The Angel Inn, Hetton
Sunday 19 October 2008
After our lovely dinner at 5 The Square we rallied ourselves and found some space for Sunday lunch at The Angel Inn in Hetton.
Unlike 5 The Square there was nothing impromptu about the visit to the Angel. It's been on "the list" for a long time, and we got as far as a reservation once. Andy had had a cold and, as it turned out, I'd failed massively on the travelling calculations, so we decided it was better to defer our visit. Fortunately, on Sunday, full bellies, rubbish weather and another cold didn't put us off.
The village of Hetton doesn't seem to be much to write about (please feel free to correct me on this!) but, thanks to its pub turned bar/restaurant/brasserie, with rooms and an excellent wine shop it's turned into something of a destination.
Would it live up to the hoopla and prove itself worth the wait?
We arrived a little early and decided to explore the village. It appears to be a single street with the pub on one side and the wine shop on the other. Fortunately for my wallet, the wine shop is closed on Sundays. We decided that we could live with being 10 minutes early.
The restaurant is a proper restaurant - plush, cosy, full (and propery) napery. Nothing puts me in a good mood like a restaurant with soft furnishings and carpet: I am actually going to be able to hear my dining companions' conversation.
On our way through I'd spotted that Champagne was on offer by the glass, so I started with that, while we ordered a bottle of Cave de la Visitation Côte Rôtie 2002 to go with our food.
Sunday lunch is a set menu at £22.50 for three courses. I started with smoked poached salmon, with beetroot, a horseradish dressing which was absolutely delicious. Next to me a (not so) little moneybag was devoured: a parcel of seafood in crisp pastry, with a lobster sauce, while Andy may (or may not, as the salmon was good) have won with a Goosnargh duck salad, with chorizo, bacon and croutons.
For main courses, everyone bar me chose the roast beef and Yorkshire pudding. Being difficult (especially when it came to the wine matching) I opted for the Goosnargh chicken breast, with red wine shallots, mash and girolles. OK - our main courses weren't pushing out any culinary boats but they were well executed, generous portions and all delicious.
Mains cleared, it was time to finish the red wine and contemplate dessert. I chose a fig tarte tatin with vanilla ice cream and tobacco syrup. The restaurant matched this with a class of Château de Chantegrive, so I thought it would be rude not to try out the match - it was lovely. The pudding was fantastic. The tobacco syrup was not what I expected at all: there was only a tiny amount of it and it was a beautiful peppery flavour which played against the icecream and tart well.
Other puddings were a chocolate and mango délice and baked alaskas (hmm, there must be a political joke in there somewhere ...).
As you can imagine, by the time we wrapped up with coffee we pretty much rolled out of the restaurant into the car. For £22.50 a head, the three courses at the Angel's Sunday lunch represent excellent value for money. I was impressed that our wine, which retails in the Angel's sister wine shop, had a tiny mark up - £28 retail, £40 in the restaurant. The service was good: there were a few little niggles (yes, it IS a trial when your Champagne takes just that little too long to arrive!), but I'd go back to the Angel without hesitation.
Let's just hope that next time it doesn't take me 2 years to organise my visit!
tagged with:
north yorkshire, 
restaurants
1. The Angel Inn, Hetton, Near Skipton, North Yorkshire, BD23 6LT, phone: 01756 730263
other country venues on Eating Leeds: L'Enclume (Cartmel, Cumbria), The Star (Harome, North Yorkshire) and 5 The Square (Grassington, North Yorkshire).
Stumble It!
After our lovely dinner at 5 The Square we rallied ourselves and found some space for Sunday lunch at The Angel Inn in Hetton.
Unlike 5 The Square there was nothing impromptu about the visit to the Angel. It's been on "the list" for a long time, and we got as far as a reservation once. Andy had had a cold and, as it turned out, I'd failed massively on the travelling calculations, so we decided it was better to defer our visit. Fortunately, on Sunday, full bellies, rubbish weather and another cold didn't put us off.
The village of Hetton doesn't seem to be much to write about (please feel free to correct me on this!) but, thanks to its pub turned bar/restaurant/brasserie, with rooms and an excellent wine shop it's turned into something of a destination.
Would it live up to the hoopla and prove itself worth the wait?
We arrived a little early and decided to explore the village. It appears to be a single street with the pub on one side and the wine shop on the other. Fortunately for my wallet, the wine shop is closed on Sundays. We decided that we could live with being 10 minutes early.
The restaurant is a proper restaurant - plush, cosy, full (and propery) napery. Nothing puts me in a good mood like a restaurant with soft furnishings and carpet: I am actually going to be able to hear my dining companions' conversation.
On our way through I'd spotted that Champagne was on offer by the glass, so I started with that, while we ordered a bottle of Cave de la Visitation Côte Rôtie 2002 to go with our food.
Sunday lunch is a set menu at £22.50 for three courses. I started with smoked poached salmon, with beetroot, a horseradish dressing which was absolutely delicious. Next to me a (not so) little moneybag was devoured: a parcel of seafood in crisp pastry, with a lobster sauce, while Andy may (or may not, as the salmon was good) have won with a Goosnargh duck salad, with chorizo, bacon and croutons.
For main courses, everyone bar me chose the roast beef and Yorkshire pudding. Being difficult (especially when it came to the wine matching) I opted for the Goosnargh chicken breast, with red wine shallots, mash and girolles. OK - our main courses weren't pushing out any culinary boats but they were well executed, generous portions and all delicious.
Mains cleared, it was time to finish the red wine and contemplate dessert. I chose a fig tarte tatin with vanilla ice cream and tobacco syrup. The restaurant matched this with a class of Château de Chantegrive, so I thought it would be rude not to try out the match - it was lovely. The pudding was fantastic. The tobacco syrup was not what I expected at all: there was only a tiny amount of it and it was a beautiful peppery flavour which played against the icecream and tart well.
Other puddings were a chocolate and mango délice and baked alaskas (hmm, there must be a political joke in there somewhere ...).
As you can imagine, by the time we wrapped up with coffee we pretty much rolled out of the restaurant into the car. For £22.50 a head, the three courses at the Angel's Sunday lunch represent excellent value for money. I was impressed that our wine, which retails in the Angel's sister wine shop, had a tiny mark up - £28 retail, £40 in the restaurant. The service was good: there were a few little niggles (yes, it IS a trial when your Champagne takes just that little too long to arrive!), but I'd go back to the Angel without hesitation.
Let's just hope that next time it doesn't take me 2 years to organise my visit!
tagged with:
north yorkshire, restaurants1. The Angel Inn, Hetton, Near Skipton, North Yorkshire, BD23 6LT, phone: 01756 730263
other country venues on Eating Leeds: L'Enclume (Cartmel, Cumbria), The Star (Harome, North Yorkshire) and 5 The Square (Grassington, North Yorkshire).
Stumble It!
posted by Alex at 11:45 am
Stumble It!
2 Comments:
I've been going to The Angel on and off for years now. My brother used to be the sous chef there.
I've always loved the place - it's got bags of character, a first rate kitchen and probably the best wine list I've ever had the pleasure of seeing in an establishment that still partly describes itself as a pub.
The restaurant is great, but it's the less formal bar that I really love - relaxed, welcoming with a real buzz. There is no better place to eat on a winter evening than in front of one of The Angel's open fires.
If you like The Angel, try the General Tarleton near Knaresbrough - both cut from the same cloth.
Ah, the General Tarleton is on the list!!!! Has been for quite a while!
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