Harden's survey result
Summary
“Without doubt some of the most consistent and high-quality cooking around these northern wastelands!” – Steve Smith’s lovely old inn is rightly renowned as one of the culinary heavy-hitters of the Ribble Valley thanks to cooking which all reports acclaim as “terrific”. There’s also “a really interesting wine list with lots of quality at all levels”. Ratings have slipped a notch in recent times, though, perhaps due to “prices that are a bit stern” and a couple of gripes about an experience “let down by service” (“perhaps he struggles to get good front-of-house staff?”)
Summary
“Fine dining in a local pub” – “high quality ingredients and well-rehearsed techniques to ensure a top-class, punchily-flavoured product”; and with “a brilliant wine list” – again win massive acclaim for Steve Smith’s “lovely” old inn, set in a tiny village in the Ribble Valley. In July 2019, it re-opened after a major investment, with the addition of a new kitchen, chef’s table (min 6, max 12), kitchen bench (4 stools) and bedrooms.
Summary
“Fine dining in a local pub” – “high quality ingredients and well-rehearsed techniques to ensure a top-class, punchily-flavoured product”; and with “a brilliant wine list” – again win massive acclaim for Steve Smith’s “lovely” old inn, set in a tiny village in the Ribble Valley. In July 2019, it re-opened after a major investment, with the addition of a new kitchen, chef’s table (min 6, max 12), kitchen bench (4 stools) and bedrooms.
Summary
“Situated in a tiny village” in the Ribble Valley, this is a “delightful old pub” and Steve Smith’s cuisine has established it as one of Lancashire’s top dining destinations (bearing comparison with Northcote down the road). “The juxtaposition of some classical ideas (sauce grand veneur with game, for example), modern techniques and a hint of the Orient” produces some truly “excellent” dishes (although quite a few fans fear that “over complication” can be an issue: “the amount of sauces and colours on the plate can be OTT”). “Interesting wine list” too. Service is mostly “friendly and helpful” but can be “patchy” (“sometimes they’re good; sometimes they’re pleasant, but below par”).
For 31 years we've been curating reviews of the UK's most notable restaurant. In a typical year, diners submit over 50,000 reviews to create the most authoritative restaurant guide in the UK. Each year, the guide is re-written from scratch based on this survey (although for the 2021 edition, reviews are little changed from 2020 as no survey could run for that year).
Have you eaten at Freemasons at Wiswell?
Restaurant details
Prices
| Availability | 2 courses | 3 courses |  |
 |
 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lunch | £22.00 | £27.00 |  |
|
|
| Pretheatre | £22.00 | £27.00 | |
|
|
| Cost | Availability | Courses | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Menu1 | 65.00 | Always available | 6 |
Traditional European menu
| Starter | Main | Veggies | Pudding |
|---|---|---|---|
| £15.00 | £36.00 | £4.95 | £13.00 |
| Drinks |
|
|---|---|
| Wine per bottle | £25.00 |
| Filter Coffee | £4.00 |
| Extras |
|
|---|---|
| Service | 12.50% |
8 Vicarage Fold Clitheroe, Wiswell, BB7 9DF
Opening hours
| Monday | CLOSED |
| Tuesday | CLOSED |
| Wednesday | 9 am‑10 pm |
| Thursday | 9 am‑10 pm |
| Friday | 9 am‑10 pm |
| Saturday | 9 am‑10 pm |
| Sunday | 9 am‑9 pm |
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