Restaurant at The Thorpe Park Hotel & Spa

Part of a small chain of distinguished hotels, Thorpe Park has a particular name for its warm and friendly welcome, so much so that well earned awards have come their way, the latest of which is Hotel of the Year 2008 in the White Rose Tourism Awards.

The Restaurant offers a relaxed dining venue, whether in the informal courtyard with an all day menu to choose from or the restaurant itself with roaring log fires and extensive wine cellar. Their approach is to source and prepare the freshest in-season produce. Head Chef, Paul Woodward, has a knack for spotting some of the finest ingredients from the Yorkshire region and it's always simply prepared, often with an Italian twist.

Guests can dine from the à la carte menu offering an Asian spiced Whitby crab with coriander yoghurt, or Bleiker's oak smoked trout coquettes with horseradish and citrus cream. Roasted vegetable and goats' cheese tart with tomato and herb oil leads on to the fish, with the day's mixed fish grill as especially good value.

An aged grass-fed 9oz sirloin steak with field mushrooms, Burgundy butter and hand cut chips is a popular dish, or perhaps Lishman's of Ilkley pork and leek sausages are more to your liking. Follow with ginger pudding or a delicate crème brûlée before heading off into the lounge, or the terrace if it's one of those velvet nights, for a thorough exploration of the single malts or brandies.

During warmer months, the al fresco dining area, with a total of thirty eight seats, opens to guests looking to enjoy a meal on the terrace with award-winning garden views. For those in a hurry a plat du jour is available from 12pm to 2pm and 5.30pm to 9.45pm.  Beyond that one choice plat du jour of main course and a dessert and cheese course keeps life simple, so on Thursday, for instance, Yorkshire ham and fried free-range eggs with thick cut chips and sticky toffee pudding with butterscotch sauce and cream could be on offer.

A menu of tasty snacks to meals with soup and sandwiches or fish, meat and salads is also served in the Courtyard from 12pm to 9.45pm, offering a good variety of comfortable dishes such as Courtyard chicken BLT, Poached eggs Benedict, a plate of freshly prepared soup served with crusty bread or goujons of plaice with fries, lemon and tartar sauce. With Thwaites as a parent company there is no risk of anything but the best behind the bar and in the cellar.
 
Visit the official Website for regular updates from the team at The Restaurant, as well as sample menus, recipes from the Head Chef and special offers and promotions.