IF you were in the steamy heat of Singapore, the shady palms and the constantly turning fans would, no doubt, be something of a blessing. But in northern England on a typically damp January evening, the cavernous coolness of The Croft and its recently revamped Raffles restaurant left a decidedly chilly impression.

The hotel, just south of Darlington, on the border of County Durham and Yorkshire, and originally called The Croft Spa, thrived in the hey-day of the taking of the sulphurous waters of the nearby spa. Later, it became renowned as a top venue for weddings and dances, and its Farmers' Bar was one of the most popular on the country circuit.

Times change. A succession of owners came and went, and the Spa seemed destined to go down the plughole when the current owner, Malcolm McKee, sought planning permission to turn the building into flats.

Planners and locals alike objected and Mr McKee has obviously spent a lot of money reinventing the place. Out has gone the shabby chic, in has come lots of wooden flooring, lots of open space and the plastic palms.

The central fireplace is still there; sadly with no welcoming blaze.

But if the atmosphere was cool, it was more than compensated by the warmth of the welcome from the young and enthusiastic staff who, outnumbering the customers when we arrived, seemed anxious to prove their worth.

As the only comfortable seats in the bar were taken, we were quarantined in what used to be the main restaurant, now set out with rows of tables for bar meals, to study the menu.

Thankfully, we were fairly speedily rescued by our very helpful waiter, who, having taken our order, moved us quickly on to take our seats in the restaurant - which was, mercifully, marginally warmer.

Formerly part of the hotel's ballroom, the room's lofty vastness does lend itself to the colonial theme, and the twirling fans and life-size carved lions do provide some interesting topics of conversation. But, with only a handful of other diners spaced around the margins of the room, it was still eerily, embarrassingly quiet.

Things did look up dramatically, however, with the arrival of the food. Beautifully prepared, beautifully presented, it went a long way to retrieve Raffles' reputation.

Before our starters arrived we were presented with an extra little dish "with the chef's compliments" - a habit that seems to be becoming increasingly prevalent. (We have, on occasions and in the classiest of restaurants, been presented with such minute delicacies that we have been moved to wonder if, as in the style of the Emperor's New Clothes, we will one day be given a totally empty plate, at which we will be expected to declare: "Umm. How lovely.") The chef at The Croft was more generous, presenting us with a nicely rounded fishcake, neatly decorated with a piquant jus.

Peter choose steamed mussels with coconut, chilli and coriander (£6) to start. It's an unusual mix of flavours but one that certainly worked, the fresh taste of the coconut letting the sweetness of the mussels come through. I really like strong cheeses and my choice of warm salad of grilled goat's cheese with flat mushrooms and haricots verts with purple basil pesto (£4.95) was a good combination of taste and texture.

Other starters included sweet potato and parsnip soup with ginger-infused honey (£3.75); seared foie gras with carrot, sweet wine gravy and toasted brioche (£7.95); home-cured bresola with rocket, Parmesan and wild horseradish cream (£5.75), and poached oysters with scrambled egg and caviar (£7.50).

Peter's main course, although rather prosaically and simply named "lamb 3 ways", was a tantalising and delicious trio of pan-fried lambs' liver, sliced fillet and a little parcel, like a mini haggis, of slow roasted lamb shank, blitzed with Middle-Eastern style vegetables (£16.25). Served with pomme fondant and sauce ratatouille, what Peter described as "a suggestion of vegetables", it was perhaps fortunate that our waiter had suggested a side order of big chips (£1.95).

I chose paupiette of sole with lobster mousse and langoustine with baby vegetables (£14.95) which really was a stunning combination of flavours - and certainly didn't need any extras.

Other mains included braised monkfish with lemon and thyme, bouillon potatoes and ribboned vegetables (£15.25)and gateau of roast mediterranean vegetables, sweet and sour cherry tomatoes in basil cream (£8.50).

This was certainly food to savour and we were pleased to take our time before even contemplating the pudding menu. But, after a suitable pause, I decided on the marquise of chocolate with raspberry sorbet (£4.50). This was one of the most exquisitely presented puddings I've ever seen. Hand-crafted is a much over-used phrase, but this was the work of an artist. And Peter was full of praise for the pineapple tarte Tatin with coconut panacotta and rum syrup (£4.75).

The choice of puddings also included creme cappuccino, vanilla foam and biscotti (£4.25); traditional curd tart with clotted cream (£4.75), and a selection of English cheeses with date and walnut chutney and home-made malt loaf (£6.25).

The bill, with a large bottle of mineral water and two drinks from the bar, came to just over £58. Not over the top for food of this quality, although the atmosphere of the place did little to lift our spirits.

The Croft is certainly original but I wouldn't bet on Raffles being a winning ticket.