to £9.75. Included in the price of all the main meals is a choice of either salad or seasonal vegetables alongside either chips or new potatoes. Starters range from £4.25 for the soup of the day up to £5.95 and all are also available as main courses if required.

The specials menu offers a good range of fresh, seasonal dishes. The kitchen prides itself on the freshness of all the food and, in fact, the waiter emphasised this for us when asked about the swordfish on the specials board. Many of the meats on the menu are locally reared and bred and the fresh fish is delivered from both the east and west coasts. On the specials board were sea bass, crab, swordfish and steak for main courses, with prices rising to around £12.95 and a variety of starters for around £5.95.

The goats' cheese fondue starter (served with parma ham and fresh asparagus) from the specials board was a splendid choice, especially as we were very much in the asparagus season.

This dish was the ideal amount to whet the appetite and still leave plenty of room for an ample main course. The delicate ham had been ingeniously shaped into a small cup or bowl to accommodate the rondelle of cheese and warmed to the perfect temperature to prevent the cheese from liquefying. Combined with a sensible portion of salad and alongside the al dente asparagus, this certainly surpassed
mere pub fare and justified the the gastropub billing.

It also helped to be washing such a starter down with a crisp New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, once sufficiently chilled – an oversight quickly remedied by the friendly young waiter. The wine list featured mostly South Africa, Chile, New Zealand and Australia wines, although there was one French red available.

The rice in the mushroom risotto from the brasserie menu was of perfect consistency and the mushrooms were firm and flavourful, with a nutty, earthy edge. Also on the specials board was fresh swordfish. What were the chances of recapturing the unforgettable sensations of the Mediterranean in Addingham, halfway between the North and the Irish Sea? Well, surprisingly good. The steak was quite firm, juicy and moist, presumably the consequence of chilling, rather than freezing.

It came with a powerful and potentially overwhelming salsa sauce of mango, chilli and ginger. The sauce was delicious and generous but a distraction from the subtly satisfying and distinctive flavours of the fish. The goat's cheese tartlet, one of the few vegetarian options available as a main course, had a light puff pastry base filled with goat's cheese, red onion and sun-blushed tomatoes on top of a bed of salad. It was delicious. Homemade chunky "Heifer" chips were virtually a meal in themselves.

Homemade puddings included French lemon tart, blueberry tart, banoffi pie and sticky toffee pudding, all £4.75 each. Someone had just ordered the last blueberry tart, so we chose a French lemon tart and a banoffi pie. Both came neatly packaged in their short-crust pastry bases and served with either cream or ice cream.

The sweetness of the lemon tart made the delicious Yorkshire ice cream seem insipid, cream would perhaps have been a better choice.

The banoffi pie would appeal to those with a very sweet tooth.

This is a friendly, relaxed and clearly very popular spot – the kind of place that many local people have made a regular haunt. The bill, £61.30 for a three course meal for two with wine and coffee, made it good value for money.

The Craven Heifer, Main Street, Addingham, LS29 0PL, Tel 01943 830106. Open for lunch and dinner, Monday to Saturday and on Sundays there is a lunch carvery from noon to 4pm.