REASONABLE food, plenty of it, and a homely atmosphere are attributes Smithills Coaching House has long been associated with.

We are not talking five-star food and service here, but simple home-cooked dishes in a family friendly restaurant.

You may be slightly surprised at by what appear at first glance to be rather steep prices, but you have to bear in mind that the cost of your main course includes a starter, ice-cream and the help-yourself cheese board and fresh fruit.

We went along for a family celebration -- Laura's 14th birthday treat to be exact -- on a Saturday night at 6.30pm.

There were one or two hiccups -- requests for variations of children's meals seemed to complicate matters and a garlic bread did not arrive in time to be eaten with our starters -- but those minor complaints aside, the meal went down pretty well.

Smithills is the perfect venue for a family meal with lively children.

Everywhere you look there are families with youngsters and the main difficulty you will have is talking above the noise.

Main course -- remember that includes starter, ice cream and cheese -- range in price from £9.30 for steak and kidney pie to £16.05 for a T-bone steak.

The inclusive starters include chicken soup, soup-of-the-day, black pudding, melon and pineapple cocktail, egg mayonnaise, mackerel, chilled juice or florida cocktail.

If you do not fancy any of those then you will have to pay for a starter including mushrooms with garlic dip (£2.90), pate (£2.39) or chicken and asparagus pancakes (£2.99).

We picked the black pudding, florida cocktail, chicken soup and mackerel and one of the boys had a Yorkshire Pudding from the children's menu (95p).

The black pudding was declared dry and tasteless and could not be finished.

The mackeral was lovely, the soup fine and there is not a lot you can say about a basic florida cocktail.

This is what I meant when I said Smithills serves basic family food. Do not expect anything too grand -- if you want anything a bit more special you will have to pay extra for it.

For our main courses we picked rump steaks, with sauces, (£14.25), scampi (£11.60), gammon (£12.70), two children's meals of pizza and chicken nuggets and a smaller gammon portion (£9.12).

The meals came with either chips or jacket potato and garden peas. Very basic but plenty of it.

We could then choose from chocolate, strawberry or vanilla ice cream (two members of the party did not want an ice cream) and then help ourselves to the cheese and fruit. There are chargeable sweets available if you fancy something a bit different.

We had drinks from the bar and the total cost of the meal was £78.22.

Having said that, if we had not checked the bill, and paid the first one that was presented to us, we would have been paying for four pizza meals rather than the one we had ordered.

It was busy -- mistakes will be made -- so I did not feel aggrieved by the over-charging. It was easily and quickly rectified.

The children had plenty of choice and there is no problem finding something for them to eat on the extensive children's menu -- think sausages, teddy-shaped chicken pieces, veggie burgers, although strangely enough not meat burgers.

There are vegetarian options for both adults and children. On the main menu you can pick from deep fried mushrooms, nut cutlets and vegetable tagliatelle.

If you want to relax with the family on a Saturday night then give it a go.

If you are after a quiet romantic meal for two then give it a miss.

Gayle McBain

Smithills Coaching House,

Smithills, Bolton

Star Rating

Quality of food ***

Menu ***

Service ***

Value for money ****

Atmosphere ***

Overall rating ***

How to get there:

Take the A666 from Bolton Town Centre and turn left into Halliwell Road. Go across Moss Bank Way and Smithills Coaching House is on the right, just after Smithills School.