The Bruce Arms in Hambleton

Super friendly, cosy pub with exceptional food. The pork tomahawk steak was amazing!

Amazing food and service. You’ll see us again

Lovely open fires, fabulous menu and food was cooked to perfection. The waiting staff and bar staff were really attentive, friendly, funny and helpful, can't praise them enough( and no, am not related to any of them!) Prices were reasonable too.

Stepping into the Bruce Arms felt like discovering the charm of an English countryside pub with the sophistication of a Parisian bistro—just a beautiful, warm, and inviting welcome from the loveliest owner. Gingham tablecloths, overflowing candles in old wine bottles - you can picture vibe - that perfect blend of cozy comfort, like dining in your own home with friends, but with the polish of a truly excellent restaurant and none of the work of course! The menu is small yet incredibly confident, with each dish thoughtfully explained, locally sourced and presented with care. Every plate felt so well crafted, and the selection of wines is the perfect complement. It’s clear that quality takes precedence here, with every detail handled effortlessly. We had the freshest seafood which was utterly delicious and even the children’s pasta was completely homemade and presented so beautifully. This has been one of our best finds since moving from London to Yorkshire. It offers that rare balance of relaxed and unpretentious ambiance, perfect service and delicious food that just makes you want to linger all evening by the fire! My only wish would have been for a little more curated music perhaps a Miles Davis kinda vibe, now that would have just been heaven. A truly special dining experience—we cannot wait to go back for a child free evening!

Best Sunday dinner I've ever had, pork dinner was 10/10 you have to order the leeks also to go with your dinner, you'll regret it if not ! Staff were all very attentive and welcoming. A must visit for anyone in the area

Waitress was lovely, unfortunately the food was over priced, over seasoned and under cooked. The management didn't seem particularly bothered and I understand the regular cheff has left. Hopefully things will improve when they get a new one.

I'm a big foodie, and habe to admit this was ws of the best roasts I have ever had

Drove over from York.absaloutly amazed with with the fantastic sunday lunch.i had the loin of pork my partner had the Cod.beautiful dishes and plenty to eat.the whole staff was very welcomeing and very freindly.the atmosphere was great definately will be calling back.Carl and Julie

We were staying on nearby campsite and spent a really lovely evening at the pub. Food was amazing, lovely atmosphere and very friendly staff. We would definitely come again and recommend to anyone looking for quality food.

The Bruce has absolutely nailed the perfect Sunday lunch! Amazing local pub, you’ll not be disappointed.

We stopped by on our way home from holiday, no reservation but received a most warm welcome. The food was so good. My wife had the steak - frites, I the bangers & mash and though neither dish required additional fries, we got them anyway….with no regrets! Quality of ingredients was very high, dishes unpretentious and well prepared. The staff made us feel very much at home and the atmosphere was wonderful, all jollied along by a lovely fire and the good company of other patrons.

Lovely staff, great drinks and the Sunday roast was amazing. Night little beer garden too for sunny days.

We visited on 21/9/24. We didn’t have a table booked so had to wait a little while which was lovely, it has a fantastic cosy little bar area as you wait. The staff were very friendly and accommodating. We are so glad we waited as the Sunday lunch was outstanding! Quality food and a lovely warm atmosphere. We just happened to come across this pub but we will back and with our family for another Sunday lunch! Thank you for a lovely afternoon.

A king of a Sunday lunch. Food cooked to perfection by a talented chef. Everything was totally fresh, presented well and served by friendly staff. Superb rustic dining experience. Cosy and enchanting with candles in bottles lit on all tables and small centrepieces of seasonal foliage. Totally charming. We have visited here previously for evening meals and tried their alfresco bank holiday bbq’s. All of the above have been stepped up a level and in a different league.

Great meal here today. Really lovely combination great spot for food

This is our favourite pub when we come for a break away. Amazing food and lovely staff

I didn’t use the rooms. It was a stopover on my way back from Scotland to have Sunday lunch. Amazing food, service from the owners. He explained in details where their cheese came from when cheese board was served and where the wines and spirit were from so I can appreciate the efforts of locally sourced, distinguished sources. Reasonable priced and their chocolate bomb is even better than one famous restaurant’s chocolate bomb I tried. Definitely make this my next trip stopover again. Booking is advised. It is a very busy place. They do kids menu or any adult dishes at kid portion.

Superb food, friendly staff, unpretentious cosy pub. A very talented chef and team. Could not recommend highly enough.

Excellent quality ingredients, excellent food preparation and presentation, excellent service, excellent taste! Thank you!

Absolutely fantastic place! We visited on Friday 23rd August on our way to our campervan stopover destination for something to eat. The food was incredible and the service was prompt and very personable. It's just a shame we don't live closer because we would visit every weekend for a drink! Will certainly visit again in the future though! Thank you again for a great experience and for letting us stay over in the car park.

Stayed for 1 night as it was near ripon it was lovely the food was out of this world locally sourced ingredients and breakfast was amazing room was comfortable and clean staff were friendly and helpful could not recommended it enough were dog lovers and there are plenty here

Stopped for Sunday lunch. Had a lovely welcome from every member of staff. Great decor. The food was delicious, beautifully presented, great quality.And my highly recommends the cheesy leeks.

Gorgeous lunch, great atmosphere and wonderful service! Lovely kids menu too! Very happy customers 😊

Food amazing,kind,chatty, very helpful staff.Amazing service.Overall excellent.will definitely be coming back soon!:)

Lovely village pub. Great ales and atmosphere.

Cards on the table - we won a 3 course meal + wine at the Bruce Arms in a charity event. Was it a good prize? Not half👍. The welcome was extremely friendly and the service throughout was 10/10. The food was exceptional - I had the 2 specials - starter scallops and main course duck. The taste suggests they only use the very best ingredients - small point, but I’ve never tasted tomatoes quite like the ones we had. Both starter and main course were memorable and my wife had the soup and sea bass and she was just as impressed. Acid test - would I return and pay full price - bear in mind I’m a Yorkshireman but the answer is an unequivocal YES. Mark has a great team and he was an outstanding host. Like the Terminator - “we will be back”👏👏👏👏 ps. the beer was exceptional as well

I loved this pub! On entering I immediately preferred it to the other in the village and the welcome was 10 times better. I wish we'd have sampled the food here instead, but we just managed a couple of drinks. The beer garden is nice and gets the sun, they brought games for the children and everywhere is dog friendly. I definitely hope to return to this pub.

Excellent Sunday Lunch. Highly recommended. Very easy to book on the website. Good service and very friendly staff. Dogs welcome.

Had an excellent meal with my wife. Black pudding and bacon lardons with pouched egg, very good. Mains was rump of lamb which was outstanding. Wife had rock bass also excellent. Lovely old country pub with good gastro food and dog friendly. Would recommend and will return.

Dårlig service. Havde ikke styr på hvilke øl de havde. Personalet virkede meget uengagerede. Placerede os i næsten tom restaurant ved siden af et stort larmende selskab med små børn.

Note: we came here for dinner so did not see the rooms. We visited the Bruce Arms on Saturday for dinner with family. We were staying in East Tanfield for the weekend and found the restaurant online. It was absolutely fantastic! We had a vegetarian, a pescatarian and a number of meat eaters in our group and everyone agreed that it was one of the best meals they had had in a very long time! The restaurant itself was beautiful and welcoming and the staff were great too. The food was the real winner - definitely recommend!

Ate in the Restaurant today to celebrate our friends Birthday. Very nice food served with a smile and friendly staff. Not a huge menu but enough. Thank you. 😀. Steve B.

The host was very welcoming and happy for us to let our dog in too. Food was outstanding 👌 Beef was tender and pink. Pork was tender too. And 'proper' Yorkshire's no frozen pre-made rubbish. Good Sunday Roasts and a selection of cask and keg ales too, so husband was well catered for.

Superb Sunday lunch - beautiful setting, great feel - food is outstanding - as good as any Sunday lunch I have had … I could go on … and on - just go … serious member of the Ripon/Rural foodie Revolucion - Richo Manchega X

Greeted cordially inside the door by Matt the landlord who then proceeded to do most of the hosting and explained the menu, wine list cheese board etc himself. Directed his staff respectfully and gently. Cooking was excellent - chalk stream trout was absolutely delicious. Also great were Hispi cabbage starter, asparagus and cheese tart duck breast. Cheeses were from the famed Courtyard Dairy and we're excellent . One unusual distinction was a selection of natural wines. Service food and ambience were great and we would have no hesitation in recommending this restaurant and would certainly come here again.

Just sat outside for drinks on our walk , lovely old pub & great service , they set a table tennis table up for a family in the beer garden too , a lady we met on our camp site had eaten there the night before & said it was delicious food .

Working around the area on helicopter powerline inspection. We found this gem. The best night sleep I have ever had. Beds are comfortable, service is great. I recommend the Irish coffee they serve here. (With rum not whisky) trust me! The area is beautiful, nice walks near by, a castle you can visit and walk through. By the river and with donkeys near by. Very friendly staff. The restaurant is closed on certain days but the pub down the road serves amazing food. I highly recommend this place, we travel a lot and gems like this are rare. You won’t regret the visit. We certainly will be back. Thanks guys. ☺️🫡

A brilliant pub with fabulous food and drink and lovely staff. This place is consistently great and suits the whole family (veggies, gluten frees and non drinkers included)

We stayed at a campsite close by for the weekend, and came for dinner on Friday and it was amazing we had to go back on Saturday and have another meal, both times the food was great and the service was fantastic. Our dogs were also made to feel very welcome and given water. Love the fact it also seemed like a local pub that made us tourists very welcome, we will definitely come again next Time we are in the area, love the fact the menus were dated looks like alot of effort goes into the menu to change the offerings. If you are in the area definitely worth dropping in to this pub which had a French style feel and beautiful courtyard.

Had drinks on Friday evening and food on Saturday. Can't recommend the place enough. Good atmosphere, food was fantastic and the service was brilliant. Would definitely recommend.

Had Sunday dinner here probably one of worst I've ever had lamb was nearly all fat wouldn't even feed my dog this 2 roast potatoes and rest of veg disgusting enough said never again please don't go there.

Great food, good wines including natural wines. Will definitely return. ... Have returned more then twice over the last few years and it's still just as good! Natural wines are good for the palette, environment and the head 😁 (presumably from lower sulphite levels). The people here really know their stuff. We were indecisive and had some great help choosing main courses and matching wine (which went well with the main courses and absolutely brilliantly with the starters).

Keep 'Bobbing on' with your fantastic food, great service and ambience.... great rapport with your guests, delightful evening as always. Thank you.

Gorgeous place. Going back tomorrow. Just what a village pub should be. Perfect.

Every course cooked to perfection. A varied and imaginative menu, very informative and friendly girl taking orders. All the staff were friendly and had the balance just right. A lovely and unpretentious restaurant and we had a great night. Can’t wait to get back. It’s hard to find places like this.

Super friendly service and food was absolutely delicious. Great ambience and cute decor with lots of lovely plants.

Very friendly staff. Helpful through the booking system. Adapted menus for lactose intolerance to give multiple options. Dog friendly. Cozy rooms and delicious food. Great atmosphere and quick service.

Amazing service, fabulous staff, great food. Top notch all around.

Jade made us so welcome in what was a major issue for the village, no water. The whole staff went well above and beyond to serve their customers. Much better experience than the pub by the river. Thank you Jade and staff, we will be back. Cheers. XxX

Dined here on Christmas Eve with family of Six. A warm welcome, great service and Food! One of the best menus I have seen in a long while and everyone enjoyed their lunch. I would recommend dinning here if you are passing by or staying in the area.

Excellent pub not far from the motorway way made it a great stop en route to Edinburgh. We walked in to find the bar full of locals but the friendly staff immediately saw us and showed us to our room. The food was excellent, the winelist is well thought out and fairly priced and there is a wide selection of cocktails and digestives. The room was comfortable and clean but could do with a bit of updating. All the staff are very well trained and Matt, the landlord, clearly runs a tight ship that gives the place a very relaxed feel. Thank you all.

Great, relaxed pub setting but with exceptional dining experience. The food and service put some more supposed high end restraunts I have eaten in to shame. All 3 courses were fantastic. Matt was an amazing host and his presentation of the delicious cheese board at the end of our meal showed his passion for quality! Highly recommended !!!

Fantastic country pub with a brilliant and friendly team led by a knowledgeable landlord. Delicious food. Worth a detour.

Highly recommend amazing tasting food, fantastic team. ReL fires & dog friendly 10/10

Beautiful pub. Lovely dining room where our large party ate last night. Fabulous food served in a candle lit dining room with a roaring fire. Lovely staff. Thanks for hosting us.

Superb. 5 of us went on Saturday night, 1st time for myself, and we weren't disappointed. Menu isn't vast, but personally, I like that as too much choice isn't always a good thing Service was great food was top notch and all at a reasonable price Defoe recommend 👌 We will be back👍

4 of us Stopped here for 1 night, the bedroom was quaint, all of them were named after famous Bruce's. We had the Ken Bruce and the Bruce Springsteen! Booked in for evening meal which was fantastic, warm runny yolk Scotch egg,followed by Braised Beef Cheek and Sticky Toffee Pudding with Vanilla ice cream all were excellent! Good selection of wines and a nice pint of Theakstones bitter.The breakfast was also excellent, quality bacon sausage blackpudding with tomatoe mushrooms beans and lovely egg! Warm Croissants and Pan au chocolat home made jam cereal if you wanted it and a fantastic Apple and Rhubarb juice. Matt was a fantastic host and I would recommend a night at the Bruce Arms with or without your dog and I nice country walk!

Food excellent. Didn't stay so can't grade rooms

A superior menu from a chef who knows how to create sumptuously tasty food. Highly recommended.

Staying at a nearby retreat we booked to eat lunch at The Bruce Arms, in the village of West Tanfield on both the Friday and the Sunday. I want you to know that this could so easily be an "excellent" review but for encountering a familiar problem. We have a vegetarian in our party and when we are planning to visit somewhere new we will always be looking at your website menus to see what's on offer. When we arrive to find that your actual menu is different from the one advertised on your website it will always lead to disappointment. My partner had the vegetable tart tartin on offer and thought it was a bit chunky and raw but ok. I had the sausage and mash special which was absolutely incredible with homemade sausage roll, sweet with herbs, beautiful black pudding, a Lincolnshire sausage, the most creamy, buttery mash, lovely veg and wonderful red wine sauce. It really was fantastic and the 3rd person in our party had the soup and a mackerel pate both of which were excellent. On the Sunday for lunch it's just the 2 of us. Again on your website the vegetarian choice of nut roast is advertised and we are looking forward to it but when we arrive we find that the menu we are given has no nut roast but now has the vegetable tart tartin again which we don't want. The staff were wonderful and accommodating and sorted out a veggie Sunday lunch with veggie gravy. My roast pork Sunday lunch was again absolutely incredible, delicious and wonderful. I fully understand that you say that the menu is subject to change and you need to be able to do that for the benefit of the business but it really would help if you included your website offering in those changes.

Called up at last minute this evening, a table was available in 30 minutes, we arrived to a full bar, full of locals, I mean full, the atmosphere was brilliant lots of chatting and laughter, a Landlords dream, our meal was delivered promptly despite the Pub being so busy, Staff were attentive even though they were run off their feet, quality of our meal was excellent, so pleased to see a village Pub so busy, we will back soon

We both had the sirloin steak which whilst a little pricey at £35, was well worth the money. It was big, beautifully cooked and very tasty. There was nothing to fault, the chips were possibly the nicest we have ever had and the mushroom, tomatoe and salad accompanying the dish were great too. Nicely renovated as a traditional country pub and great service too. Highly recommend.

Absolutely amazing -we had been previously and took our family this time and it certainly didn’t disappoint! We all agreed it was the best Sunday dinner we have ever had!

We went for a roast, and we can honestly say that it was the best roast that we've ever had! We ordered the terrine to start and then the beef roast, with all the trimmings! It was so tasty and perfectly cooked! The staff we're super helpful and friendly. Highly recommend this roast for anyone visiting the North of Yorkshire!

only stopping for a main course lunch service was quick and efficient, old Jamaica ginger beer sweet and fiery. I has venison haunch that was cooked spot on with plenty of juicy ruby red meat to match the red and yellow beets that came with it. flavorful juice and extra plate of mixed greens elevated the meal. she had the cod and chorizo with potatoes a proper ramp up on the usual fish and chips. really liked the whole place, people and food.

I’m not sure which Bruce Arms Sam L from Knaresborough reviewed (see below) but the one we went to yesterday was super. Very friendly staff and super Sunday lunch. The cauliflower cheese was absolutely delicious too. We had coffee outside as the weather was lovely. The baklava served with it was a lovely touch and tasty too. The outside seating area is very pleasant and we saw someone adding more plants etc to make it even nicer. We will be back. Well done to all concerned.

We live locally and have been a couple of times for Sunday lunch and recently on an evening. Genuinely think it’s fantastic, from drink selection to the food, waiting staff etc. In a time when many pubs are struggling, this one appears to be thriving and deserves supporting. We will certainly be back.

Top notch Sunday lunch, 3 course's of very well presented quality food and excellent beer

Just had a drink in beer garden, lovely staff ☺️

We had a great meal,service was great too ,if in the area again we'll be back to the bruce Arms

Good beer, excellent roasts and attentive staff.

Great food great service. Thanks!

Maybe it's historic, but The Bull, down the road, is a much better pub for me.

Lovely very friendly and very welcoming staff. Nothing was too much trouble. The food is excellent and very well presented. Thoroughly enjoyed our stay and definitely will be going back again. Well done to Matt and all his staff. Thank you for a very enjoyable stay.

The Bruce Arms is the perfect blend of rustic country charm and culinary brilliance. Cosy and inviting with a wonderful host and staff. There is a great selection of drinks/wine. But the real star of the show is the food. Eaten here a few times now, most recently for a delicious Sunday dinner. The well crafted menu always seems to have changed with the season resulting in a great dining experience, with delicious vegetarian options too. If you're seeking a genuine taste of the local area with a great Yorkshire welcome and top-notch fare, look no further than The Bruce Arms. A true gem to which we will keep returning!

Shocking... Clearly under new management and forgotten to hire a chef. Scary to think that people may visit Yorkshire and a meal here could shape thier opinion of the area. We booked a meal after reviewing the google reviews and photos. It was clear that the majority of photos and reviews are from previous ownership/management. The dinning area was dirty and dusty. The toilets were even worse.... The food, priced at about 30 quid for 2 courses implied it was going to save the experience.... not the case. The beef and cooked well, but the rest of the meal was shocking. Burnt yorkshires, raw cauliflower cheese and the potatos definitely werent made within the days service and I w be surprised if they had been warmed up from the week before. After expressing our disappointment staff were kind enough to remove the food from out bill as we hadnt eaten it and we paid the bill they provided. When leaving we were approached by a drunk man (I think his name was Ben). He asked if we had paid for the meal to which we stated we settled the bill. He then asked the question twice more, getting more aggressive. At this point we asked if he was the manager to which he replied he was a mate of the owners. We ended up heading into Ripon for some dinner. I'd advise anyone else to do the same.

Shocking... Clearly under new management and forgotten to hire a chef. Scary to think that people may visit Yorkshire and a meal here could shape thier opinion of the area. We booked a meal after reviewing the google reviews and photos. It was clear that the majority of photos and reviews are from previous ownership/management. The dinning area was dirty and dusty. The toilets were even worse.... The food, priced at about 30 quid for 2 courses implied it was going to save the experience.... not the case. The beef was cooked well, but the rest of the meal was shocking. Burnt yorkshires, raw cauliflower cheese and the potatos definitely werent made within the days service and I wouldn't be surprised if they had been warmed up from the week before. After expressing our disappointment staff were kind enough to remove the food from out bill as we hadnt eaten it and we paid the bill they provided. When leaving we were approached by a drunk man (I think his name was Ben). He asked if we had paid for the meal to which we stated we settled the bill. He then asked the question twice more, getting more aggressive. At this point we asked if he was the manager to which he replied he was a mate of the owners. We ended up heading into Ripon for some dinner. I'd advise anyone else to do the same.

Stopped by for an evening meal during the week. The food is top notch, very tasty indeed. Very friendly staff. The landlord is very sociable! Nice family atmosphere with the kids running around. Very enjoyable, thank you!

Heerlijk steak gegeten in de achtertuin. Goed gebakken, voldoende groenten en garnering! Leuke locatie!

Called in for Sunday lunch today, with the little dog we were looking after. Everything was nice and relaxed. We got drinks at the bar and then opted for a 2 course meal (starter and main). The tomato and chilli soup came with a chunk of sour dough bread and herby butter. The salmon was done miso style. The main course of pork and beef were delicious too, with veg and roasties. All washed down with pint of real ale. Recommended.

Brilliant food, excellent landlord and well trained staff. Cute, cosy friendly pub!

Visited for a big family meal. Food and service were both great

Friendly and cosy pub. Lovely bedrooms. Great food cooked and served with flair. Lamb Henry was tender and the chef was happy to swop couscous for green veggies. Tasty breakfasts. Beer was good too!

All the rooms are named after famous Bruces ! You have Fiona Bruce (obviously), Ken Bruce, Robert the Bruce, Bruce Forsyth etc We stayed in the Bruce Bannerman aka the Incredible Hulk room and very comfortable it was too. The food was extraordinary, I had the lamb Henry and, my goodness, was it tasty. Mrs MaverickTendency had the Bacon and Queen scallop Caesar which apparently was equally wonderful. All washed down with wonderful Theakston bitter brewed just up the road in Masham. I can thoroughly recommend the Bruce Arms, some of the best food I've had. A visit to the church and the Marmion Tower (English Heritage site) is recommended.

First visit and the food was amazing, staff all lovely, helpful and friendly

Exceptional food and service from the team, very friendly staff. Lovely outside area & great beer. 100% would recommend + very dog friendly.

Friendly staff and a good pint.

The best beer garden by far!! The food is also really great quality.

Great service staff very friendly. The food was excellent will always use the Bruce Arms.

Magical place to enjoy a nice IPA in the Sunshine. Staff make you feel welcomed 😊

Excellent food at this lovely pub for a very special family occasion. Thank you to everyone involved.

Nice enjoyed room ok food eatable made comfortable

Cosy pub serving incredible food. Well worth a visit

Arrived short notice and the management and staff couldn’t have been more welcoming. Great staff, great food.

Excellent food and drinks, fantastic attentive staff. I'm stuffed 🙂

We popped in for a coffee followed by a Sunday roast the next day. Super friendly landlord and the staff are all lovely. One of the best roasts I’ve had in ages (the cheesy Leeks are an absolute essential upgrade). Epic sticky toffee pudding and a short but sweet selection of draft beers 🍻

Good food, well served and reasonably priced

Excellent beer and fabulous staff. Loved it here

Lovely pub serving delicious meals. Friendly atmosphere, and a great Team working there. Clearly a well managed establishment with a good wine selection, and a knowledgeable host.

Lovely place for a night away celebrating our anniversary. The room was comfortable and clean with everything you needed. The food in the restaurant was gorgeous for both our evening meal and breakfast and nothing was too much trouble for the staff. Service from Matt and his team was impeccable throughout our stay, we'll definitely be back!!