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??

My partner and I stumbled upon the Blacksmith Arms in Flaxton one Sunday when out for a bike ride…read more It was lunch time and we were famished. My partner is a huge roast dinner fan so when we saw they were serving lunch we locked up the bikes and went into investigate. We managed to nab the last table and I must say this pub really has everything that you expect from a village pub - the decor is perfect and the man behind the bar wonderfully helpful. We had Carrot and orange to start, devine! Then for mains, Partner obviously opted for the works and I went for the vegetarian option, (not that I am a veggie, but I was pregnant and my taste buds were doing strange things). Both meals arrived speedily and the roast dinner looked mouth watering - and it was by all accounts assured my other half! My meal, pasta with tomato sauce was a bit of a let down, however I decided to have a pudding as pregnancy gave me the perfect excuse and I chose chocolate cake. One word. YUM!

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.

Pub has new landlord and chef. Food and service are quality, Plenty of specials and meal deals…read more Fish & Chips on Thursday 2 for £10. 2 for 1 nights etc. Entertainment still on thurs, fri and sat, Landlord is an ex jockey so pub also has Racing UK and At The Races on 7 days a week

Great Pub Beer always goes down well,Fish and Chips Thursday…read moretried and tested got my vote.Bands on fridays Dangleberrys,Rock of Ages appear on regular basis well worth a listen (till late)

A warm and friendly welcome from the new landlord Rob. We have a new microbrewery on site and we…read moreserve our own exciting and tasty beers in this quaint and beautiful village. Sue, our chef, is serving some of the best meals in the area. We pride ourselves on quality and service. We have regular quiz nights on a Tuesday, dominoes Wednesday, games night Thursday, Live Music on Fridays and a fun and friendly Saturday. Sunday Lunch is gorgeous with real Yorkshire Puddings. Come and try us.

This lovely pub has just been voted East Yorkshire village pub of the year & was joint runner up…read morethe year before It sells a great ploughmans lunch consisting of french bread,pork pie,cheese & pickles a definate must try as this is totally delicious,they also do snacks & evening mels as well as the lunches.If you are after staying over the do b& b here too.Children & dogs are allowed but must be kept under control There is a lovely garden for warmer months with seating/tables & for those colder ones theres a lovely log fire.A warning to smokers you can smoke outside but they no longer sell cigarettes etc so make sure you have plenty with you They have a lounge & seperate games room that has pool a table,darts & sky tv Another fav of mine here is a filled yorkshire pud with cumberland sausage,mash & gravy lovely when coming in from the cold really warms you up & tastes lovely

We had the most wonderful meal here. I had a rabbit pie which was probably the best I have tastest…read more If carlesberg did rabbit pie they would be like this one! My girlfriend had steak and ale pie which was also gorgeous. Proper homemade pie if its pie you like this is the place to go! We also managed to squeeze in room for puddding which were lovely aswell. Also plenty of room for children to play in the garden with nice views and lovely flowers in the borders. We really liked it and will definitely be going back to try the rest of the menu!

We were in town on a Sunday and this was one of the only few places we could find open, but what a…read moregreat surprise! The food was fantastic, and the atmosphere was very nice as well! I ordered the Roast Yorkshire Beef & Yorkshire Pudding (£10.95) and it was delicious. Everything was perfectly cooked, and all parts of the dish came together and complemented each other in flavor. This was some of the best English pub food I've had. They had a good selection of drinks both bottled and on tap. The building looked very nice inside, and felt very upscale for an English pub. The staff was very friendly and attentive, and very accommodating for our larger party.

This is a great place to come and eat, just make sure you book, it's that popular. We now visit…read moreregularly because the food and drink are excellent not to mention the staff who are always friendly and helpful. It's not cheap but to be honest it's worth every penny, everything from lamb to a rare hot beef sandwich are fabulous (they do good veggie options as well).

Other location in town is better. Inside is so cool!! Order one of many delicious drink options and…read morechoose a seat most comfy for you; by the fireplace, by the window, in a small room with a leather couch, etc. the food was also very good. The carnivore plate definitely feed two hungry adults. So happy we chose to stay after not being impressed by the bottle shop.

This place was a little hard to find. Look for the liquor store on the ground floor that says…read more"trembling madness" on the window. Pub is upstairs. Pub was fairly cool. Saw some reviews saying something about a Harry Potter vibe, but I didn't get that at all. It has some cool elements, but definitely did not live up to those expectations. Had a nice beer selection on tap. And prices were quite reasonable. Ended up picking up a few interesting beers on my way out.