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 have eaten here quite a few times now and every time the food has been absolutely top notch. The…read moreservice has always been very good and fast. and the menu changes frequently so you cant get bored I have eaten here at lunch and in the evening and at both times the food has always been of the highest standard. In fact the standards have been so high that I chose to eat here with friends for my birthday. The meal was perfect, every course was superb. The portion sizes are great too so the big eaters among us don't go home hungry The staff are friendly and helpful, and if they are not , the manager Martin very quickly makes sure they are. his level of attention is exceptional, i am sure he has Spidey sense, he always notices first my glass is empty, hurrah.

Tally-HO! And we'rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrre OFF!! Two dogs, threatening rainclouds, slushy snow and the…read moreHUNGER- what better way to spend a Sunday than squelching around a pretty Yorkshire village just a few miles out of Leeds and then ending up in a gorgeous, dog friendly proper country pub with delicious food and waiters skilled in the art of Monkey tickling. Monkey is the dog. Lola is the other dog but she doesn't like me talking about her behind her back so to save time let's just say Monkey is the cuddly one. *looks round nervously to check I'm not being watched* East Keswick is just up Wetherby Road- and the great news is you can get the 98 and 99 buses from town to RIGHT OUTSIDE THE DAMN PUB DOOR! Can't argue with that logic. The pub has a Snug at the front where dogs of all shapes, sizes and aromas are made to feel truly welcome. There's a tv for catching up with sports, an open fire, a doggly bowl and some cracking local beers and ales on offer. I had a pint of Mary Jane from the Ilkley Brewery and it was luscious. We'd first bunged the dogs in the car and had lunch in the restaurant part of the pub- which in contrast to the homely snug is really pretty classy for a pub meal. I think an evening meal here would impress. The staff were warm and welcoming and we had 3 courses for £15.95 each, with a decent bottle of red wine this brought the bill to just over £50, which is pretty reasonable for doing it 'all' and less pricey options were available e.g 2 courses for £12.95. This is for Sunday Lunch and there are weekday menus too. To start I had chicken liver pate which was smooth with a decent portion of chutney. Ade had ham terrine which was again sizeable and competently done. Both dishes were well presented and came with Melba toast. All very very good fare. For mains I went for the lamb cutlets and Ade the beef roast. The portions were again pretty sizeable, the roasts generous, crisp yet fluffy, mixed veg was properly al dente and had nice variety.....but it was the lamb that really stood out above everything else. Four almost fist sized hunks of perfectly cooked quality meat, pink on the inside, melt in the mouth and with a subtle and creamy peppercorn sauce to lubricate the GIANT mouthfuls I was pushing into my greedy face. It was sublime and my pleasure sensors were bordering on ridiculous. All this scumptiousness was topped off by Ade's dense and super sweet Sticky Toffee Pudding and the heavenly dark matter that made up my Hot Chocolate Fudge Cake. Yes. Yes yes yes yes yes. We staggered back to the car to 'release the hounds' and then enjoyed the friendly snug for a slow drinking pint as we digested our heavy yet heavenly loads. Monkey in particular made SUCH a friend of the barman that every time he passed by and patted her head she jumped up, wrapped her front paws around his thigh and tried to walk off with him. I thoroughly recommend The Duke of Wellington if you are out that way, and as a diversion for excellent food/drinks and company even if you are not. With a bus to and from the door there's no excuse my little Leodensians, go get some fresh air and hearty fare.

Oh God I am SO in two minds here…read more Do I share my little secret? Do I open up my sanctuary to a wider audience? Can ALL of us fit around the open fire in the Chesterfield chairs or will it all descend into a bloodbath when I realise I have opened the doors to Nirvana and let the horde in? And then I think of the staff at The Wharfedale Inn. I think about how they will do you a tab by just asking your first name. I think about how you can gleefully rearrange your dinner into a combination of infinite variations and they will just smile and say the Chef wont mind. I think about how they ask how you are and where you've been. I think about how they smile when you ask for the Chocolate Brandy Pot pudding with extra cream and how they wander back past the table when you're on your last trouser button and encourage you to finish it off. I think of all these things and I realise it is supremely selfish of me to keep The Wharfedale Inn to myself and so here we are. Nestled by the railway bridge in Arthington (between Pool and Harewood) with a roaring open fire; comfy mismatched seating, homely paintings and pottery proudly on display on the walls, a tank of pet fish to distract you and make you do kissy fish faces on your way to the loos, a separate 'posh' restaurant on the side where you can sit up straight and use a knife and with the friendliest bar in Yorkshire where you can tuck into big meaty portions of perfectly cooked classic dishes all made with quality local ingredients and a liberal smattering of hot love, The Wharfedale Inn is one of my favourite places on God's green earth and it is well worth riding a bus into the wild countryside to partake in its numerous pleasures. The prices are more than reasonable, around £9 for a main, £4 for a starter and same for pudding. There's a cracking wine list that goes above and beyond the capacity of most country pubs. The Specials Board is always a delight and often features a few surprises- the Japanese Prawns being one recent discovery. I recommend grabbing those Chesterfields by the fire, ordering a pint of cloudy Addlestone's cider and then munching your way through the Honey Roast Duck with chunky chips and salad followed by that legendary dollop of the Chocolate and Brandy Pot that will suck ALL the moisture out of your head. It's not fancy, it's more than any normal human should expect to eat in any one sitting and the salad is just good old English lettuce, cucumber, tomato and onion but my goodness does it make you smile from the top of your head to the tips of your toes. To use the vernacular, it is simply DELISH. And if I'm in there buy me a drink , for I am the Gate Keeper to wonderful things. Oh and when you do finally stagger out of the door be sure to look up into the sky, there's Red Kite in them there hills and they really like to circle the pub. I can't blame 'em : )

I have stayed here a couple of times, though the room rate is almost as expensive as some quality…read morehotels, this is just a pub !. But a pretty good one too, with excellent bar food , and an adjoining restaurant. I had to smile when , looking out of the back from my room ('Almscliffe') there were lots of rabbits in the field. When I came down for dinner, one of the specials was 'Rabbit Pie'. Pity breakfast is only a cold affair, placed in fridge the previous night.. Pub is good , but I wouldnt stay there again.

There's not a lot of choice in the area so thankfully this place exists!! And very nice it is too,…read moregood food, great staff, good beer. What more do you need??!!

First time at the Square & Compass. They very nicely found a table for us on Father's Day despite…read morebooking last minute and having over 600 covers scheduled for the day. The food was delivered quickly and was absolutely fantastic. We all had roast dinners and the Yorkshire puddings were particularly nice. The servers were also chirpy and friendly. We'll be coming back here for Sunday dinners in future.

Oh my wowzer-bowzers, where have I BEEN?! Not, in Horsforth, apparently. Or, just beyond the…read moreHorsforth line more specifically, as I'm told. The other night my boyfriend and I made our way over to see some mates in the old LS18 post code, and they'd mentioned this "cool little pub" they'd found in the region of ten minutes walk from their house. We arrived late on in the evening and after discussion decided to catch a few pints at said pub, before close. After a very pleasant meander in a most beautifully countrified area of Leeds, which much reminded me of Gloucestershire, we arrived at The Abbey Inn. A surprisingly warm welcome was offered on our arrival! I don't mean that we expected it to be a local pub, for local people, it's just that the main bar man was so utterly lovely and keen to get to know us. It was, in all honesty, a wonderful reception and we got to know all about their open mic night (held every Tuesday and totally welcoming to all levels of talent) and their regular summer beer festival, which I most certainly intend to participate in. On walking through to the bar we stood and did the usual bird-like bobbing of heads, in an attempt to ascertain which taps were serving what, to which the bar man said: "There's a dark side and a light side. You're stood on the side of the light, and that", *pointing*, "that there's the dark side." That was awesome. I felt a bit like Frodo. Or Luke. Or a bit of both, except I'm not a bloke and I wasn't on a quest, but nonetheless the poetic manner in which he proffered their real ale was just really fracking cool. The whole damn pub was cool, cosy, friendly and I'm just taken by the place really. Fair enough I've been but once, I'll leave it to you to judge that, but with a cool range of beers, awesome staff, generous outside seating and a cosy interior (live music to boot, but I've not been to that yet) I can't think of anything more that I want from an evening of boozin'. Maybe pie? I'll come back for pie.

I have lived within walking distance from this pub for a good few years now, but didn't find out…read moreabout it's existence until this year. One of Leeds' best hidden gems, this brilliant real ale pub is tucked away down by the river just off Abbey Road / New Road Side on the border between Kirkstall and Horsforth. The Abbey Inn is everything I'd expect a typical real ale pub to be. A good range of local beers on the bar (including from the super-local Kirkstall Brewery!), live bands and open mic nights on an evening, plenty of regulars that look so comfortable in their surroundings and a really nice warm welcome from the staff. The inside has a few different areas, a small 'snug' section, a larger seating area near the bar with a bit where there was a band playing on the night we went, and then another smaller room with a pool table tucked around the back. The outside seating area was nice too, with standard pub benches and then a lovely covered area (I guess to cater for the smokers) with a couple of big tables and chairs, along with a few beer barrels and cushions for additional seating. The canopy was decorated with pretty lights and it was a lovely place to sit out on a summery evening. If you're after high end fanciness with all the posh trimmings, this is not the pub for you. However if you're like me and like somewhere a bit more rustic with proper ale and a bit of charm, then get yourself down here, I can't wait to go back! Just one last thing, I've heard good things about the food they serve here and I fully intend to return to check this out. At the same time, I'll also investigate their child-friendliness, as I'll have Mr MacDoo and the Mini MacDoos with me. I'll update you with my findings!

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.

The hunters inn is a great traditional pub which is very popular, particularly with bikers. They…read morealways have a large selection of beers on draught.

737 etc bus stop seems to be Riffa Business Park between Otley and Harrogate. Great chips and fine…read moresalsa. Pantry cafe and farm shop adjacent. Real ale and decent cider.

Bramhope's premier tavern is full of quaint traditional charms. Sitting at a crossroads atop one of…read morethe highest points in Leeds, it has a unique location somewhat removed from the city and it's busy suburbs. The original building itself is half sunk into the hill, meaning that if you're in the downstairs bar, you are actually underneath the level of the car-park. Rather than creating a dark, clasutraphobic atmosphere, this actually gives the Fox a rather intimate feel which works well with the old stone and wooden decor of the place. The place plays up to its traditional feel by serving some old school beers like Black Sheep and Theakstons, while serving good old fashioned Northern cuisine including pies and yorkshire puddings. The recent contemporary development which has taken place on the top floor, 'The Loft', serves teas, coffees and become somewhat of a wine bar in the evening - but, rather than retract from the Fox's traditional authenticity, this development has simply added another dimension to it. Bravo.

I had been here once before, a few years ago, just for a drink, as it happens to be the local pub…read moreof a friend of mine, but to be quite honest, I'd already had a bit to drink and don't remember much.. However, yesterday, having had a lovely and rather spontaneous day zipping round Yorkshire on the back of a motorbike, (something I'm sure I could get more used to!) I suggested popping in for a visit to miss the busy time on the roads. I hadn't realised that the Fox and Hounds had such a large outdoor space, and was very glad of it, as inside - although pleasant and cozy - was a bit dark for such a beautiful day. The service was friendly and attentive, and anywhere that has pineapple juice for me (when I'm not drinking bubbles) is a good place for me. The menu was typical of a pub, with fish and chips, scampi etc. and a selection of light-bites, jacket potatoes and sandwiches. A word to the wise though - if you are a vegetarian, or accompanying one, this is perhaps not the place for you.. They did have a vegetarian special on the board inside (yesterday was stroganoff) but in terms of the smaller dishes, there was a 'mushroom pot' a cheese and pickle sandwich, or a cheesey jacket potato.. I went for the soup - which was very tasty - and some chips (without their chilli topping, which we had served on the side so my meat-eating companion could indulge) and my biker-boy had fish and chips, which was HUGE! In fact, all portions were of a good size. I would definitely re-visit for the nice environment, the live Jazz on Sundays, (if I wasn't gigging myself elsewhere ;) ) and perhaps a scone and/or glass of wine on a sunny afternoon, but I wouldn't necessarily go for a meal now I know how little their menu caters for people like me.. There's plenty of other pubs around the place that would welcome bikers who enjoy the countryside, I'm sure. :)

After a good night out, Sunday Lunch is almost a given. In search near Moortown my other half…read moresuggested that we lunch at the Lord Darcy. The pub stands rather grand along Harrogate road and appears to be rather a popular destination due to the carvery they have each weekend. Happily, since we were running on 4pm by the time we were ready for something to eat there was no queue at all and sorting out the grub was a quick-march swiftly sorted deal. The carvery offered three meats, gammon, beef and turkey, and a whole host of veg. There were all the usuals, and nothing too fancy like courgettes, but the addition of caramelised onions was a real treat. As is the problem with carveries, the majority of the veg on offer was a little over cooked on the hot plates, and the roast potatoes were a touch disappointing. Not all that crispy, but the mash was to die for! Essentially, it's a lovely pub and the carvery will certainly sort you out but it's not overtly special. Then again, at about £7, it's rather good value so who cares? Especially when hung over... The plus points were that the gammon was incredible, fully tasty and cooked wonderfully, and the portions were humongous. The chap serving the meats was lovely and extremely generous in his carving - my boyfriend received an incredibly large piece of gammon. The pub itself was delightful too - a proper country pub vibe, cosy little nooks and a large outdoor area in which to sit when the sun decides to visit us once more. The selection of drinks included a number of real ales, which appeared to be local, and all the usual fare.

A posh little pub in a posh little area of Leeds, it's understandable that this place has a rather…read moreposh name. It's got an air of exclusivity about it being in such a well-to-do area, but it's not pretentious, which impresses me. It's always quite lively and full of nice people, on both sides of the bar. Prices are standard, and the food is definitely better than the average pub fare, and it has real ales on tap, which I wasn't expecting. The only bad thing I can think of is that they had their Christmas decorations up in September. Oh dear.

The Queen's is definitely the most undervalued pub in Horsforth, and (due to the fact that it is a…read moreGrade II listed building), probably the oldest. Because of its age, it has a definite air of real, authentic tradition. The building itself is a tiny terraced cottage with a quaint little white paint-job that has been in place for as long as I can remember. When you enter, you almost have to stoop at the low wooden ceilings - but rather than making you feel trapped, this aspect gives it that real "Ye Olde English Pub" feeling. It serves a variety of traditional British ales at the sort of low prices that attract the retired clientèle. Before the smoking ban came in, I saw a guy in here who must have been approaching ninety, tugging away at a pipe and stroking his handlebar moustache. Proof, if it was needed, that you are unlikely to find a more traditional or English pub in the whole of North Leeds.

With Horsforth being an up and coming area in Leeds, there are many larger new pubs popping up all…read moreover the shop, so taking a trip to the old fashioned, squat (you'd know what I'd mean to look at it) Queens Arms, I was ever so thankfull for a bit of old fashioned charm. The oak beams and low ceilings allows this place to ooze with smugness over its status as the oldest pub is Horsforth (just mind your heads folks!) Its cosiness may make you want to stay in there all day and all night, but just watch yourself as you get enveloped by its great strong historical arms, and remember your livers need a bit of love. If you fancy a tipple or three, they serve a great range of ales, as well as lager and basically just about anything you'd want, although I think ordering an apple martini could get you a couple of odd looks!