Caramba, Harrogate

Consider Caramba in Harrogate. This recently opened tapas restaurant was formerly Oxford Street Brasserie. Despite being critically acclaimed and possessing a solid local reputation, the owners reached a crisis point late last year as customer numbers dropped. Rather than soldiering on with their well-respected modern British food with fingers crossed, they made a brave decision – they adapted. Reinventing themselves as a tapas restaurant has allowed them to offer a more flexible menu, allowing punters to enjoy a night out without committing to a huge spend. Those that are watching their wallets can just opt for a few of the less expensive plates. At the same time, those looking to push the boat out can do so easily – and even they won't be shocked by their bill.

However, there's no getting away from the fact that such a change is disconcerting for customers. The worry is that it's a desperate move, a blatant dropping of standards to scrape through in difficult times. The reputation many tapas restaurants have acquired as mediocre

disappointments only adds to this.

But this is David Robson we're talking about, a young wonder chef who honed his skills working in the kitchen at Leeds's much-missed Michelin-star holder Pool Court. Robson's bold and brilliantly executed food made Oxford Street Brasserie one of the region's strongest performers. So while it's sad that this wasn't enough to keep such a deserving business going through a recession, we can be sure the change in style doesn't signal a decline in standards.

Sure enough, a quick scan of the menu once we're seated gets things off to a good start. Many items read like the commonplace dishes you'll find anywhere vaguely Spanish. But throughout the list are signs of the Robson flair, fusing style and simplicity with dishes like "chipolatas with Bloody Mary ketchup".

We choose seven dishes: four from the main menu and three from the specials blackboard. It's a busy night so, while we wait, we enjoy a bottle of Clos De Torribas Crianza. Rich, velvety and full of berries, the blend of Tempranillo and Cab Sauv is a bargain at 16.95.

It also proves a perfect companion to the sophisticated food. First, a plate of cured meats, served with olives, manchego and quince. The hard Spanish cheese with its deep savoury flavour goes well with the spiced hams and salamis. The quince is the quiet hero, lifting the whole dish with its plummy tartness.

There's also a dish of ricotta dumplings, which might be disappointing served on their own, but together with the roast peppers and slow-baked tomatoes it's a feast of delicate but confident flavours.

A plate of crayfish paella demonstrates great lightness of touch. With chorizo and peas strewn among the plump, oozy rice it makes for great comfort food, but avoids being too heavy. Another fish dish, this time from the specials board, shows a gift for seafood – the cod, tomato and chickpea stew is rich and thick. Large chunks of cod are perfectly light and fluffy, and somehow avoid being drowned out. The pile of deep-fried calamari doesn't show quite the same finesse, but then perhaps it shouldn't. The squid is good and fresh, a little heavy on the batter, with a wonderfully pungent aioli.

The final two plates, chorizo in red wine, and meatballs in a tomato sauce, make no apologies – they are bold, gutsy and perfectly executed. A real achievement for tapas staples that often misfire in less capable hands.

The best trick Robson pulls off is perhaps the way the food feels so convincing despite taking in some eclectic influences. Among the Spanish classics, are touches of North Africa and Italy, even East Asia in places. But it all gels because it's all true to the spirit of tapas – upfront flavours, great ingredients, and no overstyling.

Dessert departs quite significantly from the tapas system, offering instead a short selection of treats that don't seem dramatically different to the old menu, except for slightly lower prices. That's not such a bad thing though, as Robson has a way with a pud.

We pick a double chocolate brownie with vanilla ice cream – dark and delicious – and a set vanilla cream with raspberry sorbet, which is thick, rich and sweet.

The sorbet is a class act in itself, and little spiralling tubes of dark chocolate are a little giveaway that there's somebody rather clever at work in the kitchen. And the price for all this? 75 all in, including coffees and tip. A fair bit cheaper than your average splurge

at a brasserie, but certainly no less of

an occasion.

Caramba, First Floor, 34a Oxford Street, Harrogate, HG1 1PP. Telephone: 01423 505300. Open Tuesday-Sunday noon to 2.30pm and 5pm to late.