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.

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 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.

Great pub, upstairs from bottle shop. Friendly staff, maybe best atmosphere in all of York! Don't…read moremiss this gem!

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.

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

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.

Enjoyed an evening meal with my wife at the Black Horse. We were staying at a B and B in the area…read moreand looking for a reasonably priced menu close by. The village of Haxby is not exactly the beaten path but this pub has lots of local flavour and most of the folks in there were locals. If you get your meal before 645pm there are early bird specials and we took advantage of that both of us having the steak and ale pie which was really excellent served with chips and a fresh green salad. Lots of selection on the menu and a good dessert menu as well. It's a free house so there was a good selection of beers and ales and a really great selection of gin (gin corner) behind the bar. The waitresses were attentive and friendly and we had beer and food in no time at all. Highly recommend.

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.

Stopped in here for lunch on the way home today. The mixed grill was fantastic well cooked and…read morewell proportioned. Service was of a high standard and very pleasant with it. Even the noisy woman asking stupid questions couldn't detract from the place's obvious charms. Very pleased to have plumped for here out of the many such places you see advertised as you head along the road.

I had one of the nicest meals of my life here. It's a bit of a drive out but definitely worth it…read more There's parking there, a nice little range of dishes on the menu which change periodically and a lovely relaxed atmoshpere inside. I had salmon when I went and it was in a gorgeous creamy sauce with delicious veg inlcluding cauliflower cheese (which I don't normally like but this was amazing.) It really was good food. I wouldn't hesitate to return or to recommend it. Lovely staff too.