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 visit to this small restaurant. Staff really…read morefriendly, food very tasty, large portions! I had potato and chorizo starter followed by belly pork. Pudding chocolate and beetroot cake! Not sure about that a bit heavy but still managed to eat it all!

Best food in Meanwood, Headingly and Chapel A. Probably one of the best foody spots in Leeds. They…read morealso make some very good nano-brews. They are stinger and more flavourful than most typical English brews. This is a great spot for veggies as well. Bring your appetite for lunch as the sandwiches are big and the sweet potato chips are plentiful.

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.

The mansion is one of those rare gems of a place that completely gets it right in so many ways. If…read morenot for the fact on a beautiful day like the today you can sit outside and breath in the fresh air of the park, but in my opinion the Sunday beef roast is as good as it gets. When I think Yorkshire I think Yorkshire puddings, rich gravy, and a nice bottle of dandelion and burdock. To me the roast is the stuff of dreams. See as I'm getting into this whole Yelp thing I'm guessing a big thing we do is share our love and experience of foods and services. If you haven't been to the mansion yet do check it out. It's not the cheapest of place. Don't be expecting the local pub carvary 7.99 all you can eat. But if you love quality, good food, then this is a must. They say a picture say 1000 words so I've attached some.

Lovely setting. The cafe part does good cakes, nice tea and proper crockery. Clearly this place is…read moregoing to be more expensive than your average Joe's Greasy Spoon, but it is probably not far off what you would pay in Starbucks. Agreeable place to end a bracing walk around the park.

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 is a tough review…read more Not because I'm unsure if I like the pub or not but simply because I fear that my review might attract people to the place and I love it just the way it is. The Chemic Tavern is in the Woodhouse area of Leeds. Woodhouse is not known for it's excellent pubs and neither is neighbouring Hyde Park. They both mainly consist of student pubs with no soul and flat Carlsberg. Not good. The good people at The Chemic Tavern have managed to remove themselves from these other kinds of pubs and have created something bloody lovely. First things first - the beer. They always have a great selection of ales on. Timothy Taylor's Landlord is always there and then usually two or three others. You then have a selection of decent lagers, wines and cocktails - all reasonably priced and well maintained. It's just nice to walk in to a pub, stroll over to the bar, look at the options and not think to yourself 'ahh bugger. .' but instead think 'ooh, what shall I have first?'. The staff are legendary. It seems all to often nowadays that being polite and having a friendly chat with your customers is a bit too difficult for a lot of places. Not with The Chemic. On every visit I have been made to feel like a returning friend and I love that. You instantly feel welcome and relaxed. It appears The Chemic only hire nice, chatty people. This is a very clever move - albeit a very obvious one. The music is always good too. There's no jukebox but you will often hear Motown, Blues and good Indie tunes. They have live music nights there as well, come to think of it. Ska nights, Irish nights and other things will go on in the back room that also features a darts board and an array of board games (if you fancy a geeky night down the pub, playing Trivial Pursuits). The other really nice thing about the place is that everyone who drinks in there appears to be very happy. I think this is because they're all aware that it's the best pub in miles. The Chemic appears to only attract people (and lots of them at the weekend) who are there to have a nice, enjoyable drink (or six) with their mates. I could go on and on but I fear it would just end up sounding like that I was considering proposing marriage to the pub. Which is obviously a ridiculous idea. . . isn't it? Yes, of course it is. How would I fit The Chemic in a church for a start? So I will end this review by adding that the pub has an amazing fish and chip shop (Arkwright's) next door and you're allowed to buy food from there and eat it inside the pub. Good stuff. So if you haven't been here before and you like proper pubs, I urge you to check this place out. Not too many of you, mind. .

The Chemic Tavern is a proper pub. Not a bar. Or a bar masquerading as a pub. No, none of that…read more This comforts me as all too often I walk into a pub only for it to sneakily reveal itself to be a bar after I've ordered a pint. Bars are devious like that. Anyway, I digress. The Chemic is a wonderful place that somehow manages to make local and student live together in perfect harmony. Or at least be agreeable to each other. This is done through its selections of ales, bottled beers and snacks. No food, other than snacks, is served here though you're welcome to bring in food from the chippie next door. Or the take-aways down the road. It also has a great live music, open mics and Irish sessions and a great selection of board games including a pack of cards. Additionally it has a general pub quiz and a more specific music quiz to test your useless fact proficiency. All in all, a great, relaxed atmosphere, nice staff and thoroughly enjoyable evenings to be had. Oh and it's got one of the best pub names I've come across. Seriously? The Chemic Tavern. What a peach.

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.

Comfy cosy dining area within the shopping center…read more Superb selection of roasts, I opted for Lamb. Must try when in the area. Utterly satisfying! Perfect with local brews and fresh ice cream for dessert. Excellent service as well, totally recommend!!

Whitelocks is such a fabulous place. You can sense the heritage of the pub from the ginnel, from…read morethe old fixtures, original windows, and winding thing staircase up to the loos. You can even sense it in the crazy old Victorian looking toilet - in the ladies', at least. The bar makes me feel small, as it's raised up, and the ales make me feel happy. The Saltaire they've got on tap at the moment is nectar, but I'm sure all the current range is delicious. I came here for Sunday Lunch with the Yelp crew, and it was marvellous to spend the afternoon here. Luckily, we managed to grab a table at just the right time, since it seemed packed only a few minutes later. (Golden time to arrive must be around 2pm.) Pints have gone up in price from when I last came - over £3 - but I really did enjoy my ale, so perhaps it was worth it. It's just so darned quaint inside! Love the articles on the stairs, that's a great touch. And the alleyway tables here seem a bit roomier/cleaner than their fellow ginnel pubs. Only complaint really was the food. Don't get me wrong, it was tasty, huge, and nicely cooked, but there were just a few problems. The first being somehow our order was a little behind, so we ended up receiving ours much after other folks who'd ordered theirs after we had. The other was that the potatoes were a little underdone for my liking, and I wasn't much a fan of the Yorkshire. However, the rest of the table were delighted with theirs (perhaps I lost out there!) and the meat was cooked beautifully. (Beef with a touch of pink. Very nice.) Also, curiously, there was roasted beetroot - no complaints with that, it was really interesting! Regardless, it still remains a favourite spot, albeit a not-oft visited one. I'll certainly be back for more beer, and the service was supremely friendly. Always nice to get a smile!

Other location in town is better. Inside is so cool!! Order one of many delicious drink options and…read morechoose a seat most comfy for you; by the fireplace, by the window, in a small room with a leather couch, etc. the food was also very good. The carnivore plate definitely feed two hungry adults. So happy we chose to stay after not being impressed by the bottle shop.

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.

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