Beverley Restaurant Guide

“I like the fact that it’s still the village local despite its celebrity” – James and Kate Mackenzie’s much-accoladed inn, “tucked away” in East Yorkshire, may “looks like a standard country pub”, but continues to inspire little but all-round adulation from diners for its “lovely” atmosphere, “welcoming” approach, and food that “excels with due care and attention”. “It also has delightful rooms for an overnight stay”.

“A treasure of a restaurant” (with rooms) where locally born John Robinson is “pretty much a one-man band producing imaginative, daily changing tasting menus at an absurdly cheap price”. It’s an “unbelievable gastronomic experience created by the passionate combination of fresh local foods and exquisitely skilled cooking”. Having passed the ten-year mark last summer, Robinson plans to extend the facilities with an upstairs ‘social room’ for pre-dinner drinks.

High marks again – if from a small local fanclub – for Julian and Rieko Ogino-Stamford’s first-floor dining room, tucked away in the town centre, which serves accomplished Japanese cuisine of both traditional and modern inspiration.

Ex-Pétrus chef James Allcock’s ‘pint-sized bistro and charcuterie bar’ is strong on ingredient quality (marvellous breads, cheeses, salads), and serves funky small plates alongside sharing platters: “a perfect lunchtime stop with friendly and knowledgeable staff”.