Best find on holiday ever!!…read more Set in a beautiful little village with a huge village green with loads of parking round and about (although im sure that on a mid summer sunny day parking may be somewhat difficult!). The pub has a bar area and a restaurant area - we only ever went into the bar as you could eat int here and it was really cosy (dogs are also allowed!). The staff were incredibly friendly and chatty (lets face it, Yorkshire, particularly North Yorkshire folk are possibly the most friendly on the planet - i challenge you to disprove this!). The food was INCREDIBLE. Nothing fancy pants, just really good food, VERY big portions (trust me on this, you dont need three courses - choose your weapon of starter or dessert to go alongside your main - we made the mistake one night and 1) couldnt eat it all and 2)pretty much rolled home). We spent an evening in the pub, had a meal and then sat playing card games - we felt incredibly welcome. So welcome that we ended up visiting three times in a week long holiday. You cant really get a better recommendation than that can you??

Family party of four, Saturday evening. We were greeted by the staff, served drinks and seated…read morewithin a couple of minutes. We ordered a wide selection, and without exception all of the food tonight was super good. It was obvious everything had been freshly prepared and cooked to order. The home cut/cooked chips are the best I've had in a very long time. Food was served hot, and the staff couldn't have been more helpful. Attentive but not intrusive. This was our first visit to The Farmers Arms and I would have no hesitation in returning. A real gem for the local area.

This pub was a perfect spot for a quick lunch and pint. We were staying just outside of Masham and…read morewalked into town for a bite and visit. The pub owner or manager was very pleasant and helpful. Our food (fish and chips and chicken tikka curry) was cooked to order and quite tasty. The inside is welcoming and cozy - furnished with a pleasant mismatch of tables and chairs.

We booked a long weekend trip to Masham and called into the Bruce Arms for something to drink. The…read morepub was nicely decorated and it had a pleasant, cosy feel with open fireplaces. There was outside seating to the front and rear, with picnic style tables and the beer garden overlooked the cricket ground and surrounding countryside. The bar was very clean and the bar staff were pleasant, chatty and efficient. There was a good selection of beer and a good choice of wine and soft drinks, though the prices were a little high for the amount we are used to paying, however they were average for this area. The food menu was mainly typical "pub grub" although there was also a Specials Board with something different on offer. The food that other customers had ordered looked lovely so we decided to stay for a meal. I had a lovely chicken dish from the Specials Board and my partner went for the gammon and egg. We decided to return to the Bruce Arms the next day and, as it was a very warm afternoon, we sat outside in the beer garden and enjoyed the sun and the lovely views, with a few drinks, of course!

First class experience delivered time & time again! Great food great service & great atmospher!read more

Been there twice with colleagues, everyone loved their food, from starter to dessert. service is…read morereally good compared to other restaurants I've been to in this country, a bit on the pricey side tho.

A lovely pub with a GREAT beer garden! The food is good and reasonably priced, and the staff are…read morealways friendly and cheerful.

Stopped in here for lunch on the way home today. The mixed grill was fantastic well cooked and…read morewell proportioned. Service was of a high standard and very pleasant with it. Even the noisy woman asking stupid questions couldn't detract from the place's obvious charms. Very pleased to have plumped for here out of the many such places you see advertised as you head along the road.

We have eaten at The Ship many times as a family and have always had a lovely time. The service is…read morefantastic, the menu is extensive with something for everyone, the place is very child-friendly, with good quality highchairs available, and I really have nothing negative to say about it at all! We happened upon the place purely by chance when returning from a day out, and I am so glad we did as it is now one of our favourite places to eat! I would recommend this pub to anyone who has a very healthy appetite, as i have never seen portions this big anywhere else! Many of the main meals would be enough to serve two people, especially some of the meat dishes, which are HUGE! Many of the meals have smaller portion sizes available, but to be fair these are still much bigger than you'd get in many other pubs. Even the children's portions are big! We have tried various dishes off the huge menu and all have been delicious; there is a quite a large vegetarian menu which pleased me; the mushroom stroganoff with pasta is lovely, and the puddings are gorgeous too! The prices are a little higher than many pub meals, but this is reflected in the portion sizes and the sheer quality of the food. I can't recommend this place high enough and am looking forward to returning there soon!

Middle of nowhere, casual dress, Michelin-starred…read more My husband and I went out of our way to eat and stay here. Was it worth the 3 hour journey from London (2-hr train ride, 1-hr by car) to make our reservation from 6-months earlier? Absolutely. Courses are small, but plenty. Staff are immensely courteous and thoughtful (they made a custom menu for our dietary needs and even had the chefs sign it before we left). And the setting couldn't be more idyllic. I'd suggest getting the wine pairing as it really completes the meal. Go ahead and stay the night as breakfast is included the next day. Just make sure to work out your travel from the train station to the restaurant. It really is out in the sticks.

An absolutely fantastic experience enhanced by the charming and beautiful countryside that The…read moreBlack Swan at Oldstead is nestled within - an area that I wouldn't have visited otherwise but am grateful for having done so. Make sure to make a small detour to Kilburn to see The Kilburn White Horse which stands firmly in the hillside. The Black Swan is a beautiful picturesque old pub full of warmth and charm. Upon arrival you are welcomed into the bar area for aperitifs where a log fire crackles and glows. Make sure to notice the Robert Thompson mouse carved into the bar. Great selection of small batch gins - I enjoyed a glass of Sir Robin of Locksley from Sheffield with tonic. Amuse bouche are served here before moving upstairs to the restaurant. The Smoked Eel and Apple Tartlets were light and well balanced in their flavours whilst the Chicken Dumpling was rich, satisfying and would sit well on the finest of dim sum plates in Hong Kong. The restaurant is more modern in decoration with an "open kitchen" where some of the dishes are prepared with a clear artistic love and attention to detail. Service is friendly, knowledgeable and attentive without being intrusive. Good selection of wines for most palates and wallets. I had the 10 course tasting menu which, at £85, felt like a bargain compared to the price of Michelin starred food in major cities. To start, a Mussel with Oyster Leaf canapé - so perfectly decorated that it felt wrong to eat it, but so tasty. Next up Langoustine with Caramelised Whey, served like a lollipop with a twig to hold it with - lovely textures and cooked to perfection. Venison Tartare followed - a small dish but rich in flavour and beautifully prepared and decorated. Sour Bread and Sour Butter was distinctive and a good filler in preparation for the main courses. The Monkfish with Asparagus and Onion, although delicious, was probably the weakest dish. The sauce tasted like heavy sweet soy sauce and was a bit overpowering in its saltiness for the delicate flavour of the fish. Still very enjoyable though. The Slowly Cooked Crapaudine Beetroot was the star of the menu. Cooked in beef fat (I believe), the beetroot takes on a heavier composition and is chewy and almost glutinous with all of the accompanying decorations providing broad and bold flavours. Absolutely fantastic! Scallop Cured with Rhubarb was another standout with the smoothness of the slightly charred scallops countering the tartness of the rhubarb, all tied together with a rich and balanced sauce. Herb-Fed Chicken with Wild Garlic from this Year and Last was another amazing creation with a blanket over the chicken in the form of a garlic leaf. The chicken was more warm than hot but extremely tasty. The first dessert was ice cream (or iced yoghurt?) Lollipops which were wonderfully innovative with their unique flavours. The Sheep's Milk with Douglas Fir Oil was also an memorable dessert with natural tastes of the season. The final dessert, served with coffee was Cake made from Artichoke, Chicory Root and Thyme. The combination worked well although the chicory root (?) was slightly bitter. A great end to a fantastic meal and experience. For most who visit The Black Swan at Oldstead, a significant journey will be involved but don't let that put you off...It's well worth the effort and will be one of those great food experiences.

Food was absolutely beautiful, fresh and tasty. Much more sophisticated than you normally expect…read morefrom a pub. The desserts didn't disappoint as well, although we had to share otherwise probably would have been hard to finish! Very reasonably priced too. The place itself was cosy and homely, with old bar and lowish beams and and a fireplace. No loud music in the background. As it was quite dark we didn't manage to enjoy a view on Dales, but hopefully next time!

Very good food, reasonable prices, attentive staff, fabulous atmosphere…read more A quiet place to enjoy an elegant meal. Waite staff is very friendly without being intrusive. The food was very tasty and the prevention was superb. The view out the dinning room is spectacular, just what you come to The Dales looking for. Prices are very reasonable A warning, if you order the chocolate caramel truffle be prepared to share it or you will be overwhelmed by the scrumptious dense chocolate experience!