The Old George and Dragon, East Maitland

Where: 48 Melbourne Street, East Maitland

Prices: Two courses, $70 per person; three courses, $85 per person including bread roll, steamed vegetables, potato gratin

Chef: Gavin Forman

Wines: More than 300, including many from overseas but also many local. Several by the half bottle, eight by the glass

Hours: Dinner only Wednesday to Saturday, 6.30pm to 10pm

Vegetarian: One entrée, one main

Bookings: 4933 7272

Bottom line: Entrée, main, dessert, $170 for two without drinks

Taking over a long-established restaurant with a huge reputation is always a challenge. The new owners of The Old George and Dragon have not made too many changes. It is comforting for regulars to find the familiar elegantly appointed dining rooms with their green felt-covered walls, heavy-framed pictures, luxurious drapes and an abundance of fresh flowers.

On the other hand, the wisdom of keeping to the same tried and true formula in both the kitchen and front of house remains to be seen. The service is still deferential, without being condescending, there are still treasures to be found in the cellar, and most dishes sampled reveal the chef's sure hand; pastry is fine, crisp and buttery; meats are generally well handled; and vegetables are well executed. And the menu has enough variety to suit most tastes.

The arrival of a shot glass of mushroom soup as an amuse bouche, and a slice of warm house-made sourdough bread with a pat of herb butter, builds up a sense of anticipation. Will the momentum be maintained?

Traditional steak and kidney pie is a starter but could make a perfectly adequate main course for a small appetite. Chunks of tender beef and juicy kidney adrift in a rich meaty sauce lurk beneath the excellent pastry crust, which is surrounded by a red wine jus.

And the gratin of blue swimmer crab will really sabotage any thought of a dessert. The brown crust covers a rich mornay sauce with a moderate dose of sweet crab meat.

Slow-braised Wagyu beef cheek is always hard to pass up. But again, two beef cheeks make for a large serve, particularly when the sauce is rich, sweet and thick and somehow misses out on that gelatinous lip-smacking texture that would make you want to soak up every last drop with the accompanying parsnip mash or the complimentary side of creamy potato gratin.

"Crispy pork belly" promises more than it delivers. There is nothing wrong with the well-flavoured pork meat, just too much of a good thing, and a disappointingly rubbery crackling. Roasted beetroot, celeriac mash and blueberry and peppercorn sauce provide a suitably sweet counterpoint to cut the richness of the pork.

It seems strange that with so much cream in most of the dishes so far, the vanilla bean ice-cream has an icy texture. It accompanies an airy, freshly baked clafoutis (remember to pre-order). Traditional cherries are successfully replaced by apple and blueberries and the whole is presented in a soufflé ramekin in place of the more usual flan dish.

Two discs of French meringue sandwiched with Chantilly cream pierced with spears of Cointreau-macerated strawberries are curiously described as a mille-feuille (thousand leaves). The meringue and the scattered hazelnut praline provides a nice texture contrast to the soft cream.

With prices hovering on the high side, you might be forgiven for suspecting that the aim is to provide value for money, but remember, you are in the country. Build up a country size appetite before you come, particularly if you intend to order three courses. This place has always had a reputation for rich and substantial dishes and this is one aspect that the new chef hasn't changed.