Harrington's Restaurant

If we had a cuisine heading of 'Inspired British', Healds Hall would have earned it. The reason is that in general, and I would stress that, I find that Yorkshire hotels do not trumpet their restaurants from the rooftops, which is strange for a county that does it so well when it comes to pubs, inns and restaurants with rooms. But Healds Hall does make an effort and hardly surprising, for the food is very good. Perhaps this is because the owners eat there regularly? Let's take a look.

Starters include ham and parsley faggots with a pea puree and a leek and Stilton cream sauce, and a warm wild mushroom and spinach quiche, served with goat's cheese and pine nut dressing. For those who like their fish the deep-fried crab and salmon spring roll, served with avocado, chilli and spring onion relish with a coriander crème fraiche brings a certain frisson of surprise.

Moving to main courses my eye caught the grilled venison cutlet. I never cease to sing the praises of this highly nutritional meat that is steadily eating the Scottish Highlands out of house and home and ought to be more usefully employed helping to feed a wider audience throughout Britain. Here it comes with a faggot of game casserole, red cabbage, and a port wine sauce that just helps to make it. The fillet of beef with a Lishman's black pudding, apple and mature cheddar farce and a Calvados sauce is not for the faint hearted, but there is a halibut steak on creamed leeks with a herb cream sauce.

A formidable selection of eight cheeses awaits those who revel in such matters, whilst others may head for the pan-roasted peaches served with a pink champagne and apricot jelly and a mixed fruit sorbet. Service is genuine and starts and finishes at the door and the wine list of some 50 or so stays mainly under the £20 with very drinkable French house at under £14.