CragRats Brasserie, Hepworth

The deal was sealed last autumn and the brasserie's new owners were duly greeted with a fanfare of publicity in the local press. Plans for "financial streamlining" were hinted at, plus a complete re-branding to rid the restaurant of any possible connotations with failure. The re-brand has yet to happen and CragRats Brasserie is still open for lunch and dinner six days a week as CragRats Brasserie. I mention this because business was distinctly un-brisk the night we dined. It has always had a reputation for "special occasion" dining, a reputation that Jonathan Tiffany wants to hold on to, while still getting more feet over the threshold.

We duly rolled up on a run-of-the-mill Wednesday evening anticipating a fab-but-fair-priced birthday tea. Pink fairy lights and the strains of Frank Sinatra guided the way from the car park to the front entrance, setting the tone. Would we be glam enough to mingle with the smart set? We found only two other couples dining that evening and mingling wasn't really on the cards.

Tables were laid in the larger of the Brasserie's two rooms, a 60-cover dining space well-suited to weddings and conventions, less so to intimate midweek dining. Strangely, the 30-cover room was left empty. The staff dress code also appears to have slipped from chic and stylish to the casual end of smart casual.

Our drinks orders were taken sofa-side while we scrutinised the new dinner menu. Only the plainest starter (soup with bread) ticks the sub-5 box, with the majority falling into the 6-7 bracket. Main courses begin at 13.95 for posh fish and chips (the batter is "real ale", the mushy peas "home made" and "minted", the chips "hand cut") or a posh vegetarian wrap with tomato sauce (sorry, aubergine, oregano and mozzarella involtini with tomato fondue). The more innovative fare – of which more in a minute – starts at 15.95 creeping upwards to 17.95. It is not entirely clear whether all these dishes are complete or whether additional side orders are needed. Unfortunately, our order-taker didn't seem too sure either.

Innovation is clearly the watchword in the kitchen and most of the menu reads as a showcase of culinary creativity for head chef, Richard Whittaker. Some combinations work a treat. A starter of crepinette of oxtail, horseradish pomme puree, hickory and tarragon sauce is one of them. This is bold but well-balanced with the sweet pieces of oxtail at its centre. Others are less successful. They seem more an association of different ingredients that happen to be to hand.

I'd put in this category my starter of chicken, chorizo and chilli samosa, watercress and cucumber salad, mint and orange yogurt. There's nothing outrageously good or bad about any of the elements – apart from the slightly overcooked peas in the samosa – but I couldn't quite fathom the rationale.

The prize for the most intriguing starter goes to aromatic crispy Scotch egg, confit duck, mooli and Thai basil slaw, radish mayonnaise. Neither of us was brave enough to try this twist on 1970s picnic fare. Both multi-component mains worked well in marrying flavours and textures. A generous slice of pan roasted venison was served with silky-smooth parsnip puree and spoonful of braised red cabbage that crunched. It was a well thought-out partnership, rounded off with a jus of liquorice and raspberry liqueur.

My only niggle was that a certain amount of sawing was needed to slice

the meat medallion. This is a chef who clearly knows how to pan roast – the pan roasted sirloin of beef fell apart on the fork. The companion spring vegetable and shin beef casserole was similarly rich and tender. Fondant potato and French onion soup added the finishing touches to a rich, tasty but rather veg-lite dish.

There's also innovation with the desserts. I chose the orange crme caramel, served with honeycomb ice cream and toasted raspberry marshmallows. Two parts of this dessert were simply divine, just replace the burnt, rubbery foam pieces with something else, maybe caramelised mandarin oranges, and this could be a winner. Steamed Guinness pudding was light in texture and undeniably Guinness-like. The Black Sheep beer in the ice cream was less easy to discern, perhaps overpowered by the stout and the dark toffee sauce. Delicious? Yes. But was it better than a good sticky toffee pud, or change for change's sake?

The bill was 80 for three courses plus wine, about right for a special occasion. The crispness and sharpness that once characterised CragRats Brasserie have, however, faded.

The interior walls are cream and brown, the seats are comfy leather, a grand piano lingers in the exception area. This is still CragRats Brasserie, but not quite as I knew it.

CragRats Brasserie, Sheffield Road, Near Hepworth, Holmfirth, West Yorkshire, HD9 7TP. Tel: 01484 683775. Food served noon-2pm and 6pm-9pm Tuesday-Thursday; noon-9pm Friday; noon-9.30pm Saturday; noon-7.45pm Sunday. "10@10" lunch menu offers two courses for 10.

YP MAG 24/4/10