Sheffield's own Masterchef has been known to court controversy, most of which, to be fair, hasn't been of his own making, since he honed his appreciable cooking skills at such places as Carriages, Slammers and the Supper Club.

He's got his own style in and out of the kitchen – his bleach blond hair is now as much a signature as his mini seafood slammers and monkfish with chilli sauce – but playing safe is not his forte.

Who else would leave the comfort of the big city and transfer his talents to a one-time fine dining establishment in Barnsley?

Who else would take the old Victorian house that was once Armstrongs on Dodworth Road, give it a new name, Limes, and a food and decor makeover?

Who else would replace the relaxed, waitresses-in-white-gloves era with a thoroughly modern theme featuring boobs and bums, two enormous paintings of naked women on the stairway and rather loud music (which got progressively quieter as the night wore on)?

Cary would... and it works.

"I wanted to be informal, more accessible and give customers something different." said Cary. "Fine dining tends to scare some people off and it shouldn't be like that; eating out should be about fun and enjoyment and, of course, good food and drink."

Limes' funky styling won't be to everyone's liking. The dining area, with seating for around 50, is a combination of lime green, purple and brown – the brown wallpaper with lime green swirls complement the curtains, while purple casts of boobs, bums and large faces adorn the walls. And don't forget the green chandeliers. In contrast the dark brown leatherette chairs and plain wooden tables add a more subtle touch.

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The upstairs 'relaxing areas' have a black and silver theme, with soft leather settees and chairs plus two leopard-skin bar chairs, and black chandeliers. There's also a large TV.

As you would expect, some of the food is slightly off the wall but most people would be disappointed if it wasn't.

Eclectic it most certainly is with a choice of eight sharing platters for two or three, eight small plate starters, a selection of six pizzas and five pasta dishes, four salad options and a variety of fish and meat.

This was the first time I'd had the opportunity to sample Cary's food and, naturally enough, his signature dishes were top of my hit list as I'd heard so much about them.

First among the starters came the seafood slammers – six for £8 or 12 for £16. We decided on six as I also wanted to try the Thai duck 'pot noodle.'

The slammers were a taste of heaven in a shot glass and perfect for sharing. There were prawns with capers and lime, salmon with crème frâiche, two crispy coated fingers of fish in chilli jam, crab and rocket, mussels with chopped onion and a mini prawn cocktail.

That should have been enough but curiosity got the better of me with the 'pot noodle' (£6), an innovative tasty treat of soft noodles, strips of duck, rocket and leeks and a lovely tangy sauce. It came with half a lime and a small shot glass of that wonderful chilli jam.

'M' snapped up another of Cary's specialities, the monkfish with chilli jam (£15), for her main course.

The three good-sized pieces, crispy coated on the outside with an excellent, flaky interior, were served on a chilli jam base and topped with rocket and crème frâiche. She also ordered side dishes of gratin potatoes and seasonal greens (green beans and mange tout) for £2.95 each but admitted she really didn't need them.

I decided to test Cary's Italian touch with his rib eye steak pizza (£12.95). Thin-based with a totally moreish smoked applewood cheese, the small slices of medium-rare steak were a doddle to cut and a pleasure to eat alongside mini mounds of lipsmackingly good horseradish creme fraiche, slithers of red onion and parmesan shavings. Now that's what I call a posh pizza.

There's a decent wine list, printed on the back of the large, laminated menu, with six-of-each white and reds ranging from £10.95 to £19.50 and £17.95 – four offer wine by the glass (175 and 250ml) – plus two rose and three champagnes. We chose a bottle of zesty Chilean chardonnay for £14.50.

All desserts are priced at £4.95, although only three of the five are home-made – strawberry shots with chocolate fondue, chocolate brownie and vanilla ice cream and Baileys brioche pudding with Swiss chocolate ice cream.

I'd like to say we shared the brioche but we didn't as I ate just about all of it. Guilty pleasure? You bet but it was just so good.

Wonderfully light brioche shot through with chocolate, accompanied by a small jug of Baileys crème anglaise, a shot glass of raspberries dusted with icing sugar and a scoop of chocolate ice cream.

Cary's swagger is most definitely back.

The food bill, including two cappuccinos (£3.90) came to £56.70.

Verdict: Who dares wins. If anyone can Cary it off, Cary can, and he does. Never a dull moment with the great food and the slightly over the top decor. Friendly service with a smile and, yes, the waitresses are stunning!

Opening times: Tuesday to Saturday 6pm-10pm; closed Sunday and Monday.

Limes, Dodworth Road, Barnsley. Telephone 01226 733633.