It was responsible for launching several glittering careers, including those of Michael Truelove, Edward Denny and of course Leeds's own Marco Pierre White.

And it was with this shining CV in mind that we arrived at The Box Tree on the corner of Church Street at Ilkley.

Pressing the doorbell, we waited a second or two standing in the finely manicured front garden before curiosity took hold and we tentatively tried the door handle.

The low hung door swung easily and welcomingly inwards, where we collided with a highly efficient member of waiting staff who seemed disappointed at being made redundant.

Any hard feelings there might have been were instantly swept aside and we were whisked to a table in the lounge area where our reservation was confirmed.

At this juncture it might be worth mentioning that The Box Tree is fiercely traditional, a stickler for convention, but far from stuffy.

Husband and wife team Simon and Rena Gueller make no secret of wanting this to be the best fine dining experience for miles around.

Since taking over the restaurant in 2004, they have gone on to win back one of the Michelin stars lost by the previous owners.

In fact, last year they also retained three AA rosettes and a two-star Egon Ronay and went on to win an AA notable wine list award, which was retained in 2008.

In terms of decor, all corners of the restaurant bulge with antiques and art, from landscapes captured in gilt-edged picture frames to white fine bone china dogs guarding the stairs.

Ceilings are coffered, soft furnishings rich and tablecloths stiffly starched.

Yet despite the overflowing interior, all attention is clearly meant to be on the expensive French modern cuisine and extensive wine cellar.

And although there was no strict dress code there is certainly an expectation for dinner guests to make every effort to look smart, with the polished waiting staff setting a high standard.

Aperitifs and canapés were served up alongside the menus in the lounge where the atmosphere was polite and intimate, and conversation muted.

We each accepted a glass of champagne, and shuffled deeper into our upholstered seats.

Finger food of toasted almonds, fluffy vol-au-vents and a garlicky mousse were served alongside finely toasted handmade crostinis; all delicious.

It is assumed that you love food and wine if eating at The Box Tree, but thankfully you are not expected to be an expert.

On the contrary, the staff are well trained and pleased to interpret the various dishes, as well as excellent at recommending the complementing beverages.

Our table was positioned to the rear of the far dining room (there are two on the ground floor, and a private dining room upstairs where guests can also recline in a connecting lounge) against a flock papered wall.

An amuse bouche arrived in the form of a soup – a zingy, cold shot of Cornish crab, cucumber and coriander gazpacho.

It was undeniably flavoursome, but contained none of the reassuring pizzazz that would have indicated that culinary greatness was to follow.

My dining partner's hors d'oeuvre was a warm creamy fish soup – tasty, but again a palate cleanser rather than a showcase of what was to follow.

Wine was served ahead of the arrival of our starters – the Rilette of Duck Confit (£13) and Jabugo Ham (£15).

At this point The Box Tree's extensive wine list is worth a special mention with a polite reminder to diners to not overlook the benefits of taking expert advice.

Feeling overfaced by the drinks menu, we took a shortcut and ordered wine by the glass as this instantly reduced the list of options to a mere handful.

However, in hindsight it would have been more successful if we had ordered a bottle of wine with some help.
Both the Pinot Noir (£7) and Pinot Gris (£7) sold by the glass were too lightweight for my liking, my partner's Sauvignon Blanc (£6) was a much livelier and rounded sniff.

The Rilette of Duck Confit turned out to be very much like a terrine or course pate. The surprise addition of bright green raw pistachios added a good amount of texture and visual stimulation if nothing to the overall flavour, which was slightly lacking.

It was served alongside a scoop of heavenly, jammy fig chutney and toast poliane, which transpired to be a very fine and crisp French rye bread.

The trouble I had with this dish was that I had hoped the game to be just that – gamey, but it failed to pack any punch with my tastebuds.

On the other hand, the dry cured ham is always a winner in my books, and with hindsight I should have ordered my partner's Jabugo ham.

It too was served with toast, in this instance crostinis, and a decorative shaving of fennel. A cheeky taste revealed that it crunched and chewed in all the right places.

We had agonised over the mains but finally settled on the sea bass (£30) and roast monkfish (£26).

The monkfish was meaty, generous and served on delicately peppery puy (French green lentils) with a hint of red wine and pieces of pancetta.

Simplicity certainly paid off, although I found myself reaching for the wine in search of the missing razzmatazz for which I had hoped at these prices.

My partner's wild line sea bass was on the tough side, but rescued by a beautifully buttery shellfish chowder and well-seasoned Morteu sausage.

Presentation was key in this dish, which certainly promised the world and almost delivered.

The highlight of the evening was not in the main courses or the pudding but the strong coffee and conversation we struck up with the table opposite, a pair of experienced and practical foodies from Leeds. We enjoyed their company and the realisation that Glaswegian comic Hardeep Singh Kohli was sitting next door.

For dessert I went for the Autumn Fruit Tart and Philadelphia Sorbet (£9.50), the fleshy poached seasonal apple and berries burst with spices more reminiscent of wintery mulled wine but every bit as delicious as I had hoped.

The cool fruit ice was creamy and the perfect match.

I also tested my partner's Sacher Chocolate Sponge Cake which with mango and raspberry sorbet, apricot puree and tempered chocolate (£9.50) sounded the part.

In appearance this was perhaps the most beautiful of all the dishes we sampled.

It arrived as two finger-sized buns, flirtatiously dipped in chocolate sauce and decorated with two narrow lengths of chocolate.

But like some of the dishes before it, the chocolatey sponge was more style then substance lacking any real flavour for which the sorbets and purees could not compensate.

At the beginning of the evening ,the menu had been an impossible collection of heavenly food choices. And perhaps that was exactly the problem, choice and a case of us choosing badly.

But I fear the real answer is that while the atmosphere was charming and the service excellent, the pricey food simply did not live up to expectation.

Three courses with wine for two cost £150.

The Box Tree, 35-37 Church Street, Ilkley, West Yorkshire, LS29 9DR.
Open Tuesday to Saturday for dinner from 7.30pm to 9.30pm, and Friday, Saturday and Sunday for lunch from 12pm to 2pm.
Tel: 01943 608484
Email: via the Box Tree website only.
Website: www.theboxtree.co.uk

FOOD 3/5
VALUE 2/5
ATMOSPHERE 3/5
SERVICE 5/5