The Malt Shovel in Harrogate

This is not my visit to this delightful coaching inn. My brother was visiting from Australia, so I booked for us and our Dad for dinner. We were greeted by the lovkey Laura who always makes you feel welcome, as do any of the other members of the front of house team. We all enjoyed starters, mains and made sure we left room for a delicious dessert. James’s cooking is sublime, our food was delicious, beautifully cooked and well presented. I love the atmosphere here, it’s gentle, relaxing and allows for conversation to flow no matter how busy the inn is. This place is a gem and if you’re in the area then I recommend anyone to book a table and visit to enjoy some delicious food.

A warm, friendly atmosphere awaits all visitors. We booked a table with dogs and were shown to it immediately. The service was excellent throughout the meal, with no delays; even though the Pub was quite busy. We had two courses from the lunch time set menu, both of which were beautifully presented and very tasty. I would recommend the fish goujons, everything on the plate was of high quality and the chips were the best i have tasted for for some time. The Malt Shovel is well worth the drive to get there as only good things await you. Impressed.

We were a large party of 17 celebrating an 80th birthday. We were looked after so well with such attention to detail. The food and service were incredible! Thank you for enabling our family to celebrate together!

What a lovely little pub! My sister and I booked lunch based on the Trip Advisor reviews and we weren't disappointed. We were greeted by the lovely Rosie and ordered from the very well priced set menu. I had the Thai fish cakes and my sister the beetroot filo to start. Both were beautifully presented and tasted amazing We both had the steak pie for main. Generous portion size and every item was delicious. Pie pastry was light , it was packed with steak and the chips and perfectly cooked buttered greens were spot on! Deserts didn't disappoint either. I had the perfectly sized brownie and my sister the sticky toffee pud. Highly recommend! Well done to the team here this is a little gem in a pretty Yorkshire village setting.

Great atmosphere, fantastic food. Excellent service, would highly recommend Will be returning as best meal out in a long time

Lovely pub with great staff and nice food & beers. Definitely worth a visit. Dog friendly! Their lunch specials are really good value.

Excellent food and atmosphere, beautiful pub in an idyllic village

First visit, just popped in for a hot drink. Very warm welcome from Laura on entering. Nice wood burning stove pushing out heat into the bar area. Quite busy for a thursday lunchtime, everyone seemed to be eating. Food looked amazing at it came out. Coffee was very nice. Booked for New Year's Eve, can't wait. 2nd visit. Attended NYE celebrations. Food was amazing, guitarist very good. Great service & atmosphere. Definitely be rebooking for 2024. 3rd visit now. Went for lunch, very busy Friday lunch. Great lunch menu & new winter menu. Some lovely dishes took ages to decide. Opted for prawn & crab cocktail, king prawn tempura, mains we had haddock goujons & duck breast, managed pudding for one Sticky Toffee Pudding. All the food was delicious. Can't praise the chef enough. As always looked after by Laura. We will return. Thanks. 4th visit. Another faultless lunch at The Malt Shovel. Lovely returning welcome from Laura. Great choice on the menu, no rush which we enjoy. Highly recommend liver & onions , also Cajun Chicken sandwich and soup combo. Both meals arrived in due course, all freshly prepared, piping hot and very, very tasty. Hats off to James in the kitchen fo once again delivering 2 lovely tasting and presented meals. Already booked for upcoming birthday celebrations in May, might even squeeze in a Sunday lunch before then. Thanks again, Laura, James and the team at TMS. Sunday lunch on 7/4/24. Great roast lunch, lots of choice on menu. Recommend the malt mix ( choice of 3 meats from 4). All served with roast potatoes, cauliflower cheese sauce, roast carrots & parsnips, kale , gravy boat of gravy & yorkshire pudding. Delicious. 6th visit. Birthday celebration lunch for 4. Arrived early, it was already busy. Shown to table 6 ( red1), plenty of room on table and around it. Nice choice on menu, we all decided on 1 course from lunch menu. Food arrived piping hot, very tasty indeed. Highly recommend fish goujons, pie of the day, cajun chicken sandwich. Looked after once again by James in the kitchen and Laura front of house. We will definitely back, new summer menu launches 1/6/24. Can't wait to sample it. Another lovely meal and experience, all under the eagle eye of Laura. Definitely worth a visit, but book as it's very busy. Thanks . 7th visit, Sunday lunch. Very nice meal, roast lamb & roast pork. Can't fault the team at TMS. Thanks again to Laura James and all at TMS. We will definitely be returning, hopefully quite soon.

Absolutely fabulous food & service, the ladies really looked after us, the food was so well seasoned and portioned. Absolute text book high quality pub grub with the best service. A triumph!

Wonderful venue and service impeccable. Lunchtime food very good. Would definitely recommend!

Fabulous lunch at this gorgeous country pub. Superb home cooked food and excellent service, all at excellent prices. Two courses plus drinks for £54. An excellent start to my husband's week of birthday celebrations! We may as well quit while we're ahead, we'll not do better than this! Desperately looking fir another excuse to visit!!

Called in here when passing through the area, didn’t have a clue what it was like, ratings, cost, etc but so glad we did. It was amazing, what a lovely place where we were made to feel so welcome. We were seated straight away and our dog was fussed and given treats. Everything was explained, ie specials, etc and we were given menus with lots of choice. The drinks arrived quickly and our order made fresh. Plenty of choice including gluten free, bread options of white, wholemeal and soda. Complimentary bread and butter whilst waiting for our order went down a treat, the bread was beautiful and melted in your mouth! We had the sandwich/meal - two fish, lettuce and tomato and one bbq chicken. The sandwiches were a good size, packed with freshly cooked ingredients and the it came with a lovely salad and thick cut home made chips. Delicious!! The pub itself is old but tastefully decorated with a log burner which was lovely as it was a bit chilly and rainy outside. The tables were set and there was plenty of room so you didn’t feel close to other customers, which was great for the dog. We didn’t know what it expect but we left full and happy. We will recommend and will return although I would book to make sure you’re not disappointed. It does get busy and why wouldn’t it with such quality on offer! Thank you for a lovely lunch.

After reading all the five star reviews, my partner and I thought this character pub just up the road from our accommodation would be the perfect spot for our last UK dinner before flying home the following day. We were delighted by the atmospheric interior and friendly welcome and service. My partner was very happy with her fish and chips but my chick pea and veg tart arrived minus the chick peas and was very bland, and my herb butter new potatoes arrived in a basket minus any herb butter. Very disappointing when these “gastro pubs” don’t deliver key ingredients listed on menu.

Excellent Lunch at The Malt Shovel. The food was superb and the customer service outstanding. A special word for the lady who served us - she was very personable, enthusiastic, engaging and attentive. A breath of fresh air and makes such a difference to the whole experience. Can't fault the food, the ambience or the exceptional customer service. Would highly recommend.

Decided to pop in at the Malt Shovel. Phoned ahead, advised as it's very popular. Laura (Landlady) looking after us. Lunchtime menu recomended (£17.95) plumped for Devilled Oxe Kidneys followed by Steak Pie cooked by David (New chef). Well impressed with the food, good restaurant quality. Couldn't fault. Booked for Sunday Lunch for us to enjoy. Thank you for a lovely Lunch.

Food was amazing, as was the service.

Had lunch there today the food was delicious and the lady who served us was so friendly she couldn’t have done more to help .First time we have eaten here for years but it certainly won’t be years before we return .Absolutely fabulous

Beautiful old restaurant Lovely staff great service Food was outstanding will definitely be eating here when we return again next year Highly recommend

Excellent food friendly service, a good choice for a relaxing lunch.

We booked at the Malt Shovel as we were staying in the area for a weekend away. It was a lovely meal and served by very welcoming staff. A good menu choice and well-timed service complimented by pleasant live piano music. Will certainly go back when in the area again.

Fantastic olde worlde pub, great food, highly recommended

Incredibly disappointing. Food was underwhelming and luke warm. We did have a little amount taken off the bill to compensate but given the previous reviews it was still a £100 meal for an inadequate experience.

Many thanks for accommodating the family in general and Hilary and I in particular. The food, ambiance and being served by Laura was an absolute pleasure. There was a slight ‘hickup’ but remember when ordering freshly made food things can go awry with complicated orders. What I appreciated was the total honesty and professionalism shown – therefore without any hesitation, we would 100% recommend.

My husband called ahead and asked if we could book a table for my birthday, was clearly told there was no requirement to book. We arrived and was told by a stern woman behind the bar, the kitchen was closed. No apology nothing, just a clear 'go away' attitude. The place is in chaos with painters and decorators vans taking up customer parking as they continue to stay open during a clear refurbishment. Dont bother visiting until they finish the renovation on the pub and finish the customer care training. Horrible place!!

A small pub bursting with character. The quality of the food was excellent and the service friendly. Good value for money. Perfect.

Perfect food. Had the Steak and Ale pie. Hand made to order and with home made chunky chips. Service was friendly and efficient. Dog friendly.

What a find! Actually discovered the Malt Shovel today in TA… reviews looked so good had to give it a try as we live only 20 minutes away! We were greeted by lovely Laura … very welcoming and put us at ease immediately! I had the belly pork with fabulous dauphinois potatoes … peas leeks jus etc…. Delicious… beautifully cooked.. Dave had fish and chips again perfectly cooked and the fish so ‘fresh’! Everything is cooked to order and you can tell… superb cooking! Desserts were a delight.. sticky toffee pudding for Dave and a brownie for me beautifully presented.. delicious! Service perfect….. a definite little treasure!! Thank you Laura and staff… happy birthday Laura and holiday…we will definitely be back! Dave & Ginny x

Four of us visited yesterday for lunch. This was a return visit for the two of us but the first time for our friends. The experience was just as our first experience had been. We had a three course meal and we mostly selected different dishes. We all agreed the food was delicious, the service is brilliantly efficient but also really friendly. It was very busy which gave it a really good atmosphere and we felt the value of the fixed price meal was fantastic.

What a fantastic place. The food was outstanding, especially the filo parcels, and represented excellent value for money. This was my second trip over from Lancashire as it’s a convenient half way location to meet friends from the north east. Definitely worth the trip and will absolutely return.

We visited the Malt Shovel last Sunday and because it was so good we decided to return with our daughter and granddaughter this evening Saturday 29th June. We were greeted by Laura who is just fabulous.. very bubbly and welcoming. Our Granddaughter is only 7 and although Laura was extremely busy, she found the time to interact with her throughout our visit. The food is delicious and we have had a super time. Thank you for this evening, we will definitely see you again very soon.

Laura is just the best hostess one could wish for, nothing is too much trouble alongside having a smile for everyone and time for a quick chat. I’ve not met her partner James but his culinary skills are awesome so definitely give it a try but please leave enough space for me as well.

A perfect old fashioned pub that serves delicious food. Staff are lovely. We will definitely be going again.

Lovely wee pub with great priced food and lovely service.

Had a lovely lunch today at The Malt Shovel. The lady looking after us provided awesome service and made us very welcome. We choose from the set lunch menu which had a great number of choices. The soup of the day, the prawns on bruscetta and the scampi were all delicious 😋

Great meal and really friendly service

Amazing 15th century pub Very relaxed great service and wonderful fresh food

We had duck and veal liver both of which were perfectly cooked. As good as you will get anywhere. Great traditional country pub atmosphere coupled with great food and service.

Had a fantastic meal here with family and the food was absolutely fantastic. The service was great and the staff were super accommodating especially for my daughter's dietary requirements. Dog friendly too which is a huge bonus for us!! We will definitely be back 😊

What a wonderful find! Laura was so accommodating of our dog, finding him somewhere to rest out of the way and providing him with treats and water. The food was amazing. Good veggie options too (the goats cheese Wellington was so good 😋). Beautiful desserts too. Highly recommended and well worth the drive out.

Booked an evening meal here whilst staying at a local B&B. Excellent food, more restaurant quality than pub food but with some pub classics on the menu.The prices are reasonable for the quality of food and generous portions. Friendly service and cosy decor. We would definitely recommend.

Hired the venue as a surprise party for my husband, and couldn’t have chosen a better place. From the moment we arrived we were looked after so well. Drinks on arrival, the most delicious canapés served all evening. The atmosphere was amazing, what a brilliant evening. Highly recommend for a private function. Thank you so much to James for the amazing food and to Laura who perfected everything we required. The staff were all amazing and a special thank you to @markparadiso who sang all night. Such an amazing evening. Everyone enjoyed it so much.

Absolutely scrummy food. We had a range of dishes and could mot fault any of them. The service was friendly and professional. Lovely relaxed atmosphere. We will certainly be back.

Delicious Sunday lunch as always. Great wine and drinks menu. Lovely location and very friendly staff. We will certainly be returning!

After several previous visits we decided to hold my 75th Birthday Party at the Malt Shovel. As ever ,the atmosphere ,quality of service and food was outstanding! Laura and James are a credit to the hospitality industry and we would recommend a visit to see how it should be done!

Absolutely fantastic, we were made to feel completely at home, nothing was too much trouble , Both Laura and Emma were really friendly and helpful, already planning our return

What a place booked on line as it the reviews said it gets busy Just as well because if for a Monday it was quite busy We had a three course Monday special Carrot and parsnip soup which was delicious Followed by haddock goujons with a light batter coating homemade chips and garden peas followed by sticky toffee pud and ice cream All was very tasty The young lady taking orders and serving was very pleasant a credit to the pub

Excellent service and first class food. We would highly recommend the Malt Shovel to anyone wanting a good meal in lovely surroundings.

Visited as part of a group of four visiting Knaresborough for the first time and it didn't disappoint. Great food, lovely pub and good service. If anything a little expensive but the quality shine through. Would definitely go back

Lovely gastropub in rural village. Great welcome, food, drinks and service. I would highly recommend it and wouldn’t hesitate to go back if in the area again.

I fully endorse all the positive reviews that have been submitted by other trip advisors users. The food is good the service is excellent, what more would you like me to say

For 2 of us, our first trip to The Malt Shovel, whilst our friends have been before. We had a great evening. The pub is very welcoming with a warm and friendly atmosphere. Would recommend booking. Staff were super and looked after us really well. Sorry girls, didn’t get your names ! 2 of us had the lemon chicken, which they raved about, whilst the other 2 had the amazing steak pie. Would suggest having a timeout after the pie, to enjoy desert, which really shouldn’t be missed. The sticky toffee pud was up there with the best. We will definitely be back !

Lovely meal for a family birthday, great food and fab table service from Sam D and Charlie. The atmosphere is friendly and a good ambience.

We were staying at a local caravan site and popped here for an evening meal. It was one of the nicest meals out we have had in a long time. The food was delicious, staff were so friendly and welcoming and the pub was gorgeous. I had the lemon chicken (photo), my husband had the pork belly and my daughter had the children's chicken strips. All of these were divine! Our dog was very happy here too! We will definitely be back when we are in the area.

Perfect as usual. My starter was broccoli with Harrogate blue cheese soup, so tasty. Janet had Chicken Liver patè, so smooth and rich. For main I doubled up the starter of Bang Bang Chicken, a superb dish and the accompanying Dauphinoise potatoes were delicious, if you see them on the menu order them! Janet had twice baked soufflés with salad and wall nuts and a parmesan tuile on the top which was so tasty. For pudding we had Rhubard and Custard Panacotta with a stem ginger tuile, an unbelievable dish. As always the atmosphere and food are superb and it is a pleasure to dine at The Malt Shovel.

Great food, friendly staff. Lovely old village pub. Would highly recommend if you are staying in and around the Harrogate area

We had not booked the Malt Shovel. We looked for somewhere to celebrate a birthday lunch on the way home from Filey. We were made very welcome. After a short delay the party of 6 enjoyed superb meals and wonderful service. 5 stars. Would highly recommend. Patricia Jones.

The Malt shovel is a favourite of ours and we haver never been let down by the food the service ar the general atmosphere. They are especially helpful for special diets. So one of the four of us was coeliac and two were vegetarian and there was a substantial range of choice for us all. My slow roasted pork was delicious and the calves liver was a special treat for my coeliac husband as i refuse to cook it at home! Our veggie friends both opted for the Wellington and it looked delicious. Generous delicious portions, a blazing stove on a damp day and attentive service - what more can one want?

It was my mum & dad’s Diamond wedding Anniversary, the conservatory was decorated beautifully and the food was delicious. The staff were amazing the service was excellent. Will definitely be going back!!!

What a place! The atmosphere was lovely, I got a warm welcome. The FOOD! Was delicious. I drove 40mins to get there and it was worth every minute.

Fantastic meal, I had the calves liver, my wife had the fish. Pleasant surroundings, will definitely visit again. Would strongly recommend a visit and try it.

Lovely food, varied menu. Fantastic service and lovely atmosphere. Couldn’t have asked for any better service. We had a lovely evening. We all ate different dishes and all thoroughly enjoyed. Thank you

Nice atmosphere and good service. Plentiful gluten free options. Very tasty food - all cooked from scratch. Good range of options - most things are/can be GF due to being made from scratch. Well worth a visit. Lovely log fire and very welcoming to doggies.

Late Sunday Lunch, we did book as it does get busy. Superb food, friendly staff. Will return when next in the area. Thumbs up all round.

Lovely Country Pub with an a nice relaxed atmosphere. Great food , excellent service and great value for money. Lovely staff . We all had the fish and chips which was amazing - soft flaky fish in a light batter with great big fat chips....

Exceptional meal, service was 2nd to none and we genuinely can’t wait for the opportunity to return. Laura, James and the wonderful Meghann made it very special.

Chilled atmosphere great customer service lovely ambience. First time visit for lunch which was great. Can recommend the Duck and Liver dish from the Spring menu. Deserts were also top notch especially the rhubarb panna cotta. Will def visit again and thanks for a memorable...

We had a fantastic night at The Malt shovel, as usual great food. There was live music, which gave the pub a lovely warm atmosphere. The guitar player was very good. 🎸Lovely to see everyone enjoying themselves! Really looking forward to the next music night...

Salt and pepper squid was the best starter I've had, next time I'm ordering 6 of them! The roast that I ordered was absolutely incredible!

A lovely Saturday evening dining experience. The staff were attentive without being overbearing. The atmosphere was relaxed and cosy. The food was delicious. We ordered from the specials and couldn’t fault the food. Portion sizes were really generous. Far better quality than you get in...

Birthday treat on a friday evening with the in-laws and really impressed. Food was excellent and really good portion sizes. Rich and flavoursome all round. Not been before but will be heading back.

We visited The Malt Shovel for an evening meal, as it was one of the pubs and restaurants recommended by our accommodation. The interior of the pub is cosy, with tables in nooks and crannies. The service was friendly and professional, and the menu varied...

If you are looking for an excellent meal in delightful surroundings then call at the Malt Shovel. A great varied menu, high quality food,cooked to order and a very warm welcome . Looking forward to the next visit.

Amazing food and service. Ebony looked after us so well with patience and a smile. Thank you Ebony! You made Mother’s Day for the 14 of us really special as well as my dad’s birthday!

Excellent service, food and drinks. Booked a lovely table with family. Thank you to Laura and all the staff and staff behind the scenes. We had a lovely meal, lovely and tasty. Atmosphere was excellent. We were well looked after. Lovely experience. See you again...

Nice warm welcome on arrival, seated at a good sized table with lots of legroom for our elderly parents. Not overly busy for a Fridy night, but it soon filled up with more diners. Good choice on menu, all freshly cooked so plenty of time...

My wife and I visited the Malt Shovel for Sunday lunch. We were staying in Harrogate for a few nights and wanted to find a quaint and traditional country pub to have lunch. I had done a bit of research and came across the Malt...

Lovely little friendly pub. Sunday roast was delicious and good value. Pub is dog friendly. We were looking for somewhere near Knaresborough and glad we found his place. The staff were lovely too.

Fabulous place. The Sunday lunch was excellent and cooked to perfection also the desserts were delicious. Very good value for money, we will definitely return even though we traveled from South Yorkshire it was worth the journey. Thank you for the wonderful service, no wonder...

We visited The Malt Shovel on 21st February to celebrate my 75th birthday. There were 4 adults, 2 children and 2 dogs. We had the most amazing evening at this beautiful Yorkshire Inn. It was a cold February evening but the warmth of the log...

We have had the good fortune to find the Malt Shovel today. We were offered a very warm welcome, the food was excellent and the service throughout was extremely efficient and friendly. Being the only two on the lunchtime shift it was obvious James (...

Lovely food in a proper country pub full of atmosphere and charm with a warm welcome and excellent service throughout. Highly recommended and we will be going back.

Lovely warm welcoming atmosphere, wonderful meal with great service😊

Laura, James and the team at The Malt Shovel hosted my mothers funeral party on the 8th February. Laura was instrumental in ensuring the whole event went as smoothly as possible when organizing this afternoon for over 60 family and friends. The menu of hot...

This place never ceases to amaze me with the outstanding food and service it provides. When we arrived at the Malt Shovel it was absolutely heaving with diners. No wonder as I cannot think of any other establishment offering 3 courses of absolute gastro food for £19-95. We had the Patè for starters, the smoothest tastiest we have ever had. To follow we had Haddock Goujons with chips peas and tartar sauce. The fish was as white as snow and the batter lite and crispy. Chips amazing, don't know how James cooks them but they are so tasty and a superb accompaniment for the Haddock. For dessert we had Rice Pudding and winter fruit compote, a lovely rich dish to finish off the meal. The Malt Shovel team work their fingers to the bone to serve up outstanding food and hospitality, they deserve all the success and praise they get. Well done Malt shovel team, you are all Bloody awesome!

This place never ceases to amaze me with the outstanding food and service it provides. When we arrived at the Malt Shovel it was absolutely heaving with diners. No wonder as I cannot think of any other establishment offering 3 courses of absolute gastro food...

As a farmer i has belly pork for a starter it very poor no crackling & was £10

Amazing quaint Yorkshire pub, lovely food and menu options, also dog friendly! The staff were very helpful and the atmosphere was cosy and quiet. A little hard to find at first as it is located in a small village, but was a wonderful stop off...

My wife and I were celebrating her birthday and Laura was wonderful as was the food , fettle croquettes , tempura prawns , calves liver and smoked haddock. Laura took us by surprise with a lemon dessert to share ; on a piped "happy 60th...

A lovely venue in the heart of an outstanding village. A warm welcome , cosy atmosphere, well presented appetising meal. Popular and recommended.

The food was excellent and the service was brilliant, a great atmosphere. Well worth a visit, good value for money, I can't praise it enough.

The food was excellent! We had 3 courses and each one was amazing all done to a very high standard. The atmosphere was great, not noisy, and had a lovely log burner going. The service was great The girls were very friendly and were very on the ball with making sure our needs were met, clearing dishes away and making sure we had drinks. I would highly recommend and look forward to going back there again soon.

A small pub/restaurant out in the middle of nowhere with superb food. We enjoyed everything we ordered from entrees to mains. The veal liver was excellent. Highly recommended.

Seems overrated in our experience. For example the potatoes with the belly pork were cold. Even they had been warm we’ve had better at the same price point elsewhere

The food was excellent! We had 3 courses and each one was amazing all done to a very high standard. The atmosphere was great, not noisy, and had a lovely log burner going. The service was great The girls were very friendly and were very...

My husband and I visited this delightful place and we were not disappointed! We had the ribs from the special board, salmon and prawn en croute, steak pie and a crumble for afters. The atmosphere and service was outstanding and the food was amazing! Upon...

Lovely old village pub. Small car park but on street parking available. Great food and drink selection. Superb service!

Visited for a family members 90th birthday. We are from Lincolnshire and travelled over for Sunday lunch. First thing, the staff were so friendly and could not do enough for us, you could see it was the same for each table. Lots of smiling faces, and the biggest are the girls that work there. The second thing is probably the best Sunday lunch I have been out for in a long, long time. The meat is cooked to perfection, the veg is cooked to perfection, and a good selection and the roast potatoes are amazing. Unfortunately we didn't try the starters but they looked great and I bet they tasted that too. Last thing the puddings, well we did sample these and the selection is great and what else can I say? A great follow on from the main course. And did I say how good the staff are? All in all a great great meal in lovely surroundings.

It had been many years since we'd last been and what a lovely surprise. Food and service were both excellent with great vegetarian options too. Will be re-visiting soon

Friendly and caring staff. Had a large family meal and all food was correct and served together. Was all delicious also! Great service and atmosphere, very nice decor inside. Plenty of parking but on street parking too if car park full.

We arrived early but our table was ready. We sat beside a massive log burner. The waitress was lovely, full of friendly banter and kindness. The mulled wine was delicious. I'm gluten free, which really wasn't an issue for the team. I had sea bass fillet on a bed of creamy mashed potato with lemon sauce. For of us ordered this and loved it. My son had fish and chips which he devoured. There were treats for the dog, baby changing facilities and a high chair, so we were well catered for. My only criticism would be my family for not wanting a dessert. Pah. Massive thanks to the team.