Never before have I seen a proud declaration that the business was back under old management.

Yet that was the greeting that awaited us, scrawled on a blackboard as we turned at traffic lights on the junction of the A494 into The Tavern, Alltami.

In truth, the proclamation was not a total surprise.

Beverley’s jungle drums had been beating furiously, and The Tavern had come with a glowing recommendation.

Apparently it had at one time been highly regarded, but its reputation had lost some of its glow when it was sold on.

Now the circle had been squared, the old management was back in place and reputations were being restored.

So the three of us – Beverley, 14-year-old Oliver and I – turned up with high expectations.

Initial impressions were mixed. The decor takes minimalism to the point of being harsh and the music, acid or electro hip-hop or whatever, sounded too loud and boorish to my middle aged ears.

Even Oliver, a fan of decibel fiends the Killers and the Foo Fighters, found it too obtrusive.

Music it may have been, if you stretch the definition, background it wasn’t.

But there were compensations – and excellent ones at that.

The bar boasted a local Flintshire brew, Facer’s, and it was marvellous. A visit to the website revealed why – brewed in Flint by the former head brewer of Boddington’s (when the Strangeways brewery was still going) you would expect nothing less than excellence.

It also proved to be an unexpected bargain – but more of that later.

Beverley’s large glass of house white – listed at £3.80 – was declared dry and excellent. A good start all round.

It quickly became apparent we were right to book – at 7.30pm we took the last seats in the dining room – amid an eclectic mix of couples and families, including two babies, who created a welcoming and lively atmosphere.

The menu was mostly standards, with an excellent list of traditional main courses (scampi, Cumberland sausage, gammon etc...you get the idea) at a very reasonable two for a tenner.

There was also a sheet of specials, ranging from pizza garlic bread at £2.99 to fillet steak at £13.50 and a small children’s menu with all meals at £3.50. Sirloin and rib eye on the main menu are £9.95.

Oliver opted out of a starter, but his parents decidedly didn’t.

I decided on one of the few dishes that gave licence to the chef’s imagination – black pudding Scotch egg with plum chutney (£4.25).

It was rather intriguing and rather good, served as it was with a crispy salad.

Beverley opted for seafood salad starter – prawn, crayfish, smoked salmon and seafood dressing at £4.75. The same dish, presumably in more generous proportions, can be ordered as a main at £9.25.

The seafood was fine, the salad was good, but the Marie Rose sauce she found a little too heavy – what a Lancastrian would describe as ‘claggy’.

Our bottle of Shiraz, whimsically titled Up a Gum Tree and excellent value at £9.95 (all the wines were £9.95!) was a perfect accompaniment and very enjoyable indeed.

For my main I again went for a less traditional choice – lamb rump served on a pea mash with minted gravy (£9.95). It was enjoyably good, without quite managing to be very good.

Oliver’s eight ounce minted lamb burger served with a side salad and home made chunky chips at £6.95 was declared excellent.

It must have been – my well-rehearsed begging routine didn’t gain me as much as a morsel.

Sleight of hand earned me a couple of chips, however, and they were very, very good (home made? Does the chef live in the pub?).

But the real test, both of my patience and any food establishment, is always Beverley and her habit of choosing the wrong meal.

I had warned her not to go for the scampi. Even in the best restaurant it always seems to me to be so bland and such a lazy choice.

But she was having none of it. The scampi (£7.25) was advertised with chips, salad and tartar sauce but she asked for salad only.

I held my breath as she tucked in, but she surfaced with a smile. The salad had arrived with unrequested dressing, which caused a moment’s hesitation after the Marie Rose experience, but she declared it subtle and enjoyable.

The scampi had passed the test, but to me it tasted pretty much like any other scampi. It is perhaps the only seafood dish that consistently leaves me cold.

Desserts are all £3.75, except for the cheese and biscuits (£4.50).

Beverley’s cheese and biscuits was deemed passable – it had obviously arrived from the fridge, although it quickly warmed up. I sampled the blue and found it pleasingly mellow.

Oliver and I both had hot chocolate fudge cake, opting for ice cream rather than cream.

Again, it was passable rather than spectacular.

Then things started to get complicated.

Our bill was for £46.95! We had not opted for the two for a tenner, we had had drinks and wine and generally gone for the more expensive options.

It had to be too good to be true. It was.

A quick examination revealed we had not been charged for our desserts.

Honesty kicked in and we pointed out the error to our friendly young waiter who quickly printed out another bill.

By this time The Tavern was practically empty and it turns out that, in the modern manner, it is not really a pub at all, at least not in the traditional sense, and I shared that insight with my waiter chum.

"You’re right," he said. "We’re more of a gastropub these days."

Hmmm. Not sure about that. Food at The Tavern is good and solid but without any of the silly pretension often associated with gastro pubs (what an ugly and soul destroying term that is, by the way).

What The Tavern is – and it shouldn’t be ashamed of the fact – is a very reasonably-priced pub that concentrates on food.

Go for the traditionals and you could eat very cheaply indeed.

We were delighted with our adjusted bill of £58.15 – especially when we got home and realised we had not been charged for the bar drinks we had ordered when we first arrived.

Here’s to drinks on the house!

Factfile:

The Tavern, Mold Road, Alltami, Flintshire, CH7 6LG (tel 01244 550485).

Total cost: £58.15 after readjustment and twice being presented with a wrongly-priced bill (in our favour!).

Best thing: Marvellous value for good basic dishes.

Worst thing: Please turn the music down!

Would suit: Couples or parties on a budget looking for a cheap and cheerful night out.

Wouldn’t suit: The pretentious gastro pub crowd, despite what the waiter might think.