PLANNING a day trip to Whitby, we decided to have a spot of lunch on route. Wanting something a bit more formal than a pub, we thought of a few hotels likely to provide suitable sustenance.

Unfortunately it was Saturday and two of the better establishments that first came to mind and we called had weddings on and were unable to provide the expected service. The Grinkle Park at Easington could offer no more than soup and sandwiches to passing travellers and the girl on the end of the phone at Gisborough Hall, Guisborough, sounded utterly stunned when we asked if lunch was being served. She mumbled something about bar meals may be served but as they were "very busy" this sounded like an offer better declined.

"What sort of service is that?", I said to Sylvia. "Pathetic", she said and she was dead right, as she usually is on matters to do with service in hotels.

So we found ourselves at Pinchinthorpe Hall, between Great Ayton and Guisborough. It also had a big wedding on but the outside world was still welcome at its Bistro which is housed in some attractive stone outbuildings, along with a micro-brewery. The interior is stone-flagged with tapestry-hung and distressed paint-effect walls and simple wooden tables

At lunchtime the bistro offers a set menu of three courses (three choices of each) and a glass of wine or half-a-pint of beer for £7.95. I am happy to report that it represents the best value since Alaska changed hands for a dollar.

There's nothing terribly exotic or innovative about what's offered but we found that no bad thing. The soup of the day was vegetable and simply very good and wholesome. The salad of gravadlax salmon was notable for its hefty chunk of salmon and the equally decent sized slab of lemon that came with it. Both were served with bread and butter. We could also have had gala melon with berries.

The main courses were risotto with wild mushroom and parmesan, bangers and mash with greens, and salmon fillet with new potatoes and mange touts in a light chive cream sauce. We went for the latter two and both hit the spot. The slightly spicy sausages were served in a rich gravy on a bed of creamy mash. The salmon was lightly poached and the simple sauce perfectly complemented it.

After that came strawberries and cream and a plate of cheese and biscuits liberally laced with grapes. There might not have been too many strawberries but the amount of cheese - pieces of Stilton and mature cheddars and others we couldn't immediately identify - more than made up for that minor incidence of parsimoniousness. Typically a plateful like that would have been a fiver or more in most restaurants.

Coffee was extra but for £1.75 each we received a potful of not terribly strong coffee that would have comfortably served six. Service was provided by a small team of very young but extremely well drilled, willing yet unobtrusive staff.

The bill came to a smidgen under £20 and we went on our way to Whitby so full that the combined lure of fish and chips and ice cream had absolutely no effect on a couple who believe that a trip to the seaside is fundamentally lacking without them.