His latest move makes me wonder if he has gone a step too far this time. He has put his head right into the lion's mouth by opening his own restaurant at a time when even celebrity chefs are losing theirs.

He's not on his own though. The "ringmaster" guiding his every move is David Moore, the founding director of double Michelin-starred Pied a Terre in London and one of the two inspectors on Raymond Blanc's TV programme The Restaurant as well as Tom's former employer. Quite a double act.

Tom's eponymous restaurant, Van Zeller is tucked in the fashionable Montpellier quarter in Harrogate. With only 32 covers, the restaurant is small and in the predictable understated "wood floors and leather chairs" style, with colour imparted by artworks and huge vases of flowers.

In case you should forget who owns the restaurant, there are plenty of reminders with a fetching portrait of Tom and his initials monogrammed on to menus and even the windows. Overall it is a cosy, welcoming space but on a quiet Tuesday night and only two other diners when we arrive it does feel a little aloof.

The menu is succinct with five offerings on each section, hurrah, no swathes of chef's ego to work through. It does leave vegetarians out on a limb, but I'm sure Tom could rustle something up if need be.

The wine list forces a sharp intake of breath with the prices, especially wines by the glass (averaging about £7), but that might have more to do with the sinking pound than mark-ups.
The wine wasn't the only thing that took my breath away. A chicken and leek terrine with Pecorino when placed on the table looked so beautiful that to even think about eating it felt like a crime. The neat chunks of chicken, seasoned precisely, and delicately wrapped in leeks glistened with freshness and tasted as good as it looked. The quenelle of Pecorino mousse lingering alongside was superfluous though. The saltiness of the cheese added nothing to the dish and was left barely touched. The plate for my tuna tartar with capers and Mizuna eventually returned to the kitchen without any hint on its surface of having once borne food. Fresh, meltingly soft, sweet tuna balanced neatly with the prickly-flavoured capers. The peppery Mizuna salad leaf, rather than being draped across the dish, had been whizzed into a purée and was divine. An expertly created dish that I could eat again and again.

Gasps and superlatives rained down through mains as well. Two fillets of squeaky, fresh, pan-fried turbot served with sweet, soft Jerusalem artichokes were precisely cooked – creating a slight, delicious caramelisation on the edges of the fish. If I were to be really picky, the finishing touch of foam seemed a little passé even if it did taste good.

A hefty piece of local venison with beetroot gratin and red wine sauce was received and eaten with relish. The meat was again textbook in its cooking and flavour. Thin slices of beetroot added colour and tiny balls of crisp, sharp apples added texture. The whole dish was brought together with a deep red wine sauce. More plates with polished surfaces for the kitchen.

I wondered if ordering dessert would risk bursting the bubble of contentedness that had descended as we finished our glasses of a rather excellent Australian Peter Lehman Shiraz. It didn't.

Yorkshire rhubarb and lime cheesecake had a lovely balance of tart and sweet and again had that picture-perfect delicacy we had by now come to expect.

My choice of cheese didn't hit the mark quite as well. A Cotswold's White, and a robust goats' cheese were fine. But the Tête de Moines was just approaching its end and not quite as fresh and sharp as expected.

Van Zeller's may not serve Yorkshire-sized portions but each plate heaves with flavour, quality and talent, which more than makes up for it.

The service, on the whole, was good, as I would expect on a quiet night, but a few tiny slips makes me wonder how they would fare on a really busy night – currently there's a two week waiting list on a Saturday night.

Tom may have stuck his head in that scary mouth but I suspect he is going to come out smiling.

Dinner for two with wine was £95, not the cheapest in town, but for the quality more than reasonable.

Van Zeller, 8 Montpellier Street, Harrogate HG1 2TQ, Tel: 01423 508762.
Lunch – Monday to Sunday 12pm-2.30pm, dinner – Monday to Saturday 6pm-9pm.