My friends treated me to a meal at the Sparrow Hawk in Fence for my birthday (well I treated them…read moreactually) and it was refreshing to find somewhere that sells genuine fine cuisine in the Burnley area. The pub itself is charming and quaint and the food was sublime! I had a shared starter which was ample for two and included cold cuts of wild boar, duck and chicken with olives, fresh bread and plenty of other bits to dip and nibble at. Everyone enjoyed their main courses and the lamb shank I chose fell off the bone and melted in the mouth. Since it was a birthday celebration, we all forced down desserts as well to make the most of the evening! The pub is more upmarket than most and this is reflected in the clientèle. It's warm, friendly and relaxed. The staff were all friendly and attentive without pestering you every five minutes and I really can't fault the experience. Perhaps the only reason I've dropped a star is because of the price with a meal for 3 costing me a couple of pounds short of £100 but they say you get what you pay for and the Sparrow Hawk is a case in point.

A very traditional style local, this is the real thing - not themed - with a really friendly and…read morecosy atmosphere. Just love the real fires, they give the place a unique extra special feeling. The foods always excellent quality, well presented and worth the time to visit even if its out of your way. I keep updated on their web site for events and special days. You do need to book on occasions as it is popular, I'll very likely be there as it is one of our favourite places, we just can't stay away.

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??

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.

The drunken duck is a favorite of our friend who has come here for 40 years, starting with golf…read morebuddies, then with family and best of all to celebrate weddings, and great moments. Relax here, the staff is ready to make this luxury even better with whatever you need! Directions to many local hikes or hot coffee on the picnic tables. So much fun to have, there are gardens, strolls, patios and quiet libraries too. This is the most beautiful place I've ever stayed because I can get some rest, unwind and enjoy the great outdoors. Yesterday there was a local marathon- yes!- great runners charged past into the local town of Ambleside. Hikers and dog lovers are here too. National parks close by... what a get-away we are having!!

Such a charming pub and inn right in the middle of the Lakes District. There's a glorious view…read moreoverlooking the mountains right in front of the venue (with picnic tables if you'd like to sit and enjoy it with a pint). Brunch, lunch, dinner, and bar snacks are served at the Drunken Duck, and I'd only really recommend booking for dinner. The beer and cider are mostly local I believe. We did the curry bowl to share (vegetarian and VERY tasty - kind of wish I could get the recipe), scampi, fries, and tartare sauce (those fries are to die for!) and the lamb kofta, hummus, flatbread, and mint yoghurt (great for sharing and noshing). There's plenty of parking on the side of the inn. The inside is decorated beautifully (very insta-worthy), so maybe consider renting out for an event. And yes, you can bring your dog to dinner/drinks.

New owners have turned this pub around. It's now a fantastic, friendly village pub with great…read morelocal, freshly prepared food. Consistently good, would definitely recommend.

Went there for lunch today. Place order at 12:53. No food arrived and after 40 minutes asked if…read morewould be much longer. The server went to check and came back and said it was being plated. . EAt 13:55 asked again "where is the food" . Again went to check and came back with the excuse it was the burgers taking time.. We ended up getting refund and walking out. POOR service, no offer of a starter . People ad come in after us and eaten. This is the 2nd time I have been in here and the 2nd time have had to wait and it was soup we ordered, there is no wait for soup, its ready to go. I actually think we were forgotten and I think thats what happened again. Poor poor service.

Suicide Squad drinks here!! Firms from out of town'll get fookin leathered! Be carefulread more

The Thornton Arms is a lovely pub situated in between Burnley and Worsthorne. It's an out of town…read morepub which has a reputation for serving good quality pub food at reasonable prices, although I haven't ever eaten here. There's a good range of draft beers on offer as well as the usual spirits and bottled drinks you'd expect to find in a pub. Inside, the atmosphere is friendly and cosy, although it can be a little on the dark and dingy side due to the poor lighting. On a summer's day, the beer garden is a great place to sit out and enjoy a drink or two. The views across the surrounding countryside are fantastic and is a relaxing and enjoyable place to pass a summer's afternoon.

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.

After an 18km walk round Bolton Abbey, three hungry people needed some decent food down their neck…read moreand boy, did we find it here. A lovely country village pub with a roaring fire and a lot of people enjoying good food and great service (and dog friendly). The starters were go good the three of us couldn't choose which one we wanted, so a surprised staff member delivered their first (I'm sure) four starters for three people (there's nothing wrong with one for the table right!?). There was quite a strange silence fallen over the table as we devoured our starters. The creamy garlic mushrooms were amazing, the goats cheese peignet with pickled beetroot (for sharing) was delicious, and the pork spring rolls and pâté were met with equal delight. The mains of slow cooked pork belly (with roasts not mash), the steak & ale pie with chips and corn fed chicken supreme were all very well presented and more importantly, tasted amazing. The pork with LOTS of crackling was only let down let down by the lack of Yorkshire pudding (I know, not meant to have it with Pork dinner but I wanted one and it wasn't allowed due to exact numbers being made). The food was washed down with two bottles of white Rioja and followed by some beautiful desserts of chocolate brownie and Baileys Creme Brûlée with cookie. All in all, a perfect Sunday roast and for £122, was pretty impressive. Note: the staff were young but were absolutely honest and professional. It was great to see and they brought the food out promptly and couldn't have been nicer. A great find.

The place really is excellent, as you would expect for a pub in the middle of nowhere…read more.. We sat outside for an hour or so before lunch, just enjoying the views. It really was a pleasure to hang around here, despite being ever so slightly chilly (I'm used to the balmy climate of London). The views are awesome, there's wildlife everywhere and plenty of dogs around if you're a dog person. The lunch was in the cruck barn and this is really an. Exceptional building, it looks old despite being only 10 years old! The decor is perfect. Except maybe the projection of the menu, not the biggest fan if that (it was hard to read). The food was impeccable, I had the pigeon and venison and it was perfect, the table generally seemed very pleased with their food so I think everything else was good too! The roast looked incredibly, serious food envy there. The drink selection, as you would expect in a decent traditional Yorkshire pub, was local and very very good. If you're in the area (or even just in the north east) then I would definitely recommend coming here for some food. Beware the roads however, super difficult to drive around.

Possibly the best roast dinner in Lancashire!…read more After a short walk around Pendle Hill we popped into this establishment. This is an upmarket place and it was busy with folk having Sunday lunch so we sat in the bar area, but they were willing to accommodate us if more were eating. Therefore I cannot comment on the restaurant areas of this pub. As this pub is now owned by the seafood group, there is a lot of seafood on the menu or the specials board which I would like to go back and try. I chose the Sunday Roast as it was cheaper than most things on the menu at £13.50 and a pint of diet coke would set you back £2.50. The Sunday roast isn't on the menu but on the blackboard. This is seriously the best Sunday roast that I have had in a long time. None of it was overcooked, dry, shrivelled. It was delicious and the beef was tender and tasty. The dessert didn't disappoint either, I had the knickerbocker glory. Whilst we were eating the main, they rubbed off the Sunday Roast off the blackboard. Glad we got there in time! This is a walker and dog friendly pub and there seemed to be a good vibe.