Simple food, great staff and some northern classics like pie, peas and gravy. Tastly,…read morestraightforward and hits the spot!

Just got back from a meal out (on work's behalf) and it was absolutely delicious. I'm so full, but…read morethe three double espressos have kept me perky :D I had delectable mussels, then tender, velvety fillet steak (you have to order veg/chips etc as side orders - that's how you know it's posh), then blackcurrant sorbet. And half a zabaglione. Then the espressos. And some champagne. And house red. Ooooh it was so tasty. If I could afford to eat here off my own steam, I would. Starters are between £5.00 and £8.50, mains go up to £22.50 and puddings are around the £5.00 to £7.00 mark or something. I think the bill came to about a grand for 18 of us, including drinks. Worth every penny. Of my work's money. Nomnom. PS I liked the spinny doors. And the service was ace. One of our waiters had very cool specs and was super nice to me after I mentioned them.

I'm not quite sure why I've never tried Piccolino before, I've walked passed it a million times and…read morenothing has every lured me in. I eventually decided to try it after I was trying to book a table for twenty on a Friday night at another Italian place around the corner but they said it was too big a party. A friend suggested Piccolino and so we went with that. There ended up being thirteen of us for a hen-party meal (not THAT kind of hen party, it was all very subdued, honest) last Friday. I'd told them beforehand that we had a smaller number than previously planned and they were fine about it. We arrived just before our booked time of 8.30 and it was full. Very full. We waited in the small waiting area for over half an hour before they squeezed us in somewhere. When I say squeezed I mean it - there was no room to move and as I was on the end I had my elbow nudged a number of times by waiting staff pretty much running by. So I'll go with the positives first. They gave us some free breads and olives because of our wait (we had been there over 45 minutes before our order was taken). The food was gorgeous I had the baked mushroom and goats cheese starter (£7.50) followed by a spiced aubergine pasta (£9.50) for my main which they made with penne for me rather than the spaghetti it comes with on the menu (I try not to eat spaghetti in crowded restaurants as anyone in my vicinity will be covered in it). Portion sizes were great and it was all really, really tasty. I'd also sampled a gorgeous limoncello bellini while we were waiting to be seated which was very tasty. Now for the not so positives. As a veggie I was a bit gutted at the lack of veggie options on the menu (one veggie pasta, one veggie pizza and two veggie risottos for the mains). I found the whole atmosphere quite stressful. As I've said it was a Friday evening and was full but I've been in plenty of busy restaurants that have been nowhere near that noisy. I mean really, really noisy where I could barely hear the person sat next to me. I don't know if it's because they had so many parties in or if the ceiling is low or what but it really ruined the feel of the evening and made me want to rush my meal. I was also not at all impressed with the service. We'd asked for a jug of water four or five times before some of us (not all) were given a glass of water each. The waiter didn't bother coming round to each of us to take our order but stood at the opposite end of the table so we had to shout across (I've already mentioned the noise level so this wasn't easy). Now my friend and I have a bit of a weird food thing and we don't want the world to hear what we are ordering so we weren't impressed with this. When a different waiter brought the food out we couldn't hear what he was shouting and he wasn't the one who had taken our orders so we all just looked at him and tried to guess which meal belonged to who. So far so bad. It was really difficult to get the waiter's attention at any point as they were all rushing around and if one of us got his attention and asked for something, he would run off before anyone else on the table could ask for what they wanted. My friend attempted to order a glass of Merlot for about 10 minutes and then had to wait about that long again before she received it. Merlot-gate then started when she thought it tasted foul and when we compared it to what was allegedly a glass of the same that someone else had ordered it was obviously off. The waiter replaced it with a glass that was drinkable but didn't seem very happy about it. In the end we didn't bother sticking around for dessert (not something I'm in the habit of doing!), we got the bill and left. It was a real shame that the service was so bad, I don't know if they were short staffed (although the staff weren't particularly apologetic so maybe not) or that's just how it is there. The crazy noise level, rushing around of the waiting staff and having to shout our orders across the room made for a stressful evening so I won't be back on a weekend evening again. Having said all that, the food was gorgeous and I accept that you need to try a place more than once before you write it off so I may try it again through the week and report back on whether I come back out with a headache and grumpy face again!!!

Love Wapentake! Been around a few years now and serves up an all day breakfast. Vegans and veggies…read morewelcome, with all prefs covered. They do a great americano, love the '70s soundtrack, and a lovely (if cosy) space. They've a few tables out back and a selection of beers on tap too for a few evening pints. Wednesdays is open mic night! All round lovely little spot for a morning bite, afternoon pick-me-up, or an evening couple of drinks.

Excellent food best steak pie in Yorkshire can't find a fault with the staff always pleasant and…read morenice to see the owner mucking in to keep things running like clockwork also loved the fruit scones when I got home will certainly be back maybe even tomorrow?

When we're talking about picturesque spa towns we don't have to go too far at all. It isn't just…read morethe south that can boast about stellar places. I'll raise you and give you Harrogate. So first up I needed some liquid refreshment and Truffles was on hand. It is a lovely coffee and tea shop which has the desired caffeine based products for me. They've got a wide range of coffees (though I seldom stray from a fine black little number), teas and hot chocolate that looks awesome. You'll also get a complimentary Belgian Chocolate. Now we're talking. For a food fix get your laughing gear around one of the scones, teacakes, croissants freshly made sandwiches and Paninis, jacket potatoes, cakes or even a slab of gateaux. Then we move onto the trump card. The mouth watering and vast selection of Belgian chocolates. I had to leave with a few truffles and nut numbers. It would be rude not to. Fantastic coffee shop to recharge the batteries and take home some delicious sweets.

Yum Yum is a useful place to have in the vicinity. I used to frequent it regularly when I lived in…read moreBrewery Wharf. The deli section sells a full menu of sandwiches, soups, cakes and a delicious selection of hot specials. I had a very tasty red Thai curry with jasmine rice just recently. There is a seating area both inside and outdoors to eat at. They serve a lifesaving full English breakfast at a reasonable price, and can be responsible for reactivating your brain, following a night out. The other side of Yum Yum is a convenience store, selling fresh fruit and vegetables, pastries, tinned goods, various snacks and a range of wines and beers. They are significantly overpriced, but that is the cost of convenience. I also think their nearby rival Simpsons stock a far better range of products. All in all, it is a useful place to have around, but there are superior alternatives in the area.

My options for lunch aren't very inspiring; go to the effort of making my own, a generic…read moresupermarket sanger or risk the cafe at work where I wonder wether the staff have ever seen a sandwich (No, judging by some of the efforts produced...). The saviour of so many lunchtimes has been Yum's. They never fail to have something interesting on offer. There are usually several hot options such as pasta bake, burritos and a roast pork baguettes and a couple of really good sandwich specials. Highlights for me have included pulled pork with salad and chipotle mayo and ham, smoked cheese and onion marmalade both on sourdough baguettes. The footling hotdog was also a touch. You can also have your own sandwich made, they have loads of filling options and the cakes look awesome- its like subway if subway sold proper food! They do a large range of American sweets and drinks although every other shop in Leeds seems to offer these now. Yum's also have a massive selection of beers and I believe they open for dinner in the evenings doing pizza etc, if I lived at brewery wharf I wouldn't need to go anywhere else! They are a little expensive when you consider a meal deal at Sainsbury's is three quid but what you get is vastly superior. One of their daily special sandwiches and a can of coke will set you back about a fiver which is pretty good as you'll get something really tasty you will actually enjoy!

Well I like this Pizza Hut! We keep getting vouchers codes through the door and thought we'd give…read more'em a go, so we got 2 medium A-Team themed pizzas (can't recall for the life of me what was A-Team-y about them) and 2 side orders for £19.77. My pizza was tasty but could've done with a teensy bit more cheese. Oh all right heaps and piles more cheese but it's probably marginally better for me with less on anyway.

A Pizza Hut in Chapel Allerton? Yes, its true but don't worry its only a small take-away outlet and…read morenot an actual restaurant. Chapel Allerton seems far too sophisticated for a Pizza Hut but this it is more than a stone's throw away from the delicate and fancy boutiques so maybe its more in Chapel Town? A fine class line divides them. Anyway you can get a proper, thick based pizza delivered to your door from here - excellent if you're feeling lazy and can't be bothered to cook. Some that must even happen to people living in Chapel Allerton from time to time?

All the staff are so lovely, always polite and very considerate! love the food (very different to…read moreany other brunch place in harrogate)! Gets very busy and unfortunately can't book, however, the staff are always accommodating to fit you in!

Hurrah for Baltzersen - and hurrah for their stripped back Scandinavian charm!…read more We were in Harrogate for the Tour de France and it was one of those days where we were seriously wondering if we were going to get a table anywhere or if it would be a quick sandwich on a bench somewhere. Adding a baby in a buggie further complicates the situation but luckily with us being "fair weather" cycling fans we decided to have a late lunch and managed to beat the crowds who'd all gone down and grabbed themselves a seat near the front! First off this is a super cool setting - clean, crisp, efficient but friendly - it's all service from the counter where you can get coffee and cakes, but you can go deeper into a menu offering sandwiches, snacks and platter boards. Our mixed board of meat and fish came with fresh bread and pickles and cost £8 - not bad to share between us. I was really impressed with them supporting the local 'bad seed brewery' and their Citra mashup beer was a lovely Saturday afternoon beer - definitely going in there as one to enjoy in the future again! We also grabbed cinnamon buns to go - £1.70 inside where you can sit in with it, £2 when bought outside to take way - I'm not sure how that works out... but there you go, who's me to argue with the economics of the cafe business... A great place that I'm going to check out next time in Harrogate!

What a difference a day makes…read more Friday evening - 4 hour car journey that should have taken 1.5 hours due to accident on motorway. Pouring with rain. Call in at Holiday Inn Express to chill out and have a break. Spot a Starbucks in it. Ask the girl if they do flat whites. She says they can do me a flat white. I pay £3.50. What I get is not a flat white but a bucket of milk with some faint taste of bitter Starbucks coffee. Put it down to one of life's mistakes to use as a good learning. Have 2 pieces of gum to try and get taste out of my mouth. Saturday lunch time - a lovely day out in Harrogate for Tour de France with my wife and daughter. Lovely sunny day. Find Bean and Bud on Yelp. Go in and instantly know it's a lovely coffee shop with nice smelling coffee, friendly staff, and a range of coffee options. Proceed with buying a flat white for £2.50. Drink, enjoy, smile rises on face. Chill out to lovely tunes in a fantastic setting. Satisfaction personified. Salute the owner for a job well done and decide to make this a regular haunt when I'm in Harrogate. If only every chain coffee shop was replaced with a quality independent - now that's a world I want to live in!

Always a great variety of coffee, tea, and homemade baked goods and sandwiches…read more Try the iced flat white for something different!