The Jackdaw is set in the picturesque village of Warkworth. By day it is a cafe and gift shop and gallery, selling cards and knick knacks; by night, it takes on a new persona with an á la carte menu to rival the best, on paper, at least.

The dishes were imaginative and varied and the menu is changed every six weeks.

It had all the signs of a top-of-the-range gastronomic experience. The high prices initially helped to create that impression.

For starters, smoked Tweed salmon with brown bread and butter would set you back £8.95 and only home-made soup at £3.65, of the seven entrées, was under £5.

The main courses hit the dizzy heights of £17.95 for fillet steak, with just home-made steak and kidney pie (£9.95) under a tenner. Sweets were £4.25, apart from a selection of farmhouse cheeses at £4.95.

For these inflated prices, I really expected something special, but the restaurant was more suited to its day job.

The birthday cards still surrounded us and the table settings could easily be for afternoon tea, with touristy place mats, thin paper napkins and paper doilies. Not a candle, table cloth nor fresh flower in sight.

The room itself was like someone's living room. It was close, yet echoed to the sound of voices from the other three tables. It was not relaxing nor intimate – surely the other diners could hear every word of our conversation.

There was a faint hum of a classical radio station playing in the background, although it was not clear whether it was for the kitchen's benefit or the diners.

It lacked atmosphere and the touch of class the prices demanded. We ordered our food, slightly embarrassed that everyone was listening in.

I found the devilled mushrooms with hot garlic bread (£5.55)
irresistible and my wife found my wallet irresistible and plumped for the smoked salmon.

Our bottle of red wine, a Chilean Merlot arrived first, but it was colder than room temperature and needed to stand a while to gather its flavour.

Both starters were delicious but neither would gain many points for artistic impression. There was no garnish nor side salad with the mushrooms, just a dish of mushrooms with a few slices of garlic bread. They were devilishly spicy but needed something extra.

Similarly the smoked salmon, some of the finest you'll taste, came with two chunks of lemon and the bread and butter. Surely the £8.95 could have stretched to half a tomato or a lettuce leaf.

The other starters were: Home-made salmon mousse (£5.50), avocado and cranberry salad (£6.25), home-made chicken liver pate (£5.60), chilled melon with Parma ham (£5.75).

For main course my favourite, grilled sea bass, hit me straight between the eyes. My wife had the pan-fried loin of lamb chops with a redcurrant sauce (£14.95).

The food was lovely – no complaints there, infact compliments to the chef. The veg (roast potatoes, mash, ratatouille, carrots and broccoli, with cheese sauce) were cooked to perfection, the meat and fish both melted in the mouth.

But again, all the effort had been expended on the cooking while presentation took a back seat.

Other main courses included rib-eye steak (£14.25), breast of chicken in lime and ginger (£12.95), grilled fillets of lemon sole (£13.95), breast of duck in blackcurrant sauce (£12.95) and vegetarian dish of the day (£10.95).

The ingredients at Jackdaw are bought locally, the meat from Turnbull's of Alnwick and fish from Eyemouth and it paid off with the intensity yet subtlety of flavours.

We decided not to push the boat out and have a sweet as we had already racked up a bill of £68.20.

The choice was: Brown sugar meringues with raspberry puree, blackberry creme brulee, glazed lemon tart, chocolate truffle torte, hot blueberry pancakes with vanilla ice cream, selection of Doddington ice cream or the cheeses.

The food was obviously home-made using fresh, local ingredients. With a bit more imagination, the Jackdaw has the potential to compete with the best in the business, but we left feeling hard done by.

The Jackdaw is open daily, except Mondays, from 10am to 4.30pm for coffee, teas and lunches.

On Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday evening meals are served from 7pm.

On Sundays, traditional roast beef lunch is served from 12.30pm to 2pm.

STAR RATINGS (out of five)
Quality of food 4.5
Choice 3.5
Vegetarian choice 2
Value for money 2.5
Atmosphere 2
Service 4
Children catered for 2
Disabled access 3
Disabled toilet No
Overall experience 3.5
Verdict: The food was well-cooked, tasty and of a high quality but lacked passion given the price. A more sympathetic decor would have helped.

Contact details: The Jackdaw Restaurant and Gallery, 34 Castle Street Warkworth, Northumberland NE65 0UN. Tel: 01665 711488