This pub is more pizzeria than Lancashire watering hole, with a host of Italian dishes on offer. From the outside it appears large but, once inside, it's the kind of place which seems to have plenty of nooks and crannies filled with dining tables and an airy conservatory provided the perfect place to sit with a pint to peruse the menu.

At first glance I felt that the menu was not that inspired and offered a smaller selection than usual, but my initial perceptions proved wrong. There are more than enough dishes on offer as the diner's eye is drawn round the single sheet menu.

Starters include all the usual offerings with soup (£2.25), garlic bread (£1.95) and the most expensive dish being king prawns, priced at £4.95.

I plumped for chicken liver and pork pate (£3.95) with a small salad and LOTS of garlic bread. My companion decided to try the farmhouse pancake, (£3.95), which included a sauce of mushrooms, onions, ham and spinach.

I couldn't resist trying some and had to admit that the pancake dish was the better choice of the two. For main courses diners can choose from pasta dishes, steaks, pancakes and (naturally) pizzas.

There was a whole range of pizzas priced from £4.95 to £6.45 and diners can create their own pizzas on request.

Pasta meals include the traditional spaghetti bolognaise at £5.45 as well as vegetable campanelli and penne arabrate both priced at £5.45.

My companion was tempted by the chicken and mushroom tagliatelle in a stilton cheese sauce. Although she said there could have been a bit more chicken she was more than happy - the sauce being particulary good - and even had to leave a bit at the end.

I chose a fillet steak (£9.95) paying an extra £1.45 for Diane sauce which was mouth-watering. The steak, was cooked to perfection, and served with a side-dish of sauteed potatoes, carrots, baby corn and mangetout.

Everything was piping hot and the size of the portions meant we had just enough room to share a dessert. All were priced at £2.75 and included the usual offerings such as chocolate fudge cake, cheesecake and ice cream. We decided to try the banofee pie, which again could not be faulted.

Our final bill, excluding a pint of Guinness and a soft drink, came to £28, which was good value for the food on offer.

The service, provided by a young team of waiters and waitresses, was excellent. They were both speedy and polite but we never felt rushed into finishing our meals.

A simple menu provides the usual fayre for children, which is very competitvely priced. A bowl of soup for the younger diners costs £1 and second courses are priced at £2.75.

And vegetarian tastes are adequately catered for with various offerings on the menu.

But despite the good food which was not over-priced I did feel that diners should be given a little more room. Near us four diners were struggling to eat their meals on a table which only looked big enough for two people.

And, as far as I could see, the restaurant's layout has definite drawbacks for disabled diners. There are various levels accessed by steps which could prove problematic for wheelchair users and there are no disabled toilet facilities.

If you fancy the five minute trip along the M61 to test it out remember that despite its 'pub image' it is very much a restaurant. The small bar is there mainly to cater for the diners and the majority of the building is given over to dining areas but it is refreshing to enjoy an Italian meal in what many see as a pub-setting. DAVE ROBERTS

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.