MY only real problem with Ravenous is the name. I'm sure that at the time someone thought it was a little bit whacky, a bit off the wall, not prim like the boring Ivy or River Caf.

Which is fair enough. But they probably didn't reckon that one day some humourless pedant would come along armed with the OED and point out that really it's not such a nice word after all.

"Addicted to plundering or taking by force" is the main meaning. Crikey. It's only meaning three that says "Excessively hungry" and it quotes Robinson Crusoe: "I got up ravenous." Well, he would, wouldn't he, what with having only coconuts and the odd goat to eat?

An inattentive prospective Crusoe might miss the place if the A-board is not outside on the pavement. It's on the Co-op side of the square, above the hardware shop. If the Little House restaurant down the road is small, then Ravenous is positively titchy.

Yet it cleverly manages not to seem so; the big window overlooking the square gives it an airy feel and there are much larger places where the tables are jammed so close to each other that you fear for your neighbours' safety if you ply your cutlery too vigorously. It doesn't feel like that at all in Ravenous.

The menu is not extensive but it is interesting and imaginative and most tastes are catered for.

Actually, we were spoilt for choice with starters: I was very tempted by the blue cheese sausage made with pork from Long Preston, but as I fancied pig for mains I chose the platter of olives, parma ham, anchovies, grilled halloumi and spicy chickpeas with home made sundried tomato and basil bread. This was an excellent plateful in fact, almost too much for a starter, it would have made an excellent lunch by itself.

The anchovies were silvery and delicious, not a bit like those nasty little oversalted things that one has become used to. My wife had the smoked salmon and prawn risotto cake with lemon and dill mayo which definitely got the thumbs up.

For mains, I had fillet of pork with bramleys and leeks in breadcrumbs on a sweet cider jus: tasty and tender and not overfacing after the big starter. It came with some rather splendid chips, handcut and fried in their skins. Good? Just a bit.

My wife went for the monkfish tails wrapped in parma ham oven roasted and sliced onto creamy mushroom and asparagus risotto.

Ravenous seems to have a bit of a thing about risotto which is fine by me: as every cook knows it is a pain to make and doing it right on a catering scale always seems a good sign. The pork was £10.95, the monkfish £11.95.

We were of course tempted by the sweets. We had layered meringue and forest fruits with cream (£3.75) and homemade Malteser ice cream in a brandy snap basket(£4.25). Both were scrummy.

Total cost without drinks: a very reasonable £31.10 although it must be said that we were lucky enough to avail ourselves of the New Year offer of free starter or sweet on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday throughout February.

The chef writes in the menu that his aim is to provide "homemade restaurant quality food but in a relaxed atmosphere" and I reckon he has just about got there. So, if you find yourself feeling a bit like Robinson Crusoe, get out your best goatskins and head for Settle.

Reviewed by: Paul Wilson