North Yorkshire, Fish & Seafood Restaurant Guide

An “original ambience” contributes to the charm of this eccentrically decorated hotel-restaurant, bedecked in grandfather clocks, chandeliers, tubas and drums – and part of the 18th-century Crab Manor, where the quirky décor continues in five globe-trotting bedrooms. “Tasty” fish is the specialism, but there was also praise this year for the “nice game”. Service can still occasionally lag – “maybe short staffed”? In Summer 2024, they added a sun-trapped terrace, further amplifying the “nice surroundings”.

2021 Review: “A very traditional Yorkshire chippie” which doesn’t offer anything fancy but “just good fish ’n’ chips” (the former “huge and well-battered”, and “you can go for more exotic if you wish”); “a little tip – avoid early evening when the ‘pensioners’ special menu’ is served – it will be heaving!”

“A true beacon in the North” and a “great Harrogate fixture” – this “classic fish restaurant” has been a feature of the Montpellier Quarter for over 50 years (est. 1971) and has been run by the Carter family since 2013. All the many reports we receive (it’s one of the top-100 most commented on places outside London in our annual diners’ poll) say it “always delivers high quality and a very reliable menu choice”: “I keep thinking it must start to fail, but each time we go, it’s just as good as always. Been going for years and never fails to impress with the delicious seafood and the friendly helpful service”. Top Menu Tip – “always good oysters”.

“Tucked away off the main street and without a sign outside, it may be difficult to find but it’s well worth seeking out” this trendy decade-old haunt from the owners of the Stone Trough Inn in Kirkham Abbey. The venue “specialises in beef, especially ex-dairy cows”, be it Finnish Sashi beef, or Galicia’s famous blonde cattle; add in a “buzzy atmosphere” and “attentive” service, and it “makes for a meat-eater’s heaven”.

Stewarded by father-and-son duo David & Lewis Moss for two decades, this “fantastic Dales inn” (notably friendly to doggos) has a prime setting in the national park, and combines “friendly service” with “great food” that (despite the name) is notably fish-centric. If you want to make a night of it, they have pleasant themed rooms (including one dedicated to 007, to assuage fans irritated by the long delayed next instalment) and a private two-bedroom cottage just a few steps away.