A NEW restaurant in Northallerton has clearly found its own special recipe for success.

Since opening at the end of the summer, The Caf in High Street has gone from strength to strength - bucking the trend befalling other restaurants in the town.

Work to create the "twin" to Darlington's hugely popular Imperial Express was going on as other eateries were closing down or showing signs of difficulty.

The owners of that business took over a former home interiors store and modelling a style on the Darlington original seems to have identified a niche in the Northallerton market.

The Caf is open throughout the day from breakfast onwards and people can call just for a drink or a coffee.

For bigger appetites, though, there is an ample menu. The food is based on a list of snacks available throughout the day, with blackboard specials for lunch and dinner.

We opted for lunchtime - so far the most popular period for visitors to The Caf and booking is advisable from midweek onwards.

For starters we had smoked salmon and asparagus salad (£6.55) and a feta, olive and tomato salad (£4.95).

Both were delicious although I could have used a side plate for olive stones etc. I had to use my guest's plate as the debris built up.

For mains we tried venison sausages served with saut potatoes (£6.50) and a half portion of a newly-introduced deli buffet (£4.95).

The sausages, apparently were excellent, but the buffet could have been a bit more imaginative and offered more items not of a "pickled" nature. As it was, the overall taste at times was a bit on the sour side.

The dessert board is to die for. After much deliberation we chose a Tia Maria iced terrine and sticky toffee pud - both £3.75. Both were gorgeous. They must have been. My guest does not normally eat puddings (other than apple pie) but this was wolfed down in fine style.

Two liqueur coffees followed - one was visually perfect, the other less so but both tasted good.

Our meal was washed down by a bottle of Pinot Grigio which cost £13.75.

Other items on the board included spaghetti and meatballs at £4.95/5.95; penne pasta and mussels (same price); liver, bacon and mushrooms £8.50.

Broccoli and lemon soup was £3.

The total bill was £50.65 - a little steep for lunchtimes in general, but it has to be remembered that the prices are the same at night.

Service was attentive without being intrusive, creating the impression that staff are keen to ensure a positive dining experience.

And the "goldfish bowl" has gone now that a frosted glass strip has been put across the front windows. At first, diners at the window tables were in full view of passers-by.

The Caf is stylish but not exactly cosy. Maybe that is something that will come as the surroundings "bed in."

The Caf manager James Butterfield - who has been with the Imperial Express firm for nearly two years - says The Cafe is going well.

"At first we had lots of people coming in to see what the place was like and there were times when we were caught out by being so busy," he said.

"Some mistakes were made. Yes, there have been teething troubles. But since then we have more confidence as to how the place runs."

Staffing is 12 full-timers and eight part-timers which Mr Butterfield says has been good for the town.

While lunchtimes seem to be well established, he says evenings are quiet at the front end of the week but that later on trade has taken off.

"All in all, things are better than I thought they would be," he says. "We tried not to open up with everything available but to keep some attractions back."

There are now take-outs and The Caf is now doing seasonal specials.

"The Imperial Express was the model for how people would use the place," said Mr Butterfield.

"We are now building up repeat trade and being recommended by word of mouth. We are getting to know our customers and vice-versa."

In another mirror of the Darlington success, The Caf has quickly established itself as a "female-friendly place."

"Groups of women come in and it is clear they feel totally at ease," said Mr Butterfield.

Downstairs, The Cafe can seat 50 - plus the bar area - and upstairs there is room for up to 20 people.

For the future, wine-tasting and themed evenings are on the agenda; there are plans to extend facilities upstairs; and the deli side could be developed, maybe with more pre-cooked meals and dinner-party menus made to order.

"But you can't do everything at once, we want to evolve," said Mr Butterfield.

To get The Caf off to a good start, Mr Butterfield secured the services of Mark Wilson as head chef.

"Mark was a former student of mine at Darlington College and an award winner," he said. "I kept in touch with him and he joined us for this venture."

And speaking of ventures...Mr Butterfield hinted that a third outlet could be on the cards.

"But the location will take a lot of working out," he said.