THIS week I have broken my unwritten code of food reviewing, which is never to visit and then write about somewhere on its first day open. It's not fair on the establishment, because there are bound to be first-night nerves, teething troubles and general blips.

But a couple of weeks ago, I found myself in the King's Arms in Ulverston (the Big Kings as it is affectionately known) on the day the grand old town centre pub opened its doors following a change of ownership and a major revamp.

I have to confess the King's has never been one of my regular ports of call on the Ulverston pub route, and I had been in it only a handful of times. It was never what you would call a "smart" place (I'm talking decor, not clientele) - but it certainly is now. The pub has been done up very well indeed. It's very traditional, with lots of brown leather and floral soft furnishings and with, on the left as one enters, a most inviting snug, complete with roaring fire and bulging bookcases, which is all a bit redolent of a gentleman's club (in a very good way).

Despite its being in Ulverston, there is a slight city feel to the new-look King's. I was with my husband and best friend (two separate people) and at 4.30pm the pub was very busy, with the locals pouring in to see how the pub has changed. We managed to find a table in the right-hand area of the pub and a very friendly young woman behind the busy bar was happy to bring drinks to our table and let us set up a tab for a meal - despite the fact that, as this was their first day, there was no facility as yet for taking card payments.

The menu was pleasingly comprehensive, with six starters and nine main courses to choose from, pub classics all the way. I chose a starter as my main course: chicken liver pate with croutons for £4.95, while my hungry husband went for a Thai pork burger (£10.95) and my friend Sarah opted for chilli con carne at £9.95. While we waited, a mutual friend came and joined us for a drink - and we all agreed that the King's was looking just great.

By this time it was packed with early doors drinkers, along with plenty of other diners too. On a trip to the loos (the ladies' are austerely tiled in Victorian fashion), I peeped out to the very lovely courtyard beer garden, which is a fantastic asset to the King's. It's beautifully done and with large outdoor heaters, a great place to congregate, whatever the season. My friend happened to return two days later and spent a highly sociable evening out there.

Back to the food, though. My pate came as two generous quenelles of smooth chicken liver parfait, with three large, toasted pieces of French bread, some dollops of a lovely red onion chutney and a side salad. Great value for the price - and when I couldn't finish it all, my husband gallantly hoovered it up for me.

Gordon enjoyed his burger - and he isn't someone who normally goes for the burger option - which was clearly home made (as it says on the menu) and with a lovely Thai tang to it. The hand-cut, chunky chips were golden and crisp, and the cucumber garnish was simple but refreshingly cool. A hit.

Sarah's chilli was the best-presented of the dishes, being served in a large tortilla basket. Lots of basmati rice accompanied the chilli, along with bowls of guacamole, sour cream and a salsa. A generous portion but nowhere near spicy enough for Sarah. I dug in myself - and agreed. This was a chilli so mild, the sour cream and guacamole (which are ostensibly there as cooling down agents) were rendered redundant, so lacking in spice was this chilli. We let the chef off for this one blip, what with it being the first day - and sincerely hope he or she gets more generous with the chilli powder in future.

Food is served all day, with light bites such as jacket potatoes and sandwiches served between noon and 5pm, Monday to Saturday. Lots of veggie and gluten-free options on the menu, I noticed.

Sarah and I, having dispatched Gordon home to watch a rugby match, decided to partake of a bottle of wine, settling ourselves in one of the large window booths which, now that the frosted glass of before has been replaced with the clear stuff, is one of the prime people-watching places in town.

Our early doors visit had become something of a Friday evening session - a rare treat. We all agreed that the new-look King's is great. Smart and welcoming, friendly staff, good food and a great ambience. For a first day, this had been impressive all round. It will do very well in Ulverston - and deserves to. It's great to see this landmark hostelry back in the big time.

Food 4 Service 4.5 Atmosphere 4 Value 4

Pros Food served all day Gorgeous courtyard Excellent location

Cons TV screen a bit distracting