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hand picked restaurants

We hear a great deal about recycling these days - du Vin recycles attractive but sometimes un-loved buildings to restore real gems in the best tradition of British understated style.

Complement that with all that is best in the French bistro ethos, bars that reach out to please, and you have a setting that provides an inspirational background for people to meet, do business, get married, provide a base for golf or fishing, somewhere you can call your own for a private celebration, a spa or - most engagingly - a wine school that breaks the mould.

Think quintessential British style - elegant and unpretentious. Combine this with a great spirit, wit, and an unquestionable devotion to wine, and you have captured the essence of Hotel du Vin.

Situated in the area known as The Mount, Hotel du Vin is a unique luxury boutique hotel close to the centre of the historic city of York. Housed in the distinctive architecture of a beautiful Grade II-listed building that dates back to the early 19th century, it was formerly a private home, then an orphanage and more recently the Shepherd Homes building. du Vin have transformed it into a real home away from home, with 44 stylish bedrooms and beautiful suites. Every room has handsprung mattresses, fine Egyptian linen, deep baths, power showers and high speed wireless internet access.

The classy bistro is open seven days a week for lunch and dinner and offers a menu rooted in classic European cuisine with a contemporary edge. Head Chef Nico Cecchello introduces notes of originality by adding his own selections daily, all supporting the overall philosophy of using the finest and freshest local produce, cooked simply and priced sensibly.

From a choice of six starters on the à la carte menu expect to find Uig smoked salmon classic, smoked haddock chowder 'en croute', salted cod brandade with paprika and herb crostini, devilled lamb kidneys and toasted sour dough.

The simple classics option yields potted rabbit with pickled vegetables, or a Jerusalem artichoke veloute with white truffle oil, or on the mains menu the traditional fish pie, an impressively moist and well packed production with cheese topping that commands great popularity. In season don't be slow to order the traditional roast red leg partridge with bread pudding, game chips and jus rösti, a wonderful dish.

Other main courses delight customers with braised ox cheeks and fresh buttered tagliatelle, stuffed squid with carmague rice and tomato fondue, or pan fried halibut with butter bean ragout and rosemary sauce. Desserts look to homemade Bailey's cheesecake, traditional Black Forest gateaux, and a fine pear crumble with pouring cream.

Whilst one might argue that the whole point of being in a du Vin is to snuggle up to the wine list, this list is designed to march with the food and can only be described as excellent. Their selection of single malts is enough to stop a homebound Scot from going any further north. Service is telepathic in the best possible sense. Those gasping for a little nicotine are welcome in the Cigar shack or the luxurious, heated, candlelit, leather smoking bothy in the garden.

Click on their Website for full information and rates. Hotel du Vin, with fourteen options throughout Britain, awaits your call.

San Carlo at 6-7 South Parade, offering up to the minute Italian cooking, is a bright and buzzing restaurant to be opened by the award-winning San Carlo Group, founded as a family business more than 19 years ago. With its genuine hospitality, high quality cooking and a vibrant atmosphere San Carlo is proving to be a winner with the good people of Leeds.

However, though the pace is fast, the atmosphere in San Carlo is informal and relaxed. Diners can take their time to browse over an extensive menu that features exquisitely-presented dishes. We never compromise on quality and that is why everyone says our food tastes so good," said Carlo Distefano, Proprietor. He attributes his success to his own passion for food and his insistence on using only the very freshest ingredients-including importing the best olive oils, herbs, pasta and fresh tomatoes from his native Sicily.

There is a good choice of starters from soups to authentic antipasti and salads. Fish specialities include smoked salmon, wild sea bass, Dover sole, giant prawns, oysters and crayfish.

The Italian ways with meat commend themselves to many of those for whom Italian restaurants are an extension of life itself and when you contemplate calves' liver, escalopes of veal and prime sliced Scottish beef you can understand why. Thoughts of lamb cutlets, one of the best dishes on earth, served in Madeira sauce with rosemary and sun dried tomatoes only a few miles further on, can easily sustain a man for that extra mile, though fillet of beef medallions wrapped in Parma ham in a creamy truffle sauce are very close competition.

Whilst we all associate pizza with Italian food it's believed that the Egyptians and Greeks were eating something rather pizza-like long before Raffaele Esposito, who owned the Pizzeria di Pietro in Naples, clearly seized an opportunity, and baked a 'pizza' for a royal visit by King Umberto I and Queen Margherita. The rest is history. For many the pizza Diavola is the ultimate indulgence, with tomatoes, cheese, spicy hot sausage, onions and chillies.

You might think that all this savoury living would demand some sacrifices when it came to the desserts, but not a bit of it. Italian dolci are some of the most exotic in the world, and the fact that so often they are the work of Mama in her homely kitchen makes them even more tempting. Even the names are extravagant ? take crostata al frutti di bosco, and what do you have? Home made tart, custard cream topped with fruits of the forest. Sounds pretty harmless but not the way the Italian do it with those little hidden extras so dear to a gourmet's heart.

So from a perfectly cooked bowl of pasta and bottle of wine to the finest lobster and champagne, the menu offers the perfect choice for any occasion and its impressive and comprehensive wine list, that complements the dishes, is 90% Italian.

San Carlo Group is proud of its many accolades, which include the industry-leading Les Routiers in Britain Hospitality and Service award and a listing among The Times Top 10 Italian Restaurants. Proud of its many accolades, San Carlo Group has amassed 18 award wins and national, critical acclaim. Reviewing San Carlo Leeds for the Observer newspaper, revered food critic Jay Rayner wrote: 'San Carlo, with its shine and glitz, thick white tablecloths and vast portions at reasonable prices is exactly what this city needed. San Carlo has the ingredients others can only dream of". Check on the San Carlo Website for further information.

Brasserie Forty 4 is a bright, buzzing, fun-loving restaurant located in a waterfront setting in Leeds city centre. Hardly a brasserie, more a restaurant, though the distinction seems to become steadily more blurred these days, this refuge occupies a former grain store - one of the earliest conversions of its kind. Some would say the principle has not changed very much and the interior is a striking example of the genre.

It is a highly popular, informal venue with a fun and lively ambience emphasised by an interior refurbishment. The restaurant scores consistently high marks in the most respected guides for offering an excellent service and good food at very reasonable prices.

Brasserie Forty 4 has a cosmopolitan style of food and atmosphere that is instantly appealing and set apart from the brasserie norm... it's well-liked by personalities from television, stage, music and sport.

Their starters might include choices such as seared king scallops with parsnip purée and roasted hazelnuts; chicken liver parfait with pear chutney and granary toast; or duck roulade with beetroot and sweet red onions.

Whilst the well presented mains could consist of roast breast of chicken with wild mushroom and pancetta cream sauce; slow braised lamb shoulder with butter beans and Savoy cabbage, and fillet of Yorkshire beef with slow cooked tomato, field mushroom and red wine sauce.

A 10oz Yorkshire sirloin steak with peppercorn sauce; or confit leg of duck with bubble and squeak mash and port sauce help to ensure a consistently wide spread of choices, your only problem being to focus on just one.

You cannot ignore their desserts; Brasserie Forty 4's famous chocolate fondue enriched with marshmallows and fresh fruit; spiced apple strudel; winterberry cheesecake; vanilla crème brûlée, or pear and almond tart, all crying out for attention. Simply irresistible?

Patisserie Forty 4 adjoins the brasserie, specialising in wedding, novelty, celebration and corporate cakes. Full details, including their excellent value fixed price menus, wine list and much more can be found on their Website.

We hear a great deal about recycling these days - du Vin recycles attractive but often un-loved buildings to restore real gems in the best tradition of British understated style.

Complement that with all that is best in the French bistro ethos, bars that reach out to please, and you have a setting that provides an inspirational background for people to meet, do business, get married, provide a base for golf or fishing, somewhere you can call your own for a private celebration, a spa or - most engagingly - a wine school that breaks the mould.

Situated close to the centre of the historic North Yorkshire spa town of Harrogate, du Vin has brought together eight Georgian styled houses overlooking the 200 acre common, called The Stray. Within they have installed 48 superb bedrooms and strikingly airy loft suites, with pristine beds, luxurious Egyptian linen and unique décor. All beds have handsprung mattresses, fine Egyptian linen, deep baths and power showers. High speed wireless internet access is available in all rooms.

The 2 AA Rosette bistro serviced by Head Chef, Murray Wilson and his team expect to find the impeccable service for which Hotel du Vin is renowned. Starters include honey glazed ham served with fried eggs, pineapple; homemade pork pie with apple piccalilli; and a salad of beef rib, truffle potatoes, watercress and hazelnuts. From amongst seven or so main courses the roasted pigeon breast and braised leg with wild mushroom and broad bean risotto appeals to those who like something a little different, whilst carnivores can enjoy themselves with a Donald Russell, dry aged, grass fed, rib eye steak served with fat cut chips.

Amongst the simple classics spare more than a thought for the oxtail terrine and horseradish cream, or the artichoke barigoule.

Whilst one might argue that the whole point of being in a du Vin is to snuggle up to the wine list, this list is designed to march with the food and can only be described as superb. With a team of four sommeliers, headed here by Mark Perlaki, there is no room for anything but the best. They have a Cruvinet wine machine, said to be possessed of magical powers. Perhaps a little testing might be in order. Service is telepathic in the best possible sense.

Click on their Website for full information and rates. Hotel du Vin, with fourteen options throughout Britain, awaits your call.

The Pine Marten is an attractive country house that had been lovingly restored, with a thoroughly modern feel but retaining the character of the original building. Upstairs there is a twelve bedroom hotel. It is one of those pubs that have surfaced on the mainstream of casual eating in the UK and are taking an increasing share of the market, evidenced by their growth in numbers and the popularity of what they have to offer. If this results in a 'type' there is certainly no harm in that.

Contemporary pubs such as these usually share a number of characteristics. An important feature is space, preferably a restaurant where you are comfortable, not over-awed, and not sharing elbow space with the next table, however sociable they may be. Good, too, to have an enclosed rear garden with an ornamental pond as a centrepiece, providing some 100 seats as an optional al fresco eating out space, and last, but by no means least, a roomy and well stocked bar where you can actually get served without undue delay. After all, drinking should be taken seriously.

If a pub offers all of these, and is in a good location, there is little reason in today's economic climate why it should not flourish. The Pine Marten provides ample evidence that this is true. But of course there are other factors, not least of which is the food and drink. The term 'gastropub' covers a multitude of blessings and it is possible to see influences of brasserie, bistro, restaurant and even café at work within the great gastro umbrella. So expect to find no one single cuisine, but a blend designed to provide something for everybody, no matter what their treat may be.

To set the right note of fashionable sociability there are sharing plates, antipasti of Italian meats, dolcelatte, marinated vegetables and warm stone baked flat breads, or Mediterranean mezze of hummus, roasted vegetables, fregola, tzatziki, feta, spinach and ricotta pâté with flatbreads.

Amongst the starters, expect to find freshly made soup, smoked salmon with pomegranate molasses, fennel and micro herb salad, or gambas with rocket, garlic aioli and rustic bread. Look, too, for scallops of the day. The salads offer chargrilled chicken, courgette, fennel, apple, asparagus, hazelnut and balsamic dressing, and for the seafood enthusiasts some prawn and avocado with pecans, mango, bacon, orange and pomegranate vinaigrette receive a rapturous welcome.

These days no self-respecting gastropub can afford to be without its pizza range; expect to find a classic margherita of pomodoro, mozzarella, cherry tomatoes and basil, rustica with roasted Mediterranean vegetables, goats' cheese and cherry tomatoes or piccante with pepperoni, chorizo, tomato and jalapeños.

The grill and rotisserie dishes for hearty eaters are well worth trying and choices include spit chicken with lemon, garlic and frites, and rib-eye steak with smoked paprika and tomato butter, watercress and frites. For the big event there is roast rump of lamb with sauce soubise, asparagus, pancetta, button onions and baby potatoes. Blackened cod fillet, egg noodles, pak choi, mango and chilli salsa is popular, a sign of the times and improving taste in eating. Salmon with crab and chorizo fishcakes, roasted sweet corn and cherry tomato salsa add further dimensions to a wide choice range.

Well presented supporting dishes include tomato and red onion, and cabbage, leeks and peas. Desserts are some of the best you'll encounter with apple, blackcurrant crumble and vanilla custard, and sticky toffee pudding with vanilla ice cream, and there is also a selection of cheeses to set the buffs alight.

The Pine Marten stocks a wide range of beers, both well loved draught ales and bottled from further afield. The wine list covers plenty of territory from traditional clarets to Pinot Grigio, and champagne by the glass or bottle is always available. Service is cheerful, brisk and totally in keeping with the friendly nature of a good English gastropub.

For up to date information please refer to their Website. Please note that the E-Mail Contact is for enquiries only, not for bookings.

Fusco's of Whitby have been selling top-notch fish and chips in Whitby since 1968 with Stuart Fusco being awarded the title of UK No.1 Young Fish Frier of the Year 2004-5, they won Les Routiers Cafe of the Year 2005, Top Fish and Chip Shop in Yorkshire in 2008 and
Fish and Chip Restaurant of the Year Top Three in 2011. Given the long-standing love affair between the British and their fish and chips, which has survived powerful counter-attractions from other lands, this is no mean feat. It all started in Pickering, also in Yorkshire, way back in the 1950s, at a time when the effects of a long war were still apparent and there was an even greater desire for this nutritious and much-admired national dish.

In 1968 the Fusco family decided to move from Pickering to be closer to the natural home of their chief product, and the ancient town of Whitby was chosen, mainly because the Royal Fisheries was up for sale. The Royal Fisheries had once been selling some of the best fish and chips to be had, though at the date of purchase it had been closed down for some time.

But the fish is only part of the equation. Those who fondly suppose that any old potato will do to make chips could not be more wrong. Fusco's chips are made from carefully selected potatoes, where the main stipulation is quality. The days when there was a notion around that fish and chips could be eaten anywhere that was handy to the deep fat frier, with bottles of gelatinous substances available, are largely gone. They certainly are at Fusco's, if indeed they ever existed, and their Quayside Restaurant, run by Stuart Fusco, is a palace by comparison.

Fusco's took over the Quayside in 1999, since when it has grown and prospered. Viewed from the outside in the clear light from the North Sea it looks the very epitome of a smart seaside licensed restaurant, which is exactly what it is. The fish and chips offered are of the same high quality as on their other sites, and it also has a take-away section.

There is a children's menu, changing facilities and high chairs. Thoughtfully arranged facilities also mean that disabled customers have their difficulties minimised. And to cap it all there is air-conditioning. At the Quayside there is a lively take-away with an equally busy café attached.

The Quayside building is enhanced by the addition of Bar 7, which could be said to be Fish and Chips with knobs on. The décor is chic, and as well as a fully equipped cocktail bar there is music, light refreshments, quality drinks and - wait for it - Fusco's Fish and Chips, of the same high quality.

It is refreshing to see a family business doing an update on fish and chips. Time moves one, and whilst few would want to see the essential earthiness of this great national dish turned into something that was untrue to its origins, Quayside have got it absolutely right and deserve every bit of the success they are so obviously reaping.

For further details regarding their menu, a visit to their Website is highly suggested where you will also find a live interactive webcam.

The first Browns opened at Brighton in 1973 with one simple guiding belief, that classic food, well delivered in a stylish environment would be a recipe for success. The only thing that has changed since then is the number of Browns, now running at fourteen, of which six are in London, all prospering with the same theme.

The main menu, available throughout the day, starts with appetisers, designed for sharing, with antipasti of Italian meat, vegetarian or seafood. Try the flatbreads with a range of interesting toppings.

In amongst the thirteen starters expect to come across smoked duck, crisp noodle and cashew nut salad with red peppers, tumeric cauliflower, spring onions and a sherry vinaigrette. The fish and salad choices include fish and chips tempura battered cod with minted mushy peas and tartar sauce and pan-fried butterflied tiger prawns tossed with linguine in a tomato, coriander and chorizo sauce.

The same theme of comfortable food, well-cooked and presented, continues throughout the mains course with roast chicken breast in sour dough bread with baby spinach, tomato and mayonnaise, served with seasoned chips, and steak frites 6oz prime sirloin, served with a lemon, parsley and peppercorn butter.

The chalkboard carries a list of the day's specials, but every day except Sunday is Browns's afternoon tea day, served from 2 to 5.30 pm, and on Sundays it offers a choice of three roasts. It would be harder to find a dessert much more English than lemon tartlet with crème fraîche.

Browns at Sheffield are well able to deal with groups, and have special menus to look after their particular interests. Click on their excellent Website for further details and menu changes.

The Malmaison group of hotels has established throughout Britain a collection of centres of excellence where nothing but the best will do. As a concept alone this is exciting, but the reality is brilliant, so that at last there is a hotel group where uniformity of standards is of the same high calibre.

Malmaison also have a happy penchant for selecting buildings of character for their hotels and restaurants, in this particular case a former bus company office that stands majestically on a corner site in Leeds. As their publicity says 'head to the bar in the back, a low lit den of fine wine and devilishly divine dining' - couldn't have been put better than that.

The bedrooms are all that one would expect from a hotel that has genuine regard for its guests and is concerned with every aspect of their wellbeing. Rich, warm tones of aubergine and plum with taupe help build a seductive and lavish atmosphere.

Amidst elegant surroundings, with an impressive vaulted ceiling, leather booths and a contemporary open-through glass fireplace and of course the spotless gleaming glassware and shining cutlery, an essentially brasserie menu is offered. Lovers of seafood will be delighted to note at once that their particular needs are well heeded, starting with a delightful home hot smoking salmon.

Head Chef James Key and his team using delectable local ingredients create brasserie dishes such as goats' cheese ravioli with pepper and spring onion salad that never fails to please the crowd. Other starters include a guinea fowl terrine with Scottish langoustine and roasted foie gras and oxtail hash brown served with poached egg and mustard sauce.

An inspired choice amongst the main courses is the fillet of sole with saffron fondant and parsnip purée, while the beef bourguignon is just perfect for those seeking by this time a slightly more carnivorous approach. Which leads us neatly to the, wait for it - Mal burger - a 250 gram burger made from ground beef tucked into a floured bap to join bacon and gruyere, served with homemade relish and some fries.

Over the years the number of outriders surrounding a good honest steak on the plate has grown to unacceptable dimensions. At Malmaison the thought and care is centred on the dry-aged on the bone Scottish rump and that's it - except for the chips. If you want all the rest go for the side dishes, but steak and chips on its own takes some beating. Vegetarians are well looked after - the stuffed palm hearts served with bean sprout and pak choi broth, and macaroni cheese with cep mushrooms sound appealing.

Heading the puddings is the sticky toffee pudding with butterscotch sauce, a triumph of timing and co-ordination, supported by other choices amongst which expect to find a chocolate and blood orange tart and lemon and thyme crème brûlée. Their homemade ice creams and sorbets are dreamy while their renowned cheese trolley has a selection of British and French farmhouse cheeses served with an assortment of breads, biscuits, walnut and chutney.

The wine list is a symphony of its kind, clearly compiled by an enthusiast who knows his wines well enough not to disappear into a world of hyperbole when describing them.

Their Website is a wealth of information that will, I predict, only serve to increase your resolve to make Malmaison your next stop in Leeds. It is worth noting that you can also make reservations Online on their Website.

Fourth Floor Café and Bar, situated on top of the Harvey Nichols store in the heart of Leeds, is a popular destination on the Yorkshire circuit, offering fantastic cityscape views by day and more formal romantic ambience at night.

The unique design of the ceiling creates the Café's signature with dramatic over-scaled vary-coloured lighting piercing through the perforated ceiling plane and backlit in fluorescent sky blue. The rich timber finish and warm colours of the lacquer bar surfaces are juxtaposed with the cooler palate of the restaurants shell finishes. This typical Harvey Nichols chic design creates an elegant dining atmosphere. A focal point of the restaurant is the fully glazed façade and terrace, which can seat ten, overlooking the rooftops of Leeds.

Born in Yorkshire, Head Chef Richard Walton-Allen recognises the importance of supporting local producers and his menu can be seen to reflect his passion. He is also a judge at the Great Yorkshire Cookery competition and as such looks for imaginative and innovative use of Yorkshire produce.

A choice of a la carte and prix fixe menus are available at lunch and dinner, which include starters such as slow cooked pork belly, soy, seared squid, orange and sesame sauce and seared fillet of mackerel, beetroot carpaccio, beetroot and blackberry puree, with mains like whole lemon sole, sautéed courgettes, grape, almond and verjus dressing and roast Nidderdale lamb rack, char-grilled baby leeks, beetroot jus and mini hotpot. Finishing with a trio of damson desserts - mousse, ice cream and damson polenta cake - or marzipan and honey cake with white wine poached pear.

With nearby theatres and cinemas such as the Grand Theatre; home of Opera North and the Northern Ballet, The West Yorkshire Playhouse, the Henry Moore Sculpture Gallery and the Light Cinema, the Fourth Floor Café and Bar is the ideal venue for pre-dinner theatre. It also offers morning coffee, lunch, afternoon bar menu, pre-dinner drinks and dinner with quality food, reasonable prices and efficient service.

Celebrating a decade milestone anniversary in Autumn 2006 they received the news that they had won both Restaurant of the Year and Chef of the Year at the Leeds Restaurant Association Awards 2006. In addition, Harvey Nichols also won the Leeds Restaurant Awards for Best Service 2 years running in 2007 and 2008. For more details do visit the Harvey Nichols Website.

The distinctive black and white building which houses Magpie Café has been around from the sixteenth century and although it has adopted various personas over the years, it came to be a café in 1939. Today, the Magpie Café could be described as the seafood lover's ultimate paradise, overlooking the waters of the cold North Sea, set between the market and the harbour.

The historic fishing port of Whitby, where Magpie Café is located, features extensively in Bram Stoker's Dracula, and in A.S Byatt's Possession. Apart from these literary merits, Whitby stands out as a town steeped in a wealth of tradition and seafaring history; the enchanting port and surrounding area has provided the local community, whose people have braved the harsh seas, with a dedicated supply of the freshest and finest fish.

As you settle down there comfortably for a meal, enjoy the fresh Whitby crab on brown bread or the prawn cocktail in a piquant Rosemarie sauce for starters. Fat, chunky chips are served with a variety of fish - sourced locally wherever possible - such as halibut, skate, and plaice to name but a few. However, if you are so inclined, you could also try the other main courses that hover around dishes such as salmon and sautéed garlic potatoes with a crisp green salad; haddock and prawns in a creamy leek sauce and seafood paella.

The lobster thermidor served with deep fried courgettes, salad or potatoes has a number of enthusiasts queuing up. Clams, crevettes, scallops and mussels along with fresh fish, star in the hot seafood pot, cooked and served in a liquor of wine, butter and garlic, served with warm crusty bread.

In the unlikely event that you cannot let up your carnivorous inclination, the locally reared prime fillet steak or Yorkshire gammon ought to be satisfactory. Concessions for vegetarians have also been made, considering the presence of vegetable shepherds pie, and a leek, tomato and pasta bake.

After this self induced binge, you might want to end it with some enticing desserts such as the squidgy chocolate pudding with orange and white chocolate sauce and crème fraîche or the hazelnut meringue with banana, butterscotch sauce and whipped cream.

The wine list is peppered with choices from across Europe, while there are quite a few from the New World also. Patrons can choose by the bottle, glass or carafe, and all the wines perfectly accompany the meal. More information about the menu and wine list can be obtained from their Website.