J Baker's Bistro Moderne

Jeff Baker, formerly of Pool Court, Leeds, with a c/v that might make the average chef wonder why they'd ever bothered, finally took the plunge and set out to do in York what had been in his mind for some while.

That idea was founded on simplicity in food, a bistro approach with excellence at its heart, shorn of pretension and very much in keeping with the modern approach to food. Bistro Moderne brings you a dining experience that is 'less exclusive and more inclusive.

Three menus say it all, a grazing menu, the a la carte and a kid's menu. The grazer is a sort of English tapas, and could include handmade black pudding and Scotch egg, Whitby cod in beer batter with potato, parsley and garlic, mussel and potato hot pot, to name but a few. Each are light dishes of old favourites, and how many you eat is entirely up to you.

The a la carte menu, served in the evening only is not one of these vast and lengthy scrolls that leaves you feeling exhausted by the effort of choosing, but has about five choices for each course, starting with slow roasted ham hock paté, pease pudding and hazelnuts, or risotto of oxtail, pickled tongue and mixed cress.

Scott's Galloway rib steak and slow roasted roots with horseradish is a popular mains dish, stew and dumplings made with red deer braised in local ale, or East Coast cod, loin and cheeks, with mussel and potato broth scented with curry makes for an interesting twist on what has become a traditional dish.

A choice of dessert or savoury - or both if you feel so inclined - could yield local Bakewell tart or a selection of some of the superb handcrafted cheeses that are created in Yorkshire. Nor does the wine list disappoint, with superb value for wines that would grace a London list with no hesitation, several by the glass.

Bistro Moderne points the way ahead for the popular eating of the future, with no concessions made in any of the areas that matter.