The Dawnay Arms, Newton-on-Ouse: The Yorkshire village local serving great food where you can take your granny and your picky kids

First to come to mind was the Flying Pizza, the legendary Italian where Leeds United footballers and disgraced celebrities parked their Mercs and Rollers on the forecourt and enjoyed steak in brandy sauce amid a lot of noise and craziness.

There was Guy Laval’s La Grillade frequented by staff (I was one of them) and stars from the nearby YTV studios, who hung out after a show and gossiped over steak frites. Alan Bennett was a regular there too.

Bibi’s for pizza, Mario and Franco’s Italian, Jumbo’s Chinese, Leodis, Sous le Nez and in Headingley, Bryan’s Modern Fisheries and Brett’s on North Lane where John Arlott famously dropped in for fish and chips and Alice’s treacle sponge, during the lunch break at the Headingley Test.

Between us, myself and the property developer, we managed to while away three courses, digging up from distant memory places from our early days in Leeds.

By the time we got to the coffee and petit fours we were into the ‘90s when Leeds was enjoying a restaurant renaissance with trendier places like Brasserie 44, Pool Court at 42 and 3 York Place.

York Place was a starched linen and silver cutlery kind of place where a young chef named Martel Smith was creating high-end dining, serving the likes of ballotine of foie gras with truffle vinaigrette and poached oysters with Avruga caviar.

The glacial front-of-house team made York Place scarily formal.

Perhaps that’s why it never really worked. Even when they restyled themselves as a brasserie replacing the foie gras with French onion soup and braised lamb shoulder, it failed to take off.

It wasn’t long before Martel Smith packed up his knives to make it on his own.

In 2007, with his wife Kerry, he took on the Dawnay Arms at Newton on Ouse and restored the dying 18th century pub on the banks of the river to create a relaxed and welcoming hostelry.

It’s well placed, nine miles north of York or upriver, should you own a cabin cruiser and wish to moor at their pontoon. Picnic tables are positioned on the riverbank and it’s the perfect pit-stop after a visit to nearby Beningbrough Hall.

Inside is a cosy bar with stone-flagged floors and a log burner.

The chunky oak tables are a feature of both bar and dining room the latter delightfully full of light and sunshine by day, made inviting with individual table lights and candles after dark.

The menu is made up of easy-going, crowd-pleasing dishes like steak and chips, a fat sausage roll with piccalilli, fish and chips and a local roe deer burger. They make their own pizza dough and offer half a dozen different toppings.

It’s often tricky for chefs who have been cooking at the high end, to go informal. They just can’t shake off a dribble of garlic oil or the urge to scatter pea shoots over everything.

Smith’s food is straightforward but considered. A plate of gravadlax has been cut into thick slices and tastes fresh and minerally. It is served on gentle mustard-spiced mayonnaise. The dark, rustic beer bread on the side make it a nicely balanced dish, in fact, it’s my dish of the night.

A plate of queen scallops on their shell comes topped with grilled leeks and Gruyere. It is a classic combo, but the delicate flavour of the little scallops gets lost under the melted cheese and leeks.

Nothing detracts from a good pie, and Smith has nailed it with his chicken, bacon and leek pie, adding velvety and seasonal wild garlic mash and a pot of Hispi cabbage. For those of us who can never have enough gravy, a little jug is served on the side.

Loin of cod with Indian spices is accurately cooked but the spicy crust on top of the fish is a bit harsh, redeemed, but only just, by the minted yoghurt and fresh, wilted spinach.

There are plenty of gunpowder potatoes spiced with cumin, coriander and fennel seeds which are fine, but what really lifts the dish is a beautifully crisp, fried onion bhaji. I could have taken more.

Desserts are a collection of pub favourites, some with a twist like the Biscoff crème brûlee with Biscoff ice cream or passion fruit panna cotta with mango sorbet and a rum financier or classics like my Bakewell tart – pitch perfect with a buttery pastry case, spread with good jam and topped with almond frangipane and flaked almonds.

I am briefly surprised to find the crème anglaise is served cold, but the timeless silky custard is no hardship.

With experience at both ends of the cheffing spectrum, Martel Smith has settled into his groove at the Dawnay Arms.

His menu of tried and tested dishes may not set the world alight, but it’s all the better for that. Eating out doesn’t always have to be a challenge.

Here is an easy-going place where you can take your granny, your picky kids or your veggie pals, and they are sure to find something on the menu to enjoy because Smith has a good instinct for what people like to eat.

Good food well cooked, nicely presented and served by smiling, knowledgeable staff, is all you can ask of a village local.

This warm and welcoming pub has remained fresh and vital for 18 years and that’s an achievement worth celebrating.

Welcome 5/5

Food 4/5

Atmosphere 5/5

Prices 5/5

Price: £120 Dinner for two including bottle wine and service.

The Dawnay Arms, Newton on Ouse, York, YO30 2BR

www.thedawnayatnewton.co.uk