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.

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??

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.

Having only discovered the Shoulder in the last few weeks I've already been twice; for a weekday…read moreevening dinner, and a Sunday lunch. Both food quality and service are excellent and it is my new favourite place to take friends and family. The food is prepared to order so don't turn up expecting your food to be served in 5 minutes. Can't rate this place highly enough. Now looking forward to trying one of their curry nights.

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

Lovely Lakeland pub. Dog friendly. Great fish & chips (weird mushy peas!!!)read more

Cheap, cheerful, quiet for Sunday lunch at 1pm. Had a baby with us which was no problemread more

Isn't wetherspoons known for not playing music!!! It is what it is. Nice pub pleasant folk I've…read morebeen to far far worse.

We have eaten at The Ship many times as a family and have always had a lovely time. The service is…read morefantastic, the menu is extensive with something for everyone, the place is very child-friendly, with good quality highchairs available, and I really have nothing negative to say about it at all! We happened upon the place purely by chance when returning from a day out, and I am so glad we did as it is now one of our favourite places to eat! I would recommend this pub to anyone who has a very healthy appetite, as i have never seen portions this big anywhere else! Many of the main meals would be enough to serve two people, especially some of the meat dishes, which are HUGE! Many of the meals have smaller portion sizes available, but to be fair these are still much bigger than you'd get in many other pubs. Even the children's portions are big! We have tried various dishes off the huge menu and all have been delicious; there is a quite a large vegetarian menu which pleased me; the mushroom stroganoff with pasta is lovely, and the puddings are gorgeous too! The prices are a little higher than many pub meals, but this is reflected in the portion sizes and the sheer quality of the food. I can't recommend this place high enough and am looking forward to returning there soon!

We LOVE the Black Bull. It has had an excellent reputation for many years…read more The only downside is that it is a good way out of town so you need taxis to take full advantage of their fine wine lists and real ales. Food is superb - with the emphasis on fresh fish and seafood; service discrete and sensitive. The private dining rooms and private bar are lovely for a special get together. The main bar is very cosy, particularly in winter with a roaring fire. The perfect place for a romantic or special evening out. I sound like I'm doing an advert for the place - I've no connection other than a very satisfied customer who would love to be able to afford to go more often :-)

After trying the local 'in' restaurants in and around Darlington, what a relief to finally find…read morethis place. Fantastic quality food, well cooked without the pretentious presentation of the michelin obsessives. I think the real test of an eatery is how well they cook their steak. So, we ordered Chateau Briand (for two) rare, and it arrived in that perfect state of of just past blue, where timing is everything, served with a sublimely buttery bearnaise sauce, and what, for me, was a revelation, new potatoes with an earthy taste that were a perfect compliment to the steak, no more fried potatoes for me then. Service was attentive, without the forced 'is everything alright? I'm only asking because I've been told to' manner of many restaurants, and after being crammed into two well known similarly priced Darlington area restaurants, what a relief, space, and room for intimate conversation. The start of a long relationship methinks. Bill: £97 inc wine, two covers.

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.