Whether you’re taking a break from a chilly country walk or meeting friends for festive drinks, you might be looking for a pub with a real roaring fire to warm up next to. Here are a few of our favourite cosy spots to discover across Yorkshire this winter.
The Lister Arms, Malham
This quintessential country pub is just a short walk away from some of the Yorkshire Dales’ most stunning natural scenery, including Malham’s famous limestone cove. The Lister Arms offers a selection of award-winning Thwaites ales, along with wines, spirits and lagers. These can be sipped next to a real fire and your four legged friends can join you as the pub welcomes dogs in its bar area. The Lister Arms prides itself on its food menu, which is particularly good for vegetarians and vegans. All of the food here is made using the best Yorkshire ingredients and served in ‘proper sized’ portions. Starters include tempura cauliflower with curried plant-based mayo or a meat, fish or vegetarian sharing plate. You can then tuck into mains like a vegan wild mushroom risotto or the pub’s renowned steak and Thwaites ale pie, which is accompanied by mushy peas, homemade chips or mashed potatoes and a jug of gravy. Those with a sweet tooth can then enjoy desserts such as a passion fruit and Greek yoghurt cheesecake. The pub even has its own comfortable accommodation for those who want to stay the night.
The Fox House, Longshaw
Situated on the edge of the National Trust’s Longshaw Estate, The Fox House is just the place to warm up after a wintery walk. This imposing stone inn once provided shelter and sustenance to those driving livestock but is now popular with ramblers exploring the scenic Peak District. The Fox House dates back to 1773 and has a long and interesting history. It’s even rumoured to have provided Charlotte Brontë with the inspiration for ‘Whitecross’ in Jane Eyre. Nowadays, the inn boasts an interior that brings together the best of old and new with painted wooden panelling, exposed beams and comfy Chesterfield-style seating. The Fox House serves an impressive range of cask ales and world wines, while its food menu features comforting classics such as its signature skewers, burgers, steaks and stone baked pizzas. You can also try seasonally-inspired dishes like slow cooked pork belly with chive mash, green beans apple sorbet, crackling and a red wine jus, or aubergine parmigiana topped with a herb crumb and mozzarella. If you have any room left after, desserts here include the ‘honey pot’ – a heavenly chocolate pot filled with silky chocolate mousse, smooth honey and crunchy honeycomb.
The Cross Keys, Leeds
One of the few remaining free houses in Leeds, The Cross Keys can be found in one of the city’s old industrial districts on Water Lane in Holbeck. This pub once served the surrounding foundries where some of the country’s first locomotives were produced and it has a fascinating past that includes a tale of steam age spying. Nowadays, it has a simple yet inviting interior with exposed brick walls, beamed ceilings and log burners to spread some warmth. The Cross Keys serves a wide range of beers, wines and spirits, while its food offering consists of flavourful tapas dishes provided by nearby Spanish restaurant Bomba. These include filling yet reasonably priced options such loaded fries topped with crispy ham, chorizo, tomatoes, peppers, guindilla, salsa brava, manchego and ali oli. The pub also sells meat and cheese boards that are great for grazing and yummy churros to finish.
The Timble Inn, Timble
Tucked away in the village of Timble in the beautiful Washburn Valley, this characterful family-run coaching inn is just a 13 minute drive from Otley. Stepping through its front door, you’ll discover a modern country retreat with decor that balances period features with some more contemporary elements. Its log burners will have you feeling snug in no time, and you can enjoy a glass of wine selected by independent wine specialists Bon Coeur while you wait. It’s the Timble Inn’s AA Rosette Award-winning food that really stands out and Head Chef Jamie Cann has helped to shape the excellent menu here. This features starters such as pan-fried king scallops accompanied by millet pilaf, carrot and cardamom purée, sultana and capers, while mains include spinach and ricotta ravioli with baby gem lettuce, tarragon butter and crumbled goats cheese, or roast guinea fowl accompanied by a jerusalem artichoke purée, haggis, mashed potato, whisky cream and turnip. Among the puddings are delicious-sounding options like a chocolate and orange slice with caramel sauce, gingerbread ice cream and milk chocolate jelly, or a selection of home churned sorbets and ice creams.
The Phoenix Inn, York
If you’re looking for a nostalgic setting in which to relax with a pint, look no further than York’s Phoenix Inn. This wonderfully old fashioned watering hole can be found on George Street and is the last surviving pub to have served the cattle market that used to be held outside Fishergate Bar. With a late Victorian interior, the Phoenix offers its patrons a chance to step back in time to the days before pubs had jukeboxes and live sports on TV. Instead, you can thaw out next to an open log fire and read a newspaper, or engage in a real conversation. You can also listen to live jazz here on Sundays and many weekday evenings. The Phoenix is known for its tasty homemade pies and sausage rolls and the ever-changing array of real ales behind its bar. Past offerings have included beers from Yorkshire Heart, Wold Top, Saltaire, Hambleton Ales, Black Sheep, Great Heck and many other popular breweries in Yorkshire and further afield.
The Triton Inn, Brantingham
Located in Brantingham near Hull, this family-friendly gastro pub is the perfect place to take a break when walking the Wolds Way. The Triton’s exterior is charmingly rustic but the inn has a feel of luxury within, where you’ll discover log burners and a spacious conservatory dining area. This balance is also reflected in its food menu, which is full of old favourites that have been given an exciting contemporary twist. Here, you can opt for everything from light bites to beautifully presented three course dinners and Sunday lunches, all of which are prepared with locally-sourced ingredients. Among the starters you’ll find a shallot tarte tatin with confit cherry tomatoes and red wine jus, or mussels cooked in a cream cider sauce with bacon, leeks and crusty bread. You can then move on to dishes like stout and soy glazed pork belly or an Asian duck salad, which can be washed down with wine or a handpicked local ale. To finish, The Triton Inn currently has some special festive desserts to sample, including a traditional Christmas pudding with brandy sauce and cranberry compote, or an eggnog tart served with rum and raisin ice cream.
The Smugglers Ale House, Robin Hood’s Bay
Sitting just 30 yards from the sea in the picturesque fishing village of Robin Hoods Bay, the Smugglers Ale House takes its name from the 18th century smuggling trade that this part of the Yorkshire coast was notorious for. Luxury goods like tea, tobacco, French lace and brandy were once secretly transported through the series of tunnels that lie beneath the village and hidden in cellars before being sold on the black market. In fact, it’s said that a bale of silk could be moved from the harbour to the clifftops without it ever seeing the light of day. The interior of the Smugglers Ale House captures the spirit of this era with wooden panelling, beamed ceilings and nautical artefacts from the village’s past hanging on its walls. This adults only pub is lit by candles with open wood fires adding to its ambience. Those calling in for a drink can choose from a range of wines and cask and keg ales, including some from local Whitby brewery Lady Luck. The food menu here features favourites like burgers in brioche buns or the pub’s highly-rated stone baked pizzas, which are made using its own special sauce on a hand-stretched base.
Images- @thetimbleinn, @crosskeysleeds, @thelisterarms
