Kirkburton Restaurant Guide

2023 Review: “A popular local staple for many years”, this posh and hugely successful pub has been run by the Truelove family since 1968 and – much extended over the years – is known for its “consistently good food and service, with a great atmosphere”. Supporters reckon it is currently “back on form and, though expensive, a great meal is guaranteed (potted shrimps and shellfish superb!)”. A contrary view is that “the dining room decor is in a time warp, with no hint of frivolity to brighten the dullness”, while the “surprisingly long menu could do with being edited”, and the dishes arrive in “generous portions, but lack finesse”.

“Just amazing!” – “service here is second to none” and “the food is just something else, with chefs who know how to mix good local ingredients to create really special dishes”. Oliver Roberts (ex-Shibden Mill FOH) opened this “little local bistro” in a village near Huddersfield in late 2023, and has gathered admirers ever since – among them Bruce Springsteen, who dropped in for dinner last May with Stephen Graham, the Lancashire-born actor who plays his father in the recent biopic ‘Deliver Me From Nowhere’. Top Menu Tip – Isle of Wight tomatoes with wild garlic ice cream, invented by chef Louis Bamford and described by Stephen Graham as “mad Merlin stuff”.

Run by the present regime since 2016, this proper community pub has had a couple of renovations since, and currently offers two dedicated dining areas: the ground-floor ‘Green Room’, with its garden theme, and the more upmarket ‘The View’ upstairs. Chef Darren Milner turns out “great” seasonal countryside classics, from hearty breakfasts to Sunday roasts and proper pies – and while, if you opt for fancier fare, it can be “expensive”, it’s “worth it and very good for a special occasion”.