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.

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

Good food. Good prices…read more Good staff. Good views. Good company with friends/family. I would definitely recommend this place.

We've eaten here on a few occasions and each time the food has been very good, the staff excellent…read more We have a friend who comes up from Cornwall, he stays at the Premier Inn & he thinks it's a great place too.

Arrived at 11:27am for their 'Full English' breakfast. The…read moremanager was arsing about with his cash register, leaving me standing there like a plantpot. After he'd finished i asked for a table for 2, and to order 2 breakfasts, only for him to reply that it was now 11:32 (even though the church clock was different to their clock) and that orders were ceased at 11:30am. We were regulars there, at least once a week, but not anymore. That £20+ pw is now getting spent elsewhere.

Overated.Definitely one for the blue rinse brigade.Pleasant unusual surroundings but a bit of cress…read moreon a sandwich doesn't make it special.Home made cakes but bland and nothing out of the usual.Normal prices for this type of thing.Tea for two.

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.

We stopped using the The Hare & Hounds some years back as the service was so bad, however, we were…read moretold it had changed hands so thought we would give it another shot. How much better is it now!!!! A real good range of food on the menu and the service was excellent. A nice friendly atmosphere. Will definitely be going back.

Had lunch here for the first time today. Was really impressed by the quality of the food and…read moreservice. It was due to close at 2.30.we didn't arrive until about1.50 and left at 3.45 without any comment. The bill was £100 for three courses using the lunch menu, with two half bottles of wine, one beer and four coffes. All the food was lovely and it was a really pleasant lunchtime treat. Will certainly visit again.

this place is great for both small intimate evenings and larger groups. nice extensive wine list…read moreand some lovely seasonal dishes served. french style

One of our favorite places to dine very quiet. Excellent for Sunday roasts or a quiet evening…read moredinner. Food is plentiful definitely recommend the fish and chips. Service is decent and the ambiance is warm and cozy with very comforting colors.

Friendly quick service, nice place to eat been twice first visit I had a steak and ale pie meat was…read morea bit fatty, second visit had a lasagne very nice, try the meat platter for starters .

Dog-friendly village pub. Just as a pub should be: charming, friendly, and comfortable - with real…read moreale. You'll get a warm welcome from the locals and feel at home immediately. You can tell by the stone walls it's the real thing. Not many of these locals around any more.

What a great find. A pub since 1661, this quintessential community gathering place…read moreeven has an outdoor patio, garden, and most importantly, a car park! Real beer (!) games area, and charming lounge - complete with red leather Chesterfield sofas. We got a warm welcome from the staff and had a great time chatting with a number of locals. This is what a pub should be! Charming, charming, charming. I only wish we'd planned more time in the area.

This was an enjoyable establishment. Didn't start off well as the waitress did not know what mezcal…read morewas and they were out of the mezcal cocktail. I wasn't a fan of the cocktail flight because it was a bit foamy, but I had better luck with the food. Had a steak special that was reasonably priced and cooked well with a side of broccolini. Enjoyed a salad to start off my meal that was light and fresh. I enjoyed the decor of the establishment with a fun bar area and you could watch the food being prepared. We started off with one waitress and finished our dining experience with a different waitress who was in training but she was very sweet. Overall enjoyable dining experience.

Wonderful meal with wonderful service! Everything we had was really good to outstanding. I can't…read morerecommend the King Prawns enough. When it arrived I thought 'hmm shrimp is not as big as I'd have thought' but then I tasted it and the sauce, shrimp, bread and veggies together were one of the best shrimp dishes I've ever had. I even saved the left over sauce (had it put in a ramekin) and put it on my steak. It was that good. My wife got the pork chops special and it was good too but the beans that were served with it were spectacular. Beans??? I didn't know they could be spectacular. Truffle chips (fries) were quality too. The home made black sheep sticky toffee pudding was also a must try. Lastly, Gosia, our waitress, was knowledgeable and took great care of us. When we are in York, we will be back.