The Curious Cow Of Harrogate in Harrogate

I emailed The curious cow on 27th Dec after our terrible experience on Boxing Day evening and sent a follow up email on 3rd Jan and still have not had any communication from the - copy of email content : We booked for a table of 13 at 6.15 Boxing Day evening. We had been looking forward to this family meal, as my son had come up from Bath with my grandchildren for the Christmas holidays. We have been to your restaurant in several occasions and thought we would get a decent meal, firstly a soup starter came out stone cold but then I was so embarrassed when our mains arrived. It was awful. The turkey dinners looked like they had been in the oven since lunchtime and some of the food was inedible- burnt sprouts, burnt sausage meat, burnt pigs in blankets and rock hard roast potatoes and soggy turkey Needless to say - a lot of it didn’t get eaten. Those who did eat it did so because they were hungry and hadn’t eaten much during the day due to wanting to enjoy their evening out. I did complain at the time and had the cost of 3 meals deducted from the bill, but it totally spoilt our family night out and some people left feeling hungry still. I understand the need to prep food in advance as my son who attended last night has worked in hospitality all his life running restaurants and hotels, but what was served last night was beyond ‘prepping in advance’ given you had the orders well in advance. Given the deposit and bill cost nearly £400, it was really poor and I also felt a bit sorry for the servers having to serve those meals out to customers. Really disappointing that we had a really bad experience and no one has had the courtesy to respond.

A great place to go with family and friends! Dog friendly! Amazing customer service. I was never disappointed, I always get something different to try and extra sweet potato fries, they are the best I ever tasted! ❤️

Staff were friendly enough, however the service was very poor. Plates left in front of us until the following course arrived. The food was very bad indeed. My starter had been deep-fried to within an inch of its life. A real shame, as previously I had enjoyed visits here.

Pre booked meal for 12 people , 29th Dec 3.30pm family get together .sevice was terrible waited 2 hrs+ for starters and mains, meals nice but no yorkshire pud on roasts ? my 4 yr old granddaughter was patiently waiting for her ice cream so she could have a choc treat ,and was upset as her choc melted as waited so long , nearly £400 Paid so will not return

Came here for a lunch time meal for my grandma's birthday later that week. When booking online, she had made a seating location request, but upon arrival, we weren't sat where she'd requested at all (but she was too polite to mention it), despite us being 1 of 2 maybe 3 other guests in the whole building. The strong smokey smell from where we sat was enough to start a headache for me which isn't a great start to a meal and not an aroma I particularly enjoy eating my food to. Our waiter was a tall, red-headed man with glasses. He was friendly enough but severely lacked any energy or enthusiasm at all and generally felt a bit awkward and sheepish and lost. We ordered our food and waited in the very smokey smelling, tumble-weed deserted restaurant for our food. Moments before our food was due to be brought out, I saw our waiter talking to another member of staff, PICK SOMETHING OUT OF HIS TEETH and put it back in his mouth to swallow, whilst talking and making eye contact to this colleague, before going into the kitchen to moment later bring out our food. I didn't mention anything as my family would have caused a scene, and it seems this guy already doesn't like his job as it is, but what the hell. In the dining area. Face to face with a colleague. Before immediately bringing our plates out. Couldn't believe it. Anyway, our food was nice. My mac and cheese was nice and had good cheesy flavour, but normally chorizo is a very fatty, oily sort of meat which oozes colour and flavour, and to say my mac was so hot when served, the chorizo almost seemed uncooked. No rich chorizo flavour, no colour from it being cooked leaking into my mac for a nice meaty flavour, or any oil from the meat leaking out. Just chewy chunks of (seemingly) uncooked chorizo. Garlic bread was nice but WAYYY too garlic-y. Like, can feel it on your tongue and in your throat for hours garlic-y. I adore garlic, but this was too much even for me. Everyone else seemed to enjoy their food. My sister's pizza was hot and fresh, my grandma's steak pie seemed a little dry, but we all finished our food. Some of us got desserts, they were nice. Unexpected honeycomb on my sticky toffee pudding, and the custard wasn't a fresh homemade custard which I'd expect from that sort of menu and vibe, but was just like a standard can/carton of yellow custard. Luckily I had a voucher for 30% off main meals which almost made this place worth it. Let's just say I won't be rushing back. Very, very disappointed.

Lovely staff but too many food options wee fried or high in carbs.

It was honestly not only the best dining out at Christmas experience any of us had had, but one of the best pub roast dinners any of us have had. The environment was clean and bright, the staff we wonderful and the food was delicious. It really made our Christmas special! Thank you

Very disappointed arrived 11.30 ordered lunch about 12 the shared meal came out quickly then waited for the other meals. Only received them after going to the bar to question where the other meals were

The management of the Curious Cow was fantastic with helping us for Christmas lunch. Thank you so much for your wonderful service. The food was fabulous 👌. Will definitely be seeing you again on our next visit to Harrogate.

Very slow service and it wasn't because they were busy. We finished our starters snd were sat with empty plates for over 30 minutes and then the server came with our mains so we had to remove our emptues so she could put the mains down. No Christmas decorations in sight (from our table). Food OK but service and ambience lacking we won't be back.

Worst meal out ever. I pre-booked a table and pre-ordered from the festive menu. We arrived on time and were shown to a table. We ordered drinks and then waited for 45 minutes before any food arrived. During this time other dinners were complaining about their service and the standard of the food. One person refused to pay full price for their food and the staff were arguing between themselves. 4 of us ordered soup and it was cold. So after an hour we decided to leave and go somewhere else. We said that we had already paid a £25.00 deposit and that should cover our drinks bill and we left. The staff didn't seem surprised. It was almost like this was a routine day for them. I would not go back to this pub ever again.

Booked a table for 4 earlier that day, arrived and the place was electrified with energy and people enjoying themselves, was shown to the table, pleasant and fun ordering drinks and food, not a long wait for starters that were very enjoyable, then the mains arrived, all I can say is fantastic, food and staff.

Absolutely incredible service!! Jure and the team made our staff Christmas meal a wonderful experience. The food was amazing, the atmosphere was brilliant, the staff couldn't do enough. 10/10 service. Special mention to Jure who organised the private dining room which was super festive and fun and thank you for the welcome drink too - we really appreciate it. Would 100% recommend and all of us will be back!

Excellent night with friends. Staff were excellent and food amazing.

Great food, staff and atmosphere - nice and relaxed. Well worth a visit.

Very noisy in bar area but once moved into restaurant it was fine, more room too

Two visits, evening drink, lovely atmosphere, dogs welcome. Sunday lunch different atmosphere nice food.

The food was amazingly good quality. We had a Sunday roast and very impressed with the quantity and flavour. Although we were totally full we couldn’t resist the puddings. Above average price but used the 30% voucher off of mains.

We came for dinner on the way back from York and we got served by there amazing staff and got given probably some of the best food I have had from a pub

Two excellent nights, with good food & drinks and excellent staff, who looked after us well.

Very good food and service Dog friendly warm and cosy

Fantastic food, chorizo Mac and cheese especially good. Lovely desserts too. Great service, very friendly, will come again!

Disaster ! From the get go, we were ignored by staff, who continued to talk among themselves despite us obviously being waited to be seated. The restaurant was quite, only handful of people, and we were able to order pretty quickly. We ordered two main meals, a hunters chicken and a caesar salad. However ... Despite there only being a few people dinning, it still took 45 minutes for the two meals to come, and when did, they had managed to mistakenly make a macaroni cheese instead of a caesar salad ! Easy mistake ... Nevertheless, they took the food back to correct, and so another 15 minutes go by and the food eventually arrives, but unfortunately given the time, the hunters chicken is now lukewarm as it has been sat waiting for a salad to be made, which in itself took way to long to be made. The staff weren't apologetic and made very little conversation, no one asked how the meal was or apologised for the fact that it took an hour to make two meals, in a restaurant with a hand full of people. Disappointing I won't be going back and I would advise you stay clear too.

Friends 50th Birthday Celebration! Just wow on every level. As a fellow hospitality worker I arrived late which can be uncomfortable. Not here the welcome was lovely and even pointed me in the direction of the Birthday Girl so I didn’t feel awkward. Pawel in particular was just great. Twice at the bar he knew the drinks off by heart and was just a joy. Late on things can slip but not him. He served my first drink and the last round of nuts drinks with the same ease and smile. I would be very happy if he was part of my team, you are lucky to have him. Thank you for a lovely night. Highly recommend.

Pub was freezing, asked them to put fire on said they would. Waited 10mins nobody came to put fire on . Went to the bar and asked somebody else. His reply was something wrong with the fire, was it a fees able excuse ! if you want a cosy drink and cheap drinks keep away. Pint of Moretti and Rose blush pinot. £15.10 ! will be not be coming again. If you want to freeze your nuts off and pay for over priced unwelcoming and uncozy pub go somewhere else. ! !

Super friendly Staffel, yummy food and really nice and spacious restaurant

Great venue and atmosphere. Polite helpful service. The food was excellent.

Stopped off on the way home from York, very busy but managed to fit us in. Ordered roasts and we were not disappointed. Food was really good, well cooked and presented. This place is obviously popular with locals and travellers alike as it really filled up while we were there. Tender beef great vegetables and proper Yorkshire pudding. If I had one criticism it would be that it needed a little more gravy, which by the way was really nice, deep rich flavour just needed a little more. Worth a visit 😊

Very slow service ,good prawn cocktail ,tasteless baked Camembert ,slimy pate. Good coffee and Childs cheese burger meal

Visited on Sunday after seeing recommendations. Absolutely fantastic place. Service was great. The food was very good, had the roast. We will definitely be coming again the next time we are in the area.

Great service from Joe - definately will return

The pub looks great after it's makeover, we hadn't been for a while. It felt light, airy and warm. The staff were friendly and attentive. We went on a Sunday and it was busy but didn't feel overcrowded. We had dishes from the main menu, rather than the traditional Sunday lunch. The calamari and sauce was great. Sea bass and the burgers were delicious. We were too full for dessert. We will definitely book again.

Lovely meal and atmosphere, brilliant service especially from Jo

Only had drinks so can comment on food. Place was spotless and staff very friendly and welcoming David served us and was so polite, made sure we had everything we needed and had a chat, made sure we was warm enough as it was very cold and snowy out...directed us over to seats near the fire. Would highly recommend.

Brilliant service and food and David was amazing!

Superb, had I noticed the pizza oven I might have had pizza. Very goood service.

Great service, friendly. Came for a wedding meal, everyone enjoyed

Love the service at this place. They really can’t do enough for you. As for the pizzas - wow! Really nice. Recommend just for those. Have been again many times. Today (28.10.23) went for the newer menu. My god! The ham hock is absolutely melt in the mouth delicious and my mum had the chicken tikka which was also really nice. I am seriously considering visiting every week just so I can try the other things in the menu! (The sausages and mash looks amazing) 😄 Unfortunately, since Michael and his team left, this place has gone downhill. Such a shame.

Excellent food and David our waiter was brilliant 👏

The food was excellent, and the service was outstanding. David was attentive and made sure we had everything we needed.

david is amazing 5 star service

Great atmosphere service and food! Thank you Dave , the chef x

A fantastic meal in a lovely setting.Friendly service from the staff. A big thanks to David who looked after us on the night

Lovely setting, great food and looked after very well by David. Looking forward to coming back.

Food was great and an absolutely brilliant service by David!

Loved the atmosphere and the food and drink were great .David who served us was a top bloke and couldn't do enough for us . Would definitely recommend

Had a lovely dinner this evening, food was super and all of the party of six had a great time. Thank you to David and the rest of the guys who served us tonight, lovely friendly and welcoming. We will be back!!

Me and my brother came for food and the whole experience was lovely. The staff were so friendly and the food was gorgeous. I had the chorizo truffle mac and cheese with garlic bread and it was amazing! I never leave reviews but the whole experience was 10/10 !

Nice spot but lacks any kind of atmosphere. Another gastro pub. Nice setting, tones of parking and spacious inside. We didn't eat but the food coming out of the kitchen looked good.

had food at the bar joe was lovely, food and service was amazing definitely coming again!!!

Top service, really friendly staff. Food is always high quality and served fresh and hot. I brought my mum for her birthday and the staff went above and beyond by bringing a desert and singing Happy Birthday. Thank you so much for a lovely evening and we will definitely return soon

First time visiting as we pass through - Lovely food and host was lovely

We had an amazing experience at the Curious Cow! Jure, our server, was fantastic—friendly, attentive, and full of great recommendations. Every dish was delicious, with perfect flavors and presentation. Highly recommend!

Excellent service from Jure and David. I would always recommend the Curious Cow.

Welcome is warm. Pub is well decorated inside. Restaurant area is lovely and light with good views outside. Service was prompt. Food was delicious especially the roast dinners. Have booked for next month.

On Wednesday 30th October Three of us visited the curious cow in Harrogate for early evening meal two of the meals were fine unfortunately one of the meals that was ordered was chicken skewers on pita bread, we were asked if we wanted to add an extra skewer which we said yes, the waiter came back and said he was sorry, but there was only one chicken skewer left when the meal arrived it was absolutely disgusting. It tasted off It smelt very off and made us all feel very sick It just been on the table with the smell. We told the waiter who was looking after us and he dismissed it by saying it was a vegan sauce. He showed us the menu, but to his surprise it did not say that it was a vegan sauce? Even if it was it was off! He did actually bring a new pitter bread just plain one with nothing on it. Of course we couldn’t eat this, It was very dry so one of us left very Hungry! when it came to paying the waiter did put a 30% discount on The overall bill which he said he does for everybody at the moment because there is an offer on I did say to him I didn’t think I should be charged for the meal and how unhappy I was with it but he insisted I pay so unfortunately he’s lost another customer. We have been to the curious cow before and enjoyed our experience but unfortunately this time and the dismissal of what we were trying to say, we would not go back.

Amazing especially our waiter David

My parents and I have just visited this location for a birthday meal. I ordered the chicken kebab, which tasted very strongly of sour cream (there was clearly a white sauce drizzled over the pita and fillings). When questioned with the waiter, he advised it wasn’t sour cream but vegan mayo. I explained that the sauce tasted off and sour and requested a fresh pita to transfer the meat over into (3 pieces of Quebec chicken). I ate the three pieces of plain chicken with less than half of the fresh pita bread, as to not make a fuss of the birthday meal for my parents. When the waiter took the plates I encouraged him to smell the plate as you could clearly smell the sourness of the “mayo”. Long story short, we were charged full price and they hadn’t offered for any substitution. If you’re thinking of going, don’t, there’s a much better pub just down the road towards skipton on the left.

David was a great waiter, took a picture for us and kept making jokes all the way through, excellent thank you

Fantastic place! Really nice inside. We were greeted straight away by David who looked after us from start to finish. Lovely food, great location and amazing service.

The chef needs a lesson on how to make a Yorkshire pudding, almost a pancake today! Meal pleasant but not hot!

Food was lovely but unfortunately the service was very slow. We were going to get desserts but changed our minds after waiting about 20 mins for someone to come to our table. People who came after us got there food/desserts before us.

I waited for around five minutes at the door, clearly visible to a waiter who didn’t approach right away. I was particularly anxious because my 89-year-old father, who is disabled and unsteady on his feet, had insisted on walking in with just his cane, leaving his walker behind. I was worried he might fall. When the waiter eventually arrived, he brushed past us without a greeting and curtly asked me to move out of the way while fetching menus. I tried to explain that my father needed a seat promptly due to his mobility issues, as I was feeling increasingly concerned. To be fair, the waiter did take good care of us after that initial interaction, but the experience left me quite upset for the first hour of our visit.

What a cosy venue! Loved this little find and the food was great too! Everything clean and tidy food cooked perfectly & a super homely feel - nice place indeed

From the warm welcome we received when we arrived to leaving was fantastic. The food was hot, and very tasty and the service was really good, our young waitress Emily was an absolute delight. Price was pretty reasonable aswell for 3 people, 3 courses with drinks £130... Will definitely return. Only managed to take pictures of the starters as mains and dessert couldn't wait to eat.

Yeah... just don't bother. Corporate rubbish.

Brilliant food and good atmosphere

Enjoyed the food and cheerful and pleasant quick service

Very impressed with quality of food, friendliness of staff and the function room that they made available to celebrate my parents Diamond Wedding anniversary.

Great evening with family celebrating a birthday, great service from David, will be back again.

First visit, lovely restaurant and amazing food. Had the sea bass and it was the tastiest meal I've had in a very long while. Thank you, we will be back

Great food and service, highly recommend you visit.

We were greeted by a lovely man on arrival, given a menu and we sat down near the fire as it was freezing out. Unfortunately the fire was not giving out any heat. We ordered drinks and food which arrived in good time. The fish and chips were ok, My roast chicken was way over cooked to the point of being dry, thank goodness it had a sauce, the flavour was nice. Atmosphere was Nill it was cold and had more staff than customers, we had a taste card voucher so made the meal worth the visit but unfortunately nothing made us want to return. Sorry.

Lovely food, lovely setting! Great choice of pub food and amazing pizzas! Staff very friendly and helpful Would recommend!

Food was great and our server Emily was amazing too

Came for a lovely catch up with family and ordered a steak each. Was lovely came out in good time and was done exactly how we asked for it. Very lovely staff and fantastic environment, highly recommend.

David and the guys and girls behind the bar were super friendly and welcoming. I live locally and the food and drink selection is great. Great selection of beers and spirits, pizzas are fantastic! Also available to take out! Great spot!

Great spot and great food. Staff super friendly and joe really helpful with the kids and dogs deffo recommend and will go again

Lovely Sunday lunch with great service. We sat in the conservatory area which was a bit warm. Would highly recommend

Great food & drinks, and thanks to David for looking after us 👍

Absolutely beautiful food fantastic atmosphere and reasonable prices for the quality received would definitely go again

Great evening celebrating a birthday with the kids. Emily was great and looked after us. Great food and great service, thanks

I popped in on my lunch break with some colleagues and was seated by a guy from behind the bar. Got our food and a new waiter came in and he was very helpful he was having a laugh with the table next to us about a crumble and made what was a complaint about the bowl size into a great and funny experience for us and the table. We left happy and will return next week. Dave with the beard well done and thank you.

I ordered a bitter shandy, which when it came tasted awful. I asked for it to be changed and was made to feel like it was my fault. The drink was changed and it was better. After waiting for nearly an hour for our food to arrive, when it did it was cold and I was left feeling very disappointed. I had been looking forward the lunch all week and left feeling very very disappointed. The only saving grace was that the waiter who served us, recognised the poor experience and offered free deserts. However the moment had been spoilt and I will not be recommending this place at all

We were warmly welcomed by a gentleman upon arrival, which was a nice touch. Although the area was quite dark at first, they promptly turned on the lights, which improved the ambiance. I ordered a tonic water, but it was flat, despite being bottled. When I informed the waitress, she mentioned that it would take a while to get a replacement because the bar was very busy, which seemed odd, as she returned promptly. A simple "I’m sorry, let me fix that for you as soon as possible" would have been more appropriate. Unfortunately, the overall service was lacking. It took almost an hour for our starter—a Camembert to share among four—to arrive, which felt excessive. Additionally, once I finished my drink, no one offered a refill, so I ended up settling for table water. On a positive note, the mains arrived quickly after the starter, and the steaks were perfectly cooked and delicious. The pie was also very good, though the chicken was overcooked. Overall, I would rate the experience a 6/10. The 30% offer made it worthwhile, but I don’t plan on returning.

Really friendly and quick service. David was our server.Nice food.

Called in after day at Fountains Abbey having passed many times and wondered about the place. Fantastic welcome from chef Dave. Excellent recommendations from him. My husband had lamb shank and said it was the best he had had👍 The tikka masala was spot on for me too. Give it a go, you won't be disappointed and the price is reasonable too. Thanks Dave🎉

Emily, Dave and Lucy were fab :)

Came here for Sunday lunch, it was absolutely delicious. Great variety of vegetables and the beef was melt in the mouth. Lashings of gravy, loved the extra pigs and blankets. We even took the fresh stonebaked pizzas home for tea! Made right in front of us!

It was an accident that we stopped here…..so glad we did Jure and Dave were amazing ….beat service! Thank you gentlemen! …..and the pizza was the best ever…..and we are picky!

David is a top guy! Lovely evening and nice vibes 😊

A few items on the menu not available and had to ask 3 times to get our table water. Other than that, service very good and food quality and quantity excellent. From a poor starting point last Christmas, current management and staff have turned things round and we have been back several times and been impressed each time. We will be going again.

Great food, friendly and attentive service at a great price.

Nice experiance lamb was amazing ,Jure and Dave are great

David was brilliant. Fast service and very quick to make sure everything was okay for us, thanks!

The food was amazing I thoroughly enjoyed it, still given 5 for service although this was a bit slow however I will definitely go back again.

I hate to write a poor review, but I hope this feedback helps. The location is great, the staff are nice, and the atmosphere is lovely. However, I have to give it 2 stars, solely for the food. We celebrated my birthday with a shared camembert, steak pie, and halloumi and pepper kebabs. While we appreciated being seated quickly without a reservation, the food was very disappointing and overpriced. The camembert (advertised for sharing), priced at £15, came with just one sliced bread roll. The steak pie was the worst I’ve ever had; there was no meat whatsoever, just gravy, making it feel like a waste of pastry. The only positive to the dish was that the vegetables and mash were nice. However, it is completely pointless to have nice vegetables and mash if the main part of the meal is terrible. My mother ordered a wrap that had only two pieces of pepper and two pieces of halloumi, served with some shop-bought fries - definitely not worth £17. There was no creativity or effort to provide a homemade, tasty meal. It’s unfortunate that such a nice place offers subpar food, especially at these prices. Mains put us off ordering dessert so cannot comment on those. We won’t be returning, but wish the business all the best.

Excellent food with excellent attentive staff. Our thanks to Emily. India and David. It was our grandsons last meal before joining the army at 16.

We had a really relaxed night. The music wasn't too loud and the food was nice. Our waiter, David, was pleasant, jovial and attentive. Couldn't have asked for better service. Thank you

Food was great, as was the service, David our waiter was brilliant, what great asset to the curious cow