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.

Oooh this pub is looovely, especially on sunny days when you can sit outside in their garden…read more They seem to cater to both locals (lots of old folks) and people like us who were driving though. The staff were all very welcoming, and we were all really impressed with the friendly, efficient service. The menu was full of English comfort foods...and they executed everything beautifully. Just look at my photos to get an idea...I tried the goats cheese and caramelised onion strudel, which came balanced on potatoes and perfect ratatouille. If you ever find yourself in this part of the country, it is definitely worth popping in here for some lunch! *Pro tip: It sounded like they get very booked up in the evening, so ring ahead to ensure you get a table!!

A very busy Old English pub doing Great food and Great Beer(Cask Marque)…read moreYvonne and Gary run a first class pub and have a great team working with them. If going for a meal ring and book it gets busy at the weekend!! always a good sign.

This pub has been under new ownership since 2015 and had a much needed makeover last year. The new…read moreowners have truly reinvented the traditional English country pub, it has been sympathetically renovated to the highest standards and ties in wonderfully with the existing features and country surroundings. The new extended restaurant is a stunning light space, Chef Gareth Ward continues to produce innovative menus and consistently delicious food - trust me, you will be spoilt for choice! The bar serves excellent cask ales and craft beers and an impressive drinks menu - 3 pages of speciality gins, Monkey 47 a particular fave of mine - this alone is worth the 5 stars!!

Great food, very well priced for such a high calibre. Nicely located with quaint furnishings and…read morefine cask ales. A reccommend

Went out for lunch here today. Having passed it many times & always appeared to be busy. The menu…read moreis extensive with a huge specials board. Tons of seating in coves & circular/square tables. A large bar to stand at if required. Vast amount of space for disabled customers. The food was pretty good & we got 2-4-1 so a bargain really. I had heard some good reviews hence the visit. Would return to try some other meals in the future.

Fantastic quiet little pub with fantastic homemade food and local brews. Definite recommendation if…read moreyour looking for a place to stop in for a pint or delicious homemade soup.

From the owner: The Ship Inn is a famous local landmark set back from Market Street in the heart of Hoylake. The…read morepub has a garden at the rear, ideal for a drink in the summer time and The Ship also serves delicious home-cooked meals, inc our Scouse offer on a Thursday. The Ship Inn is a popular traditional pub, has a single 'L' shaped bar in the middle of the lounge, and serves a large variety of real ales. You will find The Ship Inn featured regularly in The Camra Good Beer Guide. Food Served: Mon - Fri - 12-2:30 & 5.30-8 Sat - 12-3 Sun - 12-4 Screening all Football matches on 5 different screens Jazz Night - Monday Curry & Pint Night - Tuesday Scouse & Pint Night - Thursday Music Quiz every other Thursday (check notes/events for dates)

The food was amazing, wonderful service from all of the staff. Love the outlay of the restaurant…read more Highly recommend..

Dear Fox Hole. I have to tell you that in our 21 days visiting in England your food was the best we…read morehad! I can't stop thinking about and wanting your garlic mushrooms in cream sauce! It was heavily! My husband raves about the chicken & brie sandwich he had. The chicken melted in his mouth and was a perfect sandwich. In addition to great food the location and ambience was so pleasant. We wished we could had eaten at the Fox Hole a few more times. It was such a pleasure to discover your quaint and yummy place. Thank you. Debbie

How on earth does this pub not have more reviews? Another of Lancashire's incredible pubs -…read moreservice not overdone and food executed perfectly. Just what one expects from a classic English pub. And I think I might have possibly had the most amazing cut of venison I've ever had here and the wine selection made the meal perfection. Our group ordered several main dishes - cod, steak & ale pie, and lamb shoulder. We also ordered way too many starters good grief, but I think the terrine was an absolute dream so it was worth it. Basically you can't go wrong here. Ask for the waiter's suggestion if you're unsure what to order. I'd also suggest coming with a big party since there's a lot of room.

I came to eat here last week with my boyfriend and his family. I was especially looking forward to…read morecoming here as it had won Restaurant of the Year 2011 by Eat Sheffield! The drive to the restaurant was lovely and scenic, going down dark and winding country roads until suddenly we drive around a corner and The Devonshire Arms appeared! We'd got there a little early and we sat down by the bar for some drinks. The menu was displayed on a chalkboard by the seating area and it all looked yummy! The dining area was quite small but very nice and cosy. The kitchen was open and you could see the chefs chopping and cooking away which I quite liked. I chose the rabbit and pheasant terrine with grape chutney as my starter; it came with onion bread and the slice of terrine was huge! I really wanted to finish it, but I couldn't as there was no way I'd be have enough room for my main! For the main, I had venison steak served with new potatoes (usually served with mash which I couldn't have as it had milk/cream in it) and braised red cabbage. The steak was pink and cooked to perfection and the red cabbage was sweet but with a little tart edge to it. I didn't have a dessert but the rest of the party did - my boyfriend had a deconstructed banana cheesecake and his sister had a brownie (I overheard her saying it was the best brownie she'd ever tasted!). All of the staff were really nice, especially the lady who served us that night, she was really lovely and very attentive. The Devonshire Arms fully deserves it's awards and hope it gets more in the future. If you're ever around the Sheffield area and want to venture out of the city centre for some food make sure you come here. I couldn't have asked for a more perfect meal.

Plan your special occasion dinner here!!! The Waterside Bistro and Bar hosted a very special…read morefamily dinner before the wedding for my nephew and his bride and her family. Despite the challenges of planning something with hosts who were in the U.S., the Waterside made this dinner a night everyone will remember. It was the first time bringing together different strands of a family that literally came from around the world. Ian kept everything running perfectly. We met up earlier in the day to iron out a few details and then those of us hosting didn't have to worry about a thing. Paul Huddlestone is a world class chef who works with fresh, organic, Yorkshire ingredients to make a menu that is both local and international in flavors. We are a family who really enjoy good food -- with many avid cooks, including professional chefs -- and everyone loved the food. The wine selections were perfect. And the prices were reasonable too, which was also a factor selecting the Waterside as a place for the dinner. They worked with us to please the tastes of everyone. Despite having a larger group, the selections were customized. The staff were all so warm and friendly. Chef Paul even surprised us with a lovely amuse bouche for our sparkling wine toast at the start of the meal. By dessert there were many more toasts thanks to a dinner that made us now one family. I have attached some photos just to show how happy we all were -- and the good food and relaxed atmosphere made that possible. If you want to have a dinner with some world class food that is firmly rooted in local cuisine, you should dine here. In addition, if you are planning a larger special occasion dinner: I cannot recommend the Waterside highly enough.

We came here once for the early bird meal - The Roast Belly Pork is still the topic of conversation…read more- we came here once because we enjoyed the food so much - we came here once because the chef is amazing - we came here once because the restaurant is so relaxing - we plan to come here every week - once - too much of a good thing can be heaven - and believe me - we do stop ourselves coming here every day. Why??? Thank you James

It started with a pre-dinner drink in the drawing room, a high ceilinged chamber with much dark…read morewood and leather furniture. With our drinks the waiter brought a plastic orange tree with actual berry sized oranges (sultanas) that were soaked in Grand Marnier and other magic potions to make them deliciously alcoholic. Soon after, a sommelier joined us in the drawing room to help us choose a wine for the evening. As you walk into the Orangery dining room, one immediately notices a glass skylight ceiling and views of the immaculately groomed grounds. Especially in the evening, the failing sunlight creates great atmosphere throughout the whole restaurant. Perfect ambiance for a fancy dinner. As with many high end restaurants there were pre-courses and courses. Before starters we had an amazing soup that I don't want to insult by getting it wrong, but reminded me of split pea soup. Then starters, all presented like art, followed by our entree. I had the best end of season lamb, and I definitely recommend it! For me, a place like this is as much about the experience as it is the food so I won't delay on just the food. Believe me, whatever you get is probably going to be amazing here! There was a pre-dessert course and it was like a less solid cheesecake with SPOILER ALERT pop rocks. Yes, pop rocks in a 5 star restaurant. Genius is the first word to come to mind. Hope I don't spoil the surprise for you. I liked that I still had another dessert course to go after I finished that! Service is big with me, and this is one of those places where your napkin is placed in your lap for you, so service was exactly the spoiling treatment you hope for at a place like this. So if you want to really splurge (really splurge) and have a truly fine dining adventure, I highly recommend the Orangery.

Kenny Atkinson at The Orangery was an incredible evening. From the moment you walk into Rockliffe…read moreHall you are treated like royalty and throughout our meal the service was outstanding, with very knowledgeable staff and a kitchen/dining system that works very well. They also allow the staff to show a bit of personality which is always endearing in such desirable places.