IT'S a bit like an ice-cream parlour, it's cheap, far too brightly-lit for my tastes and it stops serving at 7.30pm.

But it's excellent.

I'd been meaning to go to No60, the cafe-cum-restaurant at The Arc, since it was rebranded two years ago and have since been alerted to its various specialist, mouth-watering sounding food nights including African food night and even something called 'jazz' food, which I think is actually means fine dining while jazz is played.

It all sounded exotic and, taking my mother out for the evening, I was hoping for something slightly memorable. We weren't filled with optimism when we wandered into the place fairly early one Wednesday night. No one else was eating, although a few people were having a pre-show drink, and at first we weren't sure if food was being sold at all. Luckily the bar staff were friendly, smiley and helpful and assurances that the chef was ready and eager to work were given.

The Arc is brightly lit, but is a pleasant, clean, place with a relaxed vibe. A family with teenage children were enjoying the extensive 22-flavour ice-cream bar, installed for the summer. Ice-creams like "lotus caramelised biscoff", and "oriental ginger", were on offer to compete with the classics.

Our spirits had risen, but fell again when we glanced at the basic menu, printed on A4 sheets of paper. Once again we were wrong to be downhearted. It was a basic menu, but solid. The kind of food you may find on offer in a decent pub. Fish and chips, goujons, various salads, burgers, carbonara...even fish finger sandwich sandwiches and beans on toast. Cafe not cordon bleu. And it was cheap. A chicken and bacon salad was just £4.50, the Italian dishes just £4.95.

At this point we'd resigned ourselves to "cheap and cheerful cafe/pub grub" and were quite content with that. Wine and beer was ordered and we kicked back. But then came the really nice surprise: the food was was really, surprisingly, very good.

My mother had ordered the fish and chips (£5.25) with "hand cut" chips. Why the potatoes being cut by hand is important is not entirely clear, but they were brown, thick and very much as mother used to make. The fish was small but fresh. The batter light. It had clearly been freshly made. It was a much nicer – and cheaper – meal than one might order from a fish and chip shop.

Having only ever had one chicken parmo ever before at The Masham in Hartburn and having unexpectedly enjoyed it, I decided to try it again, especially given the cheap £4.50 price. The chicken was tender and the bechamel sauce topped with cheddar was tasty. Again, it had clearly just been cooked. This was comfort food done well. What took it a bit out of the ordinary was the freshly prepared side salad, a spicy, coleslaw-like affair that wouldn't have been out of a place in a more obviously, higher standard restaurant.

The lunchtime menu includes classic cold sandwiches, ham, cheese tuna, but also houmous and Kalamata olives at just £2.95 or £3.50 with chips. There's an "on toast" selection of meals as well as soup, bruschetta, jacket potatoes, and toasties - all prices around the £3 to £3.50 mark. Breakfasts include Cumberland sausage sandwiches on thick cut white bread, bacon sandwiches, scrambled eggs on toast, all for just £2.50.

Chatting to the staff, the barman doubling as waiter, it's clear that, unlike this night, No60 does get busy but it depends on what's showing. Comedy nights go big. Obscure "world cinema" film nights, not so much. This restaurant is clearly very much part of a wider, entertainment offer not separate from it. The more expensive, fine dining nights, African and 'jazz' food et all, usually book out.

The management clearly know their customers. This is food for theatre and cinema goers (in fact there's a deal to buy a meal and a cinema ticket for £10), for parents and children attending creative workshops, for office workers popping in for lunch time bite and a cappuccino. That it is basic and cheap (two full meals, a pinot grigio and a pint of lager came to £18.25) is no surprise. The surprise is the high standard.

If you're looking for a cheap but high quality plate of comfort food while contemplating taking in a show, you can do no better than here.

FOOD FACTS

No 60, The Arc, Dovecot Street, Stockton, TS18 1LL
Tel: 01642 525199
Web: arconline.co.uk
Open for breakfast 10am to 12pm, Monday to Saturday; lunch 12pm to 2.30pm , Monday to Saturday and dinner 5pm to 7.30pm Tuesday to Saturday.
Vegetarians catered for, disabled access.
Ratings (out of ten): Food quality 8, Surroundings 7, Service 7, Value for money 9