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This celebrated Yorkshire tearoom began life in Harrogate in 1919, when a Swiss restaurateur brought his Alpine pastries and chocolates to England. The welcoming interior has changed little since it first opened, and the extensive array of teas not at all. In addition to omelets, quiches, sandwiches, and traditional cakes and pastries, the menu ranges from the Dales (sausages) to the Alps (rösti), and there are now gluten-free options. Betty's is famous for its traditional afternoon tea but there's an even more elaborate afternoon tea served in the Imperial Room, complete with a live pianist (reservations required, Friday through Monday only).
1 Parliament St., Harrogate, North Yorkshire, HG1 2QU, England
Known For
- Classic English afternoon tea
- Traditional cakes, pastries, and sandwiches
- Live piano music in Imperial Room
Restaurant Details
Imperial Room closed Tues.–Thurs.
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With one serving a night and one fixed-price menu that changes seasonally, dining in this small (six tables), family-run restaurant is more like eating in someone's home. If you get tired of Whitby's ubiquitous fish-and-chips, Ditto offers more fine-dining alternatives like pan-fried pork loin with chorizo and root vegetable puree or poached duck breast with beetroot, cauliflower, and a soy and honey dressing. Desserts include a white chocolate and whiskey bread and butter pudding. Be sure to book well in advance.
26 Skinner St., Whitby, North Yorkshire, YO21 3AJ, England
Known For
- Elevated British cuisine
- Attentive service
- Charming atmosphere
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun.–Tues.
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This unpretentious family-run restaurant prides itself on not being trendy but nevertheless is regularly acclaimed as one of the best restaurants in Britain, let alone Yorkshire. With a constantly changing menu, it specializes in elevated versions of Italian classics such as veal scallopini in a marsala cream sauce as well as seafood specials using catches fresh off the boats in the harbor. Opt for seasonal specials incorporating white truffles or game (October through February) or locally sourced vegetables. With only 30 seats, it books up quickly.
33 Queen St., Scarborough, North Yorkshire, YO11 1HQ, England
Known For
- Authentic Piedmontese cuisine
- Fresh local seafood
- Small space that books up quickly
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun.–Wed. No lunch, Reservations essential
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Seafood is the draw here, and the long menu includes freshly caught Whitby crab, salmon, haddock, halibut, cod, and lobster—plus Lindisfarne oysters—but the crowds come for the outstanding traditional fish-and-chips. The food is good, and fans say it's worth the wait, which can stretch to an hour on busy nights. A good value set menu offers lots of choices.
14 Pier Rd., Whitby, North Yorkshire, YO21 3PU, England
Known For
- Fresh-off-the-boat seafood
- Perfect fish-and-chips
- Long waits
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Cars belonging to diners at this chef-owned country inn often fill the hidden away hamlet of Hetton five miles north of Skipton, such is the reputation of this highly regarded, Michelin-starred gastro-pub par excellence located in an early-18th-century building with contemporary decor and views across the Dales. Specializing in locally sourced seasonal food, such as beautifully prepared roast lamb, beef, and seafood, the restaurant features three-course fixed-price menus for lunch (£85) and a seven-course tasting menu for dinner (£95). The ancient stone barn conversion across the road has five well-equipped guest rooms, with another four contemporary bedrooms in a more modern building along with six bedrooms above the restaurant.
Back Lane, Skipton, North Yorkshire, BD23 6LT, England
Known For
- Exemplary food
- Vegetarian fine dining
- Good wine list
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Tues. and Wed.
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Recommended Fodor’s Video
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Perfectly positioned at the bottom of the village, this friendly retreat dating back to 1828 looks out from atop a seawall to dramatic views of the North Sea (if you can get a coveted window table), with a warming open fire in winter and sunny terrace in summer. The reasonably priced menu leans towards well-prepared traditional pub grub, fresh fish and chips, and shellfish like Whitby scampi or crab and lemon salad. There are three B&B rooms upstairs.
The Dock, Robin Hood's Bay, North Yorkshire, YO22 4SJ, England
Known For
- Fresh seafood
- Dramatic views
- Good beer and service
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Betty's has been a York institution since 1936. The decor—inspired by the art deco ocean liner the Queen Mary—the dessert trollies, and the solicitous white-aproned staff all contribute to an impression of stepping back in time to a more genteel era. An excellent afternoon tea is served in the café downstairs; breakfast and light lunches are served in the Oak Room upstairs, where you can see the mirror inscribed by the RAF air aces who dined here during WWII. An in-house store sells a range of specialty coffees and teas, plus pastries and old-fashioned sweets like rose and violet creams.
6–8 Helen's Sq., York, York, YO1 8QP, England
Known For
- Charming afternoon tea
- In-house store selling coffees and teas
- Pastries and old-fashioned sweets
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Modern and buzzy, with friendly service and tasty food, this brasserie in a converted grain warehouse has two dining rooms, one with wood tables and terra-cotta walls, the other more formal, with white tablecloths. The seasonally changing menu includes elegant main courses like portobello mushroom stuffed with goat cheese and nuts on a butternut squash and wild mushroom risotto. Arched windows overlook the river in both dining areas, and in summer there's a deck for alfresco dining. There's also a special gluten-free menu.
44 The Calls, Leeds, Leeds, LS2 7EW, England
Known For
- Great English cooking
- Relaxed atmosphere
- Alfresco dining in summer
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Mon.
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The Harvey Nichols department store's roaring success is partly due to the lure of this stylish café, a standout for food, city views, and dramatic, high-tech design. The well-crafted Modern British menu changes bimonthly, but is sure to have imaginative dishes like pan-fried turbot with a roasted pepper purée, herb gnocchi, and samphire, or honey and rosemary glazed duck breast with duck leg and potato terrine, carrot and star anise purée, and confit fennel. There's also a separate plant-based menu. Irresistible desserts include Maple syrup cheesecake with blueberry compote. It's not cheap, but a three-course set menu plus a Champagne cocktail for £25 offers better value.
107–111 Briggate, Leeds, Leeds, LS1 6AZ, England
Known For
- Good value set menus
- Cocktail bar ambience
- Lovely views
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No dinner Sun.–Thurs.
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This 16th-century building with two magnificent stone fireplaces is now a welcoming pub, and the friendly and efficient service gets high marks. The menu is full of hearty old favorites, with mains like steak and ale pie or grilled chicken breast with bacon, melted cheese, and BBQ sauce, plus an assortment of salads, burgers, and homemade kebabs. Craft beers (called "real ales" in Britain) are a specialty, and there are two B&B rooms upstairs if you wish to stay the night.
Sun St., Haworth, Bradford, BC22 8DP, England
Known For
- Good beer selection
- Filling portions of classic British dishes
- Atmospheric setting
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This family-run restaurant in what was once a Victorian shop uses locally sourced Yorkshire produce to create a seasonal, highly imaginative take on Modern British cuisine. Selections include a girolle tartlet with barbecued sweetcorn and truffle; sea trout with asparagus, whey and roe sauce, and kombu vinegar; and summer squash with Comté veloutée, hazelnuts, and truffle pesto. Dishes are available as a five-course tasting menu or two- or three-course fixed-price menus (three courses for £65 at dinner, £38 at lunch). A 10-minute walk from Clifford's Tower, Melton's has an offshoot bar-bistro called Walmsgate Alehouse and Bistro on, unsurprisingly, nearby Walmsgate.
7 Scarcroft Rd., York, York, YO23 1ND, England
Known For
- Informal atmosphere despite fine dining approach
- Friendly, involved owners
- Lots of extras like amuse-bouches and palate cleansers
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun., Mon., and 3 wks at Christmas. No lunch Tues., Reservations essential
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Located in a converted Victorian textile mill on the outskirts of town that now serves as a live-and-work complex for artists, this café and deli has been winning fans with all-day healthy breakfast dishes as well as freshly made sandwiches, soups, and heartier dishes like slow-roast pork belly with applesauce that use seasonal, locally sourced produce. When you've finished eating, check out the exhibitions in the complex's 3,500-square-foot art gallery. Buses 16 and 508 take you there from the center.
83–85 Town St., Leeds, Leeds, LS28 5UJ, England
Known For
- Lots of vegan and vegetarian options
- Reasonable prices
- Family-friendly atmosphere
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No dinner
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This book-lined, below-ground bar, restaurant, and pizza place serves homemade burgers and hot dishes like steak-and-ale pie or mushroom risotto along with artisanal pizzas. There's a quiz night on Wednesday and a DJ on Friday and Saturday.
Albion Pl., Leeds, Leeds, LS1 6JL, England
Known For
- Convivial atmosphere
- Excellent desserts
- Curated beer selection
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This cozy inn in an 18th-century building on the outskirts of an unspoiled country village is traditional but not fussy, with open fireplaces, original oak beams, and windows that look out to panoramic views of the Dales. The food, which incorporates local ingredients whenever possible, offers similar traditional comforts. Main courses include confit duck leg with a black pudding mash and slow-braised lamb shank with root vegetables as well as traditional pub grub like homemade puff pastry-topped meat, fish pies, and a curry of the day. The craft beer selection is outstanding. The inn's six rooms are simple but comfortable. Just to confuse things, there's a Shoulder of Mutton pub in Middleton Tyas, also outside Richmond, that serves highly regarded pub food, and another one near Harrogate.
Kirby Hill, North Yorkshire, DL11 7JH, England
Known For
- Cozy, rural atmosphere
- Good value pub grub
- Excellent craft beer selection
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Thurs. and Sun. No lunch
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This handsome pub combines a cozy traditional wood-paneled bar with a restaurant in a contemporary glass-and-steel extension that specializes in traditional Yorkshire cooking. Using seasonal, locally sourced ingredients, options might include a beetroot and vegan black pudding Wellington; fish pie with locally caught salmon, cod, and monkfish; or slow-cooked pork belly with curried sweet potato. There's also a good-value two-course lunchtime and early bird set menu (£19.50).
Back La., Moulton, North Yorkshire, DL10 6QJ, England
Known For
- Excellent versions of regional favorites
- Good value lunchtime menus
- Attentive service
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With a Michelin-starred chef whose family farm is right down the road, this former drover's inn has a high reputation among foodies that belies its secluded location in a small Yorkshire village. Menus, which feature unusual combinations and esoteric ingredients, are based on what is available from the nearby garden or can be foraged locally; even cocktails include fruits and herbs made into alcohol with wood sorrel replacing lemons and limes. The 12-course dinner tasting menu changes daily but might include mains like halibut with razor clams and Oscietra caviar or scallops with turnips and fennel pollen and desserts like Jerusalem artichoke with white chocolate. There are no à la carte options, although there is a smaller tasting menu at Saturday lunch. You can stay over in one of the nine comfortable bedrooms, although only single-night bookings are available.
Oldstead, Ripon, North Yorkshire, YO61 4 BL, England
Known For
- Inventive high-quality cooking using local ingredients
- Multicourse tasting menus with no à la carte options
- Limited wine selection
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon. No lunch Sun.–Fri.
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This cozy independent restaurant receives rave reviews for its hearty Eastern European fare. You'll find primarily Polish dishes, including favorites like pierogi, bigos (a hunter's stew made with cabbage, wild mushroom, and sausage), pancetta-wrapped rabbit leg, and schnitzel, as well as vegetarian options. It's popular, so it can get noisy and reservations are suggested.
34 Fossgate, York, York, YO1 9TA, England
Known For
- Excellent Polish-inspired dishes
- Big crowds
- Good value
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Originally a watering hole for foundry workers, this lovely old inn is now a welcoming gastropub, with industrial-chic exposed brick, wood beams, flagstone floors, and open fireplaces. The food is unfussy and reliably good, noted for its use of fresh, local ingredients. The menu, which changes daily, inclines toward old favorites done right, like beer-battered haddock with triple-cooked fries or a pan-fried sea trout with butter sauce, samphire, and spring onion potatoes. In summer, you can sit in a sunny courtyard with a glass from the varied wine list or a pint of local ale. Best of all, the prices make it a good value.
107 Water La., Leeds, Leeds, LS11 5WD, England
Known For
- Excellent beer selection
- Well-priced and well-executed old favorites
- Sunday roast lunch
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With its oak-paneled, candlelit dining room and open fires, this traditional inn is an inviting rural dining spot. Old favorites with locally sourced ingredients such as sausage and mash, crispy pork belly, and traditional Sunday roasts are served with fresh vegetables from the kitchen garden (gluten-free options like a mushroom and Mediterranean vegetables Wellington add a contemporary note). There are also eight comfortable rooms that continue the traditional theme (£125 per night). The inn is 10 miles north of Skipton in the town of Grassington.
27 Main St., Grassington, North Yorkshire, BD23 5AD, England
Known For
- Gluten-free options
- Good traditional pub food
- Welcoming atmosphere
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Everyone visiting Scarborough has to have fish-and-chips at least once, and this harbor-front spot is a classic of its kind. Choose an upstairs window table for the view, and tuck into freshly fried, lightly battered, locally caught cod or haddock. Fresh fish pie, mussels, crab, and lobster plus burgers, sausages, and seasonal game casserole, all locally sourced, are also available.
4 Sandside, Scarborough, North Yorkshire, YO11 1PE, England
Known For
- Views over Scarborough Harbour
- Superfresh seafood
- Big crowds in a tight space
