The Owl, Hill Top, Hawnby in Ryedale

Visited with family. There’s a really nice feel to the place. We arrived early for dinner and spent some time in the bar (with wood burner) then ate went in the dining room which has a lovely view of the valley. We chose snacks and starters, as the menu looked so good. Snacks were gougeres (perfect), an aranicino with nduja mayo (freshly made) and Yorkshire Rarebit, this being enormous. We had two starters - monkfish “scampi” and a magnificent and imaginative venison faggot dish. Our mains were: chicken burger and fries for our daughter; Toulouse sausages with puy lentils and celeriac remoulade; and partridge with cabbage etc. The sausages were spiced with nutmeg etc and tasted light not heavy. For the first time in a very, very long time we were defeated by the portion sizes and couldn’t manage a pudding. I’ve seen a review suggesting the portions were on the small side - all I can say is that this absolutely definitely wasn’t the case with us. We loved the food; clearly a chef thinking seasonal and local. Excellent all round and I had to look twice when I got the bill - £113 for 3 or about £37 per head. Unbelievable value for money, particularly for food of this quality.

A celebration dinner with family and friends. Relaxed country pub atmosphere, friendly and efficient people serving. A shout out for clairvoyant Katie, who brought us things we wanted ten seconds before we knew we wanted them. Really good and imaginative food, putting a slight but interesting twist on dishes. Venison faggot, partridge with quince, that sort of thing. And proper puddings, often a let down but not here. Intriguing wine list, favouring natural wine. I hadn't heard of many of them, but all delicious. Many available by the glass. Good beer too. Prices very fair for the excellent quality of the food, drink, service and setting. We all came away very happy.

Just the most fantastic pub you will find in a rural pub - period. Superb service even better food ( the duck roll is out of this world) and great prices. Wonderful place and beautiful views - pretty damn special

Really mediocre Sunday lunch. So disappointed. The beef was fatty and whilst served medium rare it was dry where it had, I presumed, been kept warm. The Yorkshire puddings neither tasted nor looked homemade. The pork wasn’t much better. My daughter’s pasta from the children’s menu was al dente to the point she didn’t want to eat it. Such a shame. And what made it even worse was the waitress who served us showed no friendliness or warmth and we didn’t even get a smile.

We stayed just 1 night in this stunning location but decided not to eat here after seeing unfavourable reviews on TA. The rooms have undergone a huge transformation since our last stay and were really comfortable, apart from the bathroom door not fitting at all. The gentleman who took us to our room was extremely friendly and helpful but we were slightly underwhelmed at breakfast. For a pub of this quality, we expected to be shown to an area to help ourselves to juice, fruits, yoghurts etc. There was no offer of choice of toast and the toasted sourdough on each plate was buttered, but my husband does not eat butter or margarine. Admittedly, we were eating in the bar area as we were with our dog but the two full English breakfasts were nothing amazing and would not be sufficient in size for many people. What a pity.

Highly recommended. We enjoyed lunch, dinner and breakfast and overnight stay in the comfortable room. Reasonably priced and value for money.

Went here because they'd been a good review in the local press but we were very disappointed. There was very little choice on the menu, I chose an aubergine curry with basmati rice and lime pickle. The rice resembled mashed potato, very soggy and tasteless. I asked the waitress about the consistency of the rice and she told me that the chef had 'run some saffron through it'. The curry and Lime pickle were very mediocre and there were no other accompaniments. We ordered a heritage tomato salad which was mainly lettuce and onion with 2 or 3 slices of tomato on top. We were offered a carafe of water, not chilled at all.

In the most wonderful setting in one of the prettiest villages in Yorkshire but I’m not sure the food was that amazing. We opted for a selection of snacks rather than starters which was a good start. There is not a huge menu but it looked interesting, I had the lamb which was a bit on the under done side . The pig cheeks were very tender and the 1/2 lobster was tasty. All very nice but the best was the black Forrest gateau which was sensational. The service was friendly but steady it wasn’t cheap but not excessive for what we had but I was left feeling that it was trying too hard to be extraordinary but just fell short.

Four of us had an excellent lunch today on the terrace. Good service, excellent food, imaginatively presented in beautiful surroundings. Four or five choices for each course with a good range of prices. We hope they continue to thrive at this high standard.

Tasteless roast lamb which was undercooked and served with the same gravy as the roast beef. Drink spilled over me by waitress soaking shirt and trousers - with no recompense. Overpriced for very bland food.

Visited for Sunday lunch for Mother’s Day. The team are very friendly and the the Sunday lunch menu offers a variety of dishes. I settled on the lamb pie for two shared with my daughter - wow it was delish. Finished off with rhubarb crumble which was a cold fruity and creamy dish. A lovely location in the country providing excellent food. I hope to return and maybe stay overnight to enjoy their dinner and breakfast proposition. Just drive carefully to protect the many pheasants crossing the road during the season.

We came for Sunday lunch as a mixed group of adults and children. My heart sank slightly when we realised there was no kids menu as my children are not always adventurous eaters, but they ended up eating more than I can remember in a nice restaurant before from the adult selection. The food was excellent, and there were enough of us to try out a range from the menu. The roast beef came as a thick beautifully cooked slice of rib, with fantastic roast potatoes and limitless gravy. The fish dishes we had were excellent. The puddings were spot on. The staff were friendly and helpful. And the view was amazing. We look forward to coming back here.

This was the first time I have been here and was taking an elderly friend who had a strong connection with the village some 70 years ago. She was taking me out for my birthday, which was on the 29th although we usually celebrate it on the 28th. What stood out was that we were exepected and welcomed accordingly. The environment is glorious. It's calm, warm, tasteful and welcoming. The food was wonderful. It was fresh and beautifully presented and served. We felt as if we were not just a table number, but customers who mattered. It's an excellent venue and we will thoroughly recommend it.

Wonderful location with beautiful views. A great menu- interesting and exciting without being extreme (ie I would have happily eaten most things on it). The cheese gougères were amazing- they melted in the mouth. Delicious roasts (so nice to have chicken cooked properly with a crispy skin so it remained moist). The buttermilk chicken burger was succulent and tasty and the harissa coleslaw piquant but not spicy. Lovely French fries! Nice veg- carrot and swede and really tasty cabbage. Coffee was good and strong and the only thing missing was a mint/ biscuit to accompany it. Good value sharing dessert of profiteroles with a very good dark chocolate sauce. The restaurant was very attractive and had a good ambience. I loved the china with ducks and pheasants on it. My only plea as someone with back problems would be for softer seating. Looking forward to returning!

Great welcome from the team. Excellent food and a great afternoon. Unfortunately a family emergency occurred so we ended up travelling home rather than staying in what was a lovely room.

Had a fantastic overnight stay at The Owl recently! Warm welcome, comfortable and quiet room (with a great shower!), small menu - though food very tasty and well cooked, and incredible views! It seems the new owner has some exciting plans for the place, and I am very much looking forward to a return visit! Would highly recommend.

The Owl is WONDERFUL! I’ve been to Bantam in Helmsley (many times now!) and after I heard their team took over the Owl, I had to go along. I’ve been to the owl under previous owners and the location is stunning but what an experience now that the food is equally stunning - I’ve been for dinner and for Sunday lunch a few times now and it’s always equisite. Rare to find a pub meal at such quality, even the pumpkin soup (which in most places rarely tastes any different to the last) was so out of this world I had to ask how they made it. But the puddings, dear lord 😮 if the lemon sponge, rice pudding or treacle tart are on the menu you HAVE to get one of each. I was stuffed before they even arrived but despite the generous portions I ate the lot, with a bit of help from my nephews… It’s kid friendly, dog friendly, high quality local food, reasonably priced, great service, great views, wonderful atmosphere, roaring fire, fantastic beer & wine. To top it all off, the last time we were there we saw a very rare rainbow 🌈 cloud ☁️ as we were leaving!

Over the last 10 years or so we stayed on average 3 times a year under the previous two tenants, always enjoying a mini break away from home in glorious surroundings, so we were eager to return again under the new tenant. We first visited back in November on the first weekend the Owl reopened, but thought we would wait until we had visited again to leave a review after they had found their feet. The room, we always like to stay in the external building, was just as good as always, warm comfortable bed, good bath/shower, tea snd coffee making facilties. The FOH was really welcoming, attentive and helpful throughout our stay, a real credit to the establishments. The overall service and experience has really improved since our visit in November. The food, although a small menu, was exceptional. I had the steak tartare starter with bone marrow toast which was superb. We both had the steak frites, and yes they are bought in fries, but the steak itself was perfectly seasoned and cooked to perfection. My partner had the white chocolate mousse and branded prunes dessert, which she said was one of the best desserts she has had. Drinks wise, no complaints to be had, various lagers from £3.80 to £5.80 a pint, with beer/ales/Guiness also available. Over the course of our stay my partner had a bottle of prosecco at £22 and a few large glasses of a white wine whose name escapes me, at £10 a glass. All these prices are comparable with my local pub, so found them to be reasonable. We would have no hesitation in recommending The Owl At Hawnby, and will be booking in a visit in April for my partners birthday.

Teething problems … possibly! Beautiful setting and we were so pleased to see this place reopen! Wine list good and really nice . .. food luke warm on arrival and lacked any care or presentation for the price. Nice FOH staff. Well not not rush back.

Stunning location & views , pub is quaint with a welcoming atmosphere , staff were all really friendly and professional! Food very tasty and a good choice for Sunday lunch!

Having decided to go out for a meal with friends on Thursday 15th February we decided on the Owl. On our way we had a pleasant drive to our venue and commented that the pub looked nice. It was clean and entering the dinning room we all thought that we would be in for a great meal. Our waitress was very pleasant and attentive. However the quality of the food was terrible. I believe the couple we were with have already left a review. The menu choice was very small and didn’t have anything that stood out and made you think that sounds nice I will have that. Very poor food, in what could be an excellent establishment. The desert even had instant watery custard. Look for somewhere else to go!!!!

I'll keep this short. Small menu, pretentiously named dishes (Koffnann chips, what is so special about bought in frozen chips) and don't order the Langoustine starter, nothing but a plate of shells. And expensive for what you get. On the plus side, lovely setting and pleasant staff.

The Owls situation is OUSTANDING,high up above a wooded valley. The dining room and some bed rooms have beautiful views.we were in the annexe with our dog and she loved rolling in the orchard. The food was excellent and individually priced at reasonable cost. Both of us had devilled kidneys on toast( just the right amount of devillment).Lots of cold meat. Very nice Barnsley chop well presented. The wine list is short,succinct and well chosen. Service was attentive,chatty and not over the top. The village is a delightful estate village but on a steep slope.

Fabulous weekend at The Owl, they have only recently reopened and I’d say it’s a success. Beautifully decorated throughout, we stayed in one of the dog friendly rooms, which was perfect, well behaved dogs very welcome in the bar area. Food was as fantastic, I’m always pleased to see game on the menu, pheasant ragu was superb. Breakfast was local quality produce and you certainly could tell. I can’t wait to return. Thankyou to all at The Owl for making out stay so perfect (and thanks to the boyfriend for taking me!).

Pheasant on the menu; but what other great surprises; I had a cauliflower main, first time ever but had it on the recommendation of FOH; and I was not disappointed. The staff are really friendly, could not do enough to please. The pub is set in outstanding countryside, with great wines and great food, what more do you need for a weekend break. Well done to all the staff and thank you for such a pleasant stay ….

Booked in for Sunday lunch and was not disappointed. Wonderful ambience barside - quiet dogs, lively woodburner, burnished pints and a welcome buzz to the place. Staff friendly, attentive and informative. We had a selection of starters, the rib of beef, a well-kept pint and...

So sad! Such a huge disappointment and the inexperienced front of house staff, escalated a simple request for horseradish into Armageddon! Excited to see the Owl re-open, thrilled to find the team at the marvellous Bantam in Helmsley were behind it, Sunday Lunch booked for...

The starter of monkfish was nice but the main course at £28 for beef was not up to the mark. There was one thin, smallish slice of beef that was difficult to cut due to gristle and being under cooked. There was a thimble of...

Really lovely that The Owl has reopened. We had a pre-Christmas lunch here and the food was fantastic. Service was exceptional and the staff were very attentive.

It's great to have this gem open again, a true british country pub, set in amazing scenery! All 4 of us had the roast beef, and the quality was excellent, the overall review would have been 5 stars, had it not been for the portion...

Beautiful inn, cosy interiors, stunning setting and excellent food. Staff were very friendly. Great to have such a wonderful place to eat so close to Thirsk. I'll be back!

Beautifully decorated country pub in the most idyllic countryside setting. Lovely cosy environment with log fires burning, very friendly staff and the food was really outstanding. We can’t wait to come back for more.

During our trip to England, we had an amazing lunch at this cozy country pub in Yorkshire. The Gameskeeper pie was delicious, accompanied by great beer. We will definitely be back!

The food, service and atmosphere match The Owl's amazing setting. Don't miss the rice pudding 😍 Outstanding all round 🏆

The staff were very polite and attentive. The dining room was stylish but the food we were served was very disappointing. The rabbit and bacon lasagna was a rather strange mixed of ingredients and didn't work. The portion was tiny for the price charged and...

Superb food and excellent service , beautiful scenery , highly recommend as would there sister restaurant Bantam Helmsley.