Harrogate/Ripon area local knowledge required – Good food/hotel?

Pretty please help me out. Heading down south at new year with the good lady and want to have a nice stop over somewhere near this area with a great hotel and somewhere decent to eat.

Thinking nice country manor hotel type thing for one night. With decent affordable food somewhere near by unless the hotel does a very good dinner bed and breakfast deal.

Thanks for any local knowledge.

Budget?

Rudding park for country hotel

B.E.D for town hotel and food.

Other thoughts/activities:

Damn Yankee for ‘american diner’ type food
Cattlemens for Steak
Bettys tea room
Turkish Baths
Studley deer park/Fountains Abbey
Harlow carr gardens

(miss the place terribly!)

Rudding is a very good hotel but not in town – their ‘Clocktower’ restaurant is okay though. Old Swan was recently done out and is quite good now.

Food-wise, William & Victoria’s on Cold Bath Road is very good – either downstairs for informal or upstairs for posh – but book in advance. The Tannin Level is pretty good too. Orchid for oriental food (the ‘Studley’ hotel attached is also pretty good apparently.

Lots of choice for curry, Salsa Possada is good for Mexican.

The Pine Marten is nice.

Studley Hotel is great. Been quite a few times and always look forward to going again.

The rooms are great, worth upgrading to a exec room for the bit extra.

The Orchid is downstairs and is also really nice, or a 5 min walk to B.E.D. which I love.

Loads of other places to eat that are good in Harrogate, but we always end up The Orchid or B.E.D.

Betty’s at Harlow Carr is a good lunch stop too.

Perfect – thanks for the suggestions – you are all stars 😀

Never been to Harrogate prior to my 2nd anniversary in Oct. Me & Mrs Rascal went there for one night on way to Lakes. Stayed in The Yorkshire Hotel – big and grand in its heyday but a bit rough around the edges now, though its in a great location. Not many real pubs there – The Bell is probably your best bet for ales if that’s your thing, like me. Did a bit of digging around to find good places to eat before going too…in the evening we ate at Thai Elephant which is next to Sukhothai – TE does excellent food at allegedly half the price of Suk with great portions too – would def eat there again.
Eggs Benedict for breakfast at Betty’s Tea Room is a must – not cheap but very proper indeed if it’s a one-off. Best coffee I think I’ve ever had. I’ve heard the Turkish Baths on Sundays are well worth it (book first).

Would have eaten in B.E.D as it sounds brill, but the only night it is closed in the week is the only night we were there! (Monday).

Masham for me, you’ve got:
The White Bear Hotel *****
The Kings Head
Swinton Park Hotel
Black Sheep Bistro for food and loads more.
Real ale, open fires and beautiful open countryside.
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Oh and the locals are mostly very friendly…

What Pogo said! Having lived there for years i can’t agree more.

Was put in a Best Western in Boroughbridge, which was surprisingly nice for a work stay. Decent pool and gym too if that’s your thing.

But it is in Boroughbridge.

Only stay in Boroughbridge if you are the sort of person that ‘likes’ your own sister and thinks that a night out can only be deemed a success if you have been involved in a fight.

No idea about Boroughbridge. My work thing was at Ripon racecourse. I drove to B/Bridge, used the gym, the pool, ate, sat in the bar, then woke up the next morning and went to Ripon racecourse.

Didn’t step out into Boroughbridge!

You can’t have done. You are stil here to tell the tale.

🙂

The Old Deanery in Ripon. Fab small hotel opposite the Cathedral, do great food too.

Had my wedding reception there.

Main Home

I dont like Rudding Park, very corporate. Nice food, but you can get much nicer food for the same money.

Love when a site can offer ace advice on totally random topics. Thanks for all the help.

…we may avoid Boroughbridge due to the majority write up lol

And the fact that its at least 15 miles from Harrogate so not exactly handy for a wander down to B.E.D. For some food in the evening 🙂

Must try BED soon – walk by it most days at lunchtime but never been in.

Not a hotel but I once stayed at The Lawrance in Harrogate – http://www.thelawrance.com/ – was very nice.

And we ate here http://www.vanzellerrestaurants.co.uk/ – fantastic food but was a bit lacking in atmosphere.

VanZellers is meant to be very good (and has won several awards) not tried it myself though. The Lawrance is almost next door to BED too.

And in that area you can’t go wrong – close to town, close to The Old Bell Tavern, Hales Bar (if you don’t mind the odd unconvincing transvestite), The Montpellier, Monty’s and The Blues Bar, close to The Orchid and the Valley Gardens.

another vote for Bed from me 😀

but i would say that as i’m Burnsey

we are closed from Christmas Eve to Friday 5th jan inc except for sat 29th when we open at 6pm for one night only (my summer holiday :wink:)

if ever any of you guys are in again, shout up and i will look after you …and if you ever book on line, mention ST and i’ll knock 10% off the bill…

Orchid also very good as mentioned…lovely hotel and great food

Have fun and Happy Christmas 😉

Boars Head at Ripley, just out of Harrogate, but in the plus column, just out of Harrogate…

Masham ideas also worth considering, seriously good food at the kings head, but I’d recommend Ripley.