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.

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??

I love the Black Swan. I've dined here 2 times now, both excellent! This pub is off the beaten…read morepath located in a town called Ravenstonedale. It features 16 guest rooms (I think) upstairs which explains why it is always so packed. They have a good sized bar area where you can grab a table if they are free, have a drink, play board games. The place is decorated beautifully. It's a modern twist on your typical old English pub. Still features exposed wooden beams. It's very charming. Check out the sitting area in the front. Nice spot to lounge with a coffee after the meal. I find the menu here small, but I've never had a problem finding something I like. There are standard pub dishes like fish and chips plus more modern gastropub food. Some people may find the way the food is presented to be peculiar. For example, the chicken liver pate was served on a bed of decorative pebbles. I think it works for a place like this. The quality of the food here is excellent. Everything always tastes freshly made to order and served piping hot. Service is prompt and polite. I think the only gripes I found are the parking lot is too tiny and there isn't a proper cocktail menu. With a bar stocked the way theirs is, it deserves a nice cocktail menu. This pub has become a staple for my trips to the Dales. I highly recommend it for those travelling through the area.

They discribe themselves as Hotel & Village Store, but we only went to the pub/resturant. This…read moreplace is in the middle of nowhere which seems to be common for a lot of really nice pubs in England. Just off a minor road on and even smaller road, this takes some faith if you are driving in the dark. We were greeted with a nice welcome and asked if we had reservations which means this place must get busy. It was fairly empty on a Wednesday night there are several rooms including a proper dinning area. The bar is reached on two sides of the dinning room with bar stools in both rooms and a lot of small tables. Great, traditional, British, old style pub and restuarant. One young waiter seemed new and eager to help while the other young waiter seemed to be the "boss" and was a bit colder and commanding the other two. No worries as that is not why we were there. I ordered a chicken pie and my wife ordered a salad and local salami platter. They were all great. Because the three waiters were more or less kids, none of them had tried any beer and could not give me any advice. I had two of the local beers which were good. A few more people came in to had drinks and dinner as well. It seems like a nice place to stay over as well, but that will have to wait until another day.

Walking into the Back Bull pub in Gilsland, England, was a real treat. The pub is over 300 years…read moreold and oozes charm. However the service and the food were absolutely terrible. We would order something and 20 minutes later were told that they didn't have it. Several times. Finally 1 1/2 hours later we got our food. My order of fish and chips was the worst meal I have ever eaten. No fish to speak of, just extremely over cooked batter. My suggestion. Go for a beer then go somewhere else for dinner.

My brother and i stepped off the Hadrian's Wall path looking for a pint and some sustenance. Tucked…read moreinto a corner of Haltwhistle's market square we found a charming pub. As we walked inside we found the right space was packed with locals at the end of the working day. The cask ales (a variety of yummy local brews) came quickly as did our meals. The fish and chips were big and hearty as was the chicken fillet my brother ordered. I noticed that a young lady near us seemed to have some piece of more gourmet fare. This was just the experience we were hoping to find: busy and unpretentious (although the wifi password was painted in handsome script above a doorway). If we didn't have to get back on the trail we'd probably come back another day.

Traditional pub in small Lakeland town, free wifi and real ales at £2 to £2.40 a pint. Pool table…read more,darts, small outdoor courtyard at year. Definitely a locals pubs , but friendly and welcoming Worth a visit.

Lovely Lakeland pub. Dog friendly. Great fish & chips (weird mushy peas!!!)read more

The road to get here is tricky but worth it. What a magical place. Food was great and cozyread more

We so enjoyed the scenic ride up to the highest Pub in England! The views are amazing and the…read morehistory of this pub interesting. Enjoyed the famous Kings Pit Ale.

We just stopped for a beer after a long hike. It was very busy and filled with locals. Pleasant…read morestaff. Good beer. The food looked good, but we did not try it.

What a grand unspoilt little pub with little rooms and open fires. If you thought the little…read morecountry pub had died a death get yourself here, theres not been a smell of fresh paint here for many a year (thankfully) off the beaten track but well worth looking for, ideal for walkers looking for a beer and bite to eat, Hardraw Force Waterfall is situated at the back as a added attraction.

The Red Lion is amazing! Would highly recommend staying here. The service was amazing, and everyone…read moreis very nice. They breakfast comes out very quick, and servers are awesome. We stayed in a cottage and a room, and it was great! Will be back!

Set in a beautiful location, but if you go in summer expect lots of children. Food in the…read morerestaurant is subpar and you could tell it was all highly microwaved. We sat in the dining room area and it was very tired and worn, sit in the Pub area instead. Outside seating is very smoky. No A/C or even ceiling fans especially since we were in the new set of rooms. No one opened up the windows prior to our arrival and it was literally like an oven. As secluded as it is there is another hotel/restaurant nearby which we enjoyed better.