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??

Foid excellent, service excellent, we go Sunday lunch, always great, staff wonderful, need to try…read morea steak one night.

Possibly the best steak in the North East?…read more They cook their steaks on a super heated stone at your table to perfection. While the chef does that he talks to you and that is half the fun. If you love your steak, this place is a must.

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.

First class experience delivered time & time again! Great food great service & great atmospher!read more

Been there twice with colleagues, everyone loved their food, from starter to dessert. service is…read morereally good compared to other restaurants I've been to in this country, a bit on the pricey side tho.

I found this pub purely by chance and what a gem it proved to be.Perched on a hillside it has a…read morelarge car park overlooking the valley and village below and has outside seating for the more hardy souls amongst us.On entering we were immediately struck by the cosy atmosphere in the bar,greatly helped by a log fire crackling in the grate.The staff were welcoming and friendly and when we enquired about food we were given the choice of eating in the bar or the restaurant.The bar had a choice of cask ales from the Blacksheep Brewery as well as a range of lagers,wines and spirits.The menu was very comprehensive with most of the food coming from local sources and all dishes are cooked to order.Our meals were well cooked,nicely presented and arrived at the table piping hot.Portion sizes were large and very good value for money.I would place the meals at the top end of pub cuisine and say this is a must visit place if you are in the area.

If you are looking for a traditional country Pub, ran as they used to be alongside the farm, well…read morethis must be one of the last few remaining ones. If you can imagine walking into a friend's house and there in the corner is the bar just knocked together with a few bits of wood and a couple of tables and stools to sit at, well this is what's here. What you see is what you get not a great selection of beers but the Theakstons went down a treat (well actually several did). We sat in the garden overlooking the countryside unspoiled by any sounds other than that of the birds and sheep in the fields opposite. If you are after Juke Boxes, slot machines and the other trappings of modern pubs give this a miss, if you are after visiting the Scarborough area try and find this one you shouldn't be disappointed after all they way the pub trade is going at the moment it may not be here for many more years. I will probably get bought and turned into someone's home, shame if it ever does. The pub doesn't do food (only a few sandwiches) just a traditional pub.

The Mill Inn is situated in the middle of the British countryside…read more You could easily drive past it and not notice it were there. Walking into the mill inn is like walking back in time to the 1970's! When you order a drink the bar man Disappears down stairs to his underground cellar to fetch it. Only open on certain days and I've you go you will be talking about it for day's after. Love it

Family party of four, Saturday evening. We were greeted by the staff, served drinks and seated…read morewithin a couple of minutes. We ordered a wide selection, and without exception all of the food tonight was super good. It was obvious everything had been freshly prepared and cooked to order. The home cut/cooked chips are the best I've had in a very long time. Food was served hot, and the staff couldn't have been more helpful. Attentive but not intrusive. This was our first visit to The Farmers Arms and I would have no hesitation in returning. A real gem for the local area.

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.

Fantastic food and great drinks, has their own brewery for beers and has its own beer garden with…read moreoutside bar.

Still a fantastic place to chill out in the Durham countryside. Food is exceptional from breakfast,…read morelunch through dinner. Hotel rooms are quaint but top floor rooms would benefit from power showers to increase water pressure as it takes a while to get wet. Loved the cask Double Maxim on taps, much better than I remember from Vaux! Prices are very reasonable for large portions.

We are repeat customers to the Old Mill, the food is always great, and lots of it…read more You have to grab a table, and choose what you would like to eat from the blackboard in the main dining room. Once you have chosen what you would like to eat, go to the bar with your table number and order. We have been on a number of occasions, and service is always great (have been when every table has been taken, and was told 40 min for food, but received it well within 30 min) Have never had a bad meal from here, or a bad word to say about the place