The Punch Bowl Inn in Harrogate

What a disappointment - not been for a while. Can't believe a place can change so much. Food ok, prices ok, service ok - but such a venue needs to be so much more than ok to survive. We were the only ones in for lunch until two more people arrived as we were about to leave. Felt sorry for receptionist/ bar attendant/waitress who actually looked after us very well. Totally lacking atmosphere - but then I remember when it buzzed as The Punch Bowl Motoring Inn in the 1960s. Christmas decorations were a joke yesterday - did they run out of money after hanging the first two baubles? Now so unlike other Provenance Inns - owners/management need to get a grip. Just so much potential

Been here a few times before over the last 2-3 years and it has always been very good, but this last time told me something has changed. We waited 30minutes to order food on a not-so busy Sunday, eventually going up to the bar and asking to order, then we waited another 30-40 minutes with no food served. Table near to us arrived 15 mins afterwards and were on their mains before anything had arrived. Clearly they had a problem and did eventually acknowledge this. When food finally arrived it was ok, not as good as I remember it. They did offer a round of drinks as compensation but will be a while until we go back.

Visited 26 august fish was excellent granddaughter loved burger my wife still raving about lamb and fennel.

Had a lovely dinner with our family. Had the chicken dish which was delightful. Definitely going back.

We live locally and really want to find somewhere that is good to frequent on a regular basis in the area. Everywhere seems so average and overpriced nowadays. We try the Punch Bowl now and again to see if it’s improved. Alas, it continues to be average. The beer is good and kept well. The burger is good. The service is ok too from the bar staff. Its just the rest of the food was pretty standard and overpriced for what it was. We were charged for more drinks than we had. It’s a shame about the Punch Bowl it could be an amazing place as it’s got lots going for it. We’ll try it again in the next couple of months to see if there are any improvements.

I can't believe how much I enjoyed this venue, the food was fantastic and I had a real pie, as in a pastry bottom as well as top. Not just a piece of pastry stuck on top. I and all the group gave this place a 10 out of 10. Definitely going their again.

Nice and friendly, Sunday roast was good really enjoyed the carrot and suede mash, and the large Yorkshire pudding was done well, thank you

Visited The Punch Bowl for an evening meal with family. The outdoor garden was very busy as it had been a sunny day. Inside was a little busy but not bad. We were greeted quite quickly and were shown to our table by a friendly waiter/barman. He took our drinks order quickly and the drinks arrived quickly. Again, the food order was taken after only a short wait and the food arrived promptly. Food was good, not the best fish and chips I’ve ever had but it was decent. Chunky chips are always a bonus! We found the staff friendly and service was quick on the whole. It took a while to catch someone’s eye to bring the bill as the restaurant had quietened down and the bar was quite busy. Overall a very pleasant experience. Would definitely return.

Went on a sunny Friday evening and was pleasantly surprised to see the garden full of customers. By the time the rest of our group arrived it was clear we had chosen an excellent place to eat. I shared some sourdough bread, then had a sirloin steak and finished with ice cream sadly the one item I really wanted to try was off the menu, this simply means I have to come back again with my friends.

Oh dear, not a good experience. Stopped off here for drinks and late lunch yesterday. Outside was busy. Lovely sunny area. Just one person working. He was rushed off his feet and did his best. Customers were left waiting at the bar. Also there was no vegan food choice available. The menu stated plant based but the sandwich had egg mayonnaise. We waited so long for cutlery we fetched it ourselves. My son and husband enjoyed the fish sandwich but it was nothing special for £12.

I was told by the manager of the Black Bull at Moulton, one of the groups other pubs that The Punch Bowl had improved - it has, the carpark has been resurfaced. Having said that everything else is bad, really bad. A brigade of youngsters with no training and no apparent management means that it was no surprise that their restaurant was almost empty at 7pm on a Friday. Time to either improve it or close it.

We went with friends for a special birthday meal (although the venue will not have been aware of this). From start to finish this was a poor experience. Service - slow. Cleanliness - one area of the pub which had obviously been in use earlier (but was visible) was untidy/ gents toilets in poor state of cleanliness/no loo roll at all in any of the ladies cubicles. Food - we ordered bread for the table which was slow to arrive - so slow in fact that it arrived just before our main meal when we had wanted to munch on it in advance of the main meal arriving. What eating venue doesn't bring bread when you sit down? Aside for the £6.95 charge for 4 slices of bread and 2 pats of butter! When the main course did arrive it was tasty and well presented. That said the fact that 9 chips were arranged in a jenga style pattern did disappoint. We were expecting a Gastro pub food experience and this fell far short. In all, an over priced meal for what we had - we have had far better in more illustrious eating venues and for the same price or indeed a lot cheaper. We are reasonably local and so this could have become one of our regular eating out venues had we enjoyed our experience, but on based on our visit we won't be going again nor recommending to others.

My self and my partner popped in for a couple of drinks. The staff were so very friendly and chatty. We even had a cocktail made for us by a lovely gentleman called Sam and the pub it self is stunning, filled with history and stories we will definitely visit again

This traditional style pub/restaurant is set in a rural village and has a large car park at the rear. A table was booked by telephone for lunch with a group of friends. Electronic confirmation stated "Anniversary", although that was not mentioned during booking conversation! On arrival, our booking was acknowledged, although a table had to be hurriedly set for the required number. The menu is competitively priced for two or three course options with reasonable food choices. Once seated, the service was friendly, despite initially being a little slow, and the meals were very good. The place was not very busy and we had a pleasant visit. Overall, I would rate our experience as "Good" rather than "Very Good", if this category was available on Tripadvisor.

First impression as I drove into the car park was a massive stream of fat running down the side of the pub the smell was terrible.

2nd visit here. Large group of cyclists meant we had to wait nearly an hour for food. Fish and chips not as good as last visit, fish a little overdone. Think the chef was having a hard time dealing with all the covers. However we will be back! Friendly staff and good beer too!

Had the 2 course lunch today (Friday). Did not book just went off spec. Food & service was brilliant so can definitely recommend this little gem of a village pub. Will be calling again soon..

Didn't have food, only 2 coffees, but treat just as if we were dining. Greeted well, very profesional. Will definately go back.

Very nice food had a fish pie with was tasty.

Went with my Wife daughter and grandson for Sunday dinner Sunday dinner was fantastic. Couldn’t fault the service or the place huge car park very friendly atmosphere definitely would go back again.

Fabulous food, Fabulous staff, great experience. 10 star.

Dropped into the punchbowl for a quick sandwich. Took 40 mins to receive the sandwiches we ordered. When they came no mushy peas with the fish finger sandwich or chips , My husband was charged separately for some chips not what the menu states . The beef sandwich was tiny the onion ring ( singular ) and the beef was cold the chiabatta roll was tiny .and no gravy arrived. No condiments on the table at all. All in all a very poor deal costing £29 with 2 soft drinks. The only saving grace was the lovely young lady that served us. Not had a main meal there but won't be risking it .

Lovely Christmas Eve lunch with family today. I don’t often leave reviews, but both the service and food were absolutely wonderful. All Sunday dinners were delicious - Pork, beef and chicken enjoyed by all. Ian and his team are great. I didn’t get our waitresses name, but how friendly and attentive, answering lots of questions our group had! What a difference great service makes - thank you. We have been numerous times to this pub, but I can only say that it has got better and we will certainly be back again in the new year!

Thank you for an excellent evening, the food was well cooked, the staff pleasant, fast and efficient, and the dining room warm and cosy. We live locally and have seen so many changes over the years, good and bad, let us hope the present good standards prevail for a long time to come.

Gteat spot to catch up with friends.

We arrived late afternoon . Chef fitted us in !😉 Food excellent . There is real love & care with the food served here we came from Rawdon but once month we shall return! Again excellent don’t short list this just GO!!👍

Unfortunately, a really average experience for a Sunday Roast. Waited well over 90mins for dried out, overcooked food. Such a shame as it's a lovely pub, with friendly staff (albeit a slow service) who apologised, but we've had two experiences here now with sub-par food, so won't be coming back.

We’ve had a few ups and lots of downs with our local Provenance Inn in Felixkirk, so were dubious about booking here as we’d not been before. However we were in for a very pleasant surprise. The manager was on the ball and his staff were both efficient and friendly. We really enjoyed our Sunday lunch which was well cooked and plentiful. Will definitely be back!

The service we received was second to none with a great atmosphere all round. We will definitely be back. Special shout out to Rebecca who was a lovely waitress.

Just dropped in for a quiet pint with a mate and had a really chilled evening. Great beer, service and company!

Nice food but very expensive and will not come again I am sorry to say. And some of the food was not available. We had booked in advance which is not very good service.

Great food shoddy service! Visited for Sunday lunch, sat for 25 minutes, a couple were sat down after us, they got up and ordered at the bar, we finally had to ask our server if we could order. The food came nice and quick, however, we ordered a side of cauliflower cheese, this didn’t come with our main food order, after few minutes we then asked for it along with some extra gravy, we were informed our order had just been put through, after a few more minutes and we had nearly finished our meal we cancelled the cauliflower, we didn’t receive any extra gravy. The food was good so not the kitchens fault. We have been to the Oak Tree Inn at Helperby a couple of times, same group and the food is as good bit comes with extra gravy and cauliflower as standard. Go here instead, we won’t be back!

We used to frequent this pub on a regular basis, but then there were several new managers in quick succession and the quality of the food and the service went downhill, so we stopped going. However, we found out that this pub had a new manager so we decided to try it again and booked for Sunday lunch. Well what a difference! On arrival we were warmly greeted by the new manager Ian and we could not have been made to feel more welcome. The pub certainly felt a lot cleaner and more welcoming. The menu was similar to when we were last here but the drinks menu had changed slightly - there were no prices for buying the wine by a bottle, but just ask at the bar if you want the price of a bottle. The choice of roast dinners were the same as on our previous visit and we both ordered the chicken supreme. The food was excellent with a range of roasted and steamed vegetables along with a large Yorkshire pudding and proper roast potatoes. We were personally able to thank the chef Stuart for cooking us a ‘proper’ Sunday lunch. All of the waiting staff were polite and attentive and we felt that nothing was too much trouble when we asked for something. Well done Ian for starting to turn this place around and many thanks to the chef Stuart and his support team in the kitchen. This pub is so much better than when we last visited and we feel that it can only improve further under Ian’s leadership. During the week there is a curry night, a pie night and a fish and chips deal on a Friday, so there is something for everyone. If you have previously been and were disappointed now is the time to return and give it another try….

Stopped in for a Sunday dinner and wow, food was amazing aswell as the service. Will definitely be coming back when I pass again

Never been here but it looks nice

Went for Sunday lunch. Curtis was brilliant, very attentive, couldn’t fault him. The food was good, Pork Loin was thick and well cooked, veg perfect as was the crispy roasties. Desert was a tarte tatin made from the apples and pears from the garden and was delicious and such a lovely idea. All in all a great meal.

The management and staff were absolutely excellent food was good and very well cooked, and we will definitely return

Perfect place for an early evening pint in very friendly “Pub” atmosphere and character but by 7:00pm it was very quiet. Will definitely return for that early pint with a good friend to catch up.

A quick Sunday lunch stopover returning home after our holiday to Scotland. Extremely friendly and efficient staff. Tasty roast pork and amazing cauliflower cheese. Would return again, alas we live in Norfolk!

A traditional rustic pub building with very nice restaurant standard food. The menu was varied but not too long, with something for everyone.Everyone was happy with their choice and we all had a very enjoyable lunch

Having previously had a Sunday lunch at Punchbowl we revisited only to be offered pork loin and crackling, but was served pork belly and NO crackling, which when brought to the attention of the staff the only response was that he would mention it to the chef. Any chef worth his salt knows the difference between a pork loin and belly pork so the visit was very disappointing as the belly pork is a vastly cheaper cut of meat.

Below average. What a disappointment. The menu is below average pub food. The place has our table of 4 booked in for a Saturday night. It was soulless. The food was pretty rubbish. Awful chips. Onion rings were terrible. We have it 6 out of 10. The service was awful. It was like been in a youth club in the bar. The place it no where near what it was and I can only conclude it’s because it’s rubbish food with a basic Menu. No proper chefs. No proper menu development. What a shame. It used to be amazing.

Traditional pub building. Great food.

Had a lovely meal, food tasty and hot. Little hiccup but sorted straight away. Young man who served us was fantastic. Dog friendly too so bonus. Recommended

What a shame you hadn't changed your menu on line, as we would have not been so disappointed with our meal. It needs to be updated. Quaint place and reasonable service but let down on food

Nice venue, plenty of parking and a decent sized beer garden, didn't eat but the food coming out of the kitchen did look goog!

Most enjoyable light lunch in a quiet little pub

I have no idea where all these great reviews are coming from. The place is part of a chain and has a manager, not a problem in itself but: It is dirty. The dinner menu has very limited choices all of which are designed with the ability to prepare them well in advance. The prawn cocktail tastes like neat vinegar The pies are frozen and served microwaved with wet pastry and still cold inners. Chunky chips are under cooked. Staff have to ask what the soup of the day is. Literally the worst meal out I have hade in five years. And having tried to contact the AA about how they award rosettes for culinary excellence it seems that the first one comes with your paid membership. Dire

I was disappointed! My steak was tough and the vegetables soggy. The prawn cocktail was my fault. It just didn't meet my expectations, large lettuce leaf with prawns on top and a dollop of Marie Rose sauce. Not the way I expected it being served. However, the staff were helpful, friendly and efficient.

A lovely place with tremendous character, the food however was a disappointment given the price.

What a delightful setting for the first outing of the season of my modern classic car, at the meet-up organised by retrotorque.com on Saturday 1st April. The Punch Bowl Inn has a long association with classic vehicle meets, and provides a wonderful location, both outdoors and in. A lovely hot coffee on arrival (served in my travel mug at my request) kept me warm as we all shared tales and news outside and marvelled at the diverse range of classic vehicles on display. Much later I enjoyed a (very light) lunch of delicious, flavoursome, wild garlic soup and toasted sourdough. Compliments to the chef. Extremely helpful, kind and solicitous staff. Thank you to Brian, Rosie and Jonty for your excellent service. I look forward to return visits and future gatherings. Dr Hilary Dyer & Geordie Boy

The service, food and staff we're excellent as usual. Always look forward to going to one of there chain of restaurants.

A good village pub with nice food and a warm welcome.

Great food and really friendly staff

If I could give more than 5 stars I would, everything was outstanding and I still think about that sticky toffee pudding weekly 😅 the best meal I’ve had in a long time! We visited on New Year’s Eve and the pub was really cosy and we were sat by the fire. The service was great, couldn’t have asked for better. We had the Korean fried chicken, sausage roll and some bread and salted butter to start. I had steak (cooked perfectly) and the onion rings were amazing, my other half had the pork belly which was also delicious. Dessert was sticky toffee pudding (you need go get this) it was the best I’ve ever had and a very generous portion size! And the chocolate clementine mousse - again delicious. If only we didn’t live 3 hours away 🥲 thank you for a great end to 2022!

A very foggy and cold night. Got to the very busy pub, a very warm welcome our own room with a burning fire,which we and the dogs loved. The food was fantastic staff brilliant and very friendly. Highly recommended 👌

Fab pub with delicious food! The jewel in the crown was Johnty....the most amazing and hilarious bar man! We were staying local and ate here for 2 nights....we will defo come back just to see Johnty....what a legend!

Fab pub with delicious food! The jewel in the crown was Johnty....the most amazing and hilarious bar man! We were staying local and ate here for 2 nights....we will defo come back just to see Johnty....what a legend!

Lovely pub/restaurant. Food was delicious. Service very slow, which worked for us on the day. We'll definitely be back again.

Myself and two friends visited here a couple of weeks back for a spot of lunch on a Saturday afternoon. The team was accommodating, The beer was excellent, very well kept, The food was good but in my opinion a little bit below my expectation. I had a ploughman's which wasn't that good and quite small and expensive for the quality, however, my friends meals we're probably a better choice. £4 for a portion of chips was poor, I counted nine. We've been looking forward to going for weeks. It was good, we'll probably go back, but won't rush.

Just had the set menu lunch.Tasty food,great staff and cosy ambience.We will be back

We called in for a midweek lunch. The welcome was friendly and the bar/restaurant, which consists of a number of rooms was not too busy. The menu had sufficient choice including catering for a specific dietary requirement, although we felt that the prices, especially drinks were a little expensive. Orders are taken at the table, and when served, the quality and portion sizes were Very Good. The service was friendly throughout and there is a large car park at the rear.

An absolutely brilliant Christmas Day lunch. We love it here and Christmas Day didn’t disappoint. Fabulous food, a lovely atmosphere and a great team giving brilliant service.

Great food and service with a very friendly atmosphere. Great place to visit.

Sunday lunch on a cold winters day. Fires were lit and a warm welcome. Food was perfect. Prawn and crayfish cocktail to start was amazing. Lovely juicy prawns and pickled cucumber were a perfect combination. Main of Pork loin which was so tender and perfectly...

I am very fond of a pub and appreciate a wide variety of them. For me, the most important thing is the quality and range of real ales. I can tolerate less than perfect loos, a mediocre menu and bland decor if the beer is spot on. It's quite rare to visit a pub where *everything* is fab, but the Punch Bowl Inn came extremely close. The moment we stepped through the door, we got a friendly welcome. The real ale offering was small but to our precise taste (a fabulous, proper local session pale ale) and there was a wide range of other drinks including tempting alcohol-free options. And the atmosphere is great. It has the feel of a proper local pub where people come to socialise, talk and relax. We returned for Sunday lunch, which was nothing short of delicious. The menu included traditional roast fare, along with interesting modern vegetarian and fish options. Service was good. Highly recommend.

A quaint old pub in a lovely village. Excellent range of foods at lunchtime and evenings. Friendly staff. Lots of little rooms. Reasonable prices. Easy access, good parking. Very disappointed today, the cauliflower soup was tasteless though the consistency was perfect, but worse was the stale sour dough with no butter. Sadly there were hardly any customers.

Went in September and a lovely girl called Sophie served me my food and she was very pleasant to speak too and very polite throughout including making sure we had plenty of drinks. Lovely food overall and love the fact it is dog friendly my dog loved it!

A group of six of us ate dinner at the Punch Bowl. The pub is full of character. The food was excellent and reasonably priced (the fixed price menu was especially good value). The young staff were very friendly and welcoming, and service was acceptably...

I tried to make a booking for Christmas for my family and what a poor performance. I tried to communicate for a week, tried to call and email, then eventually decided to go in to learn the phone had been silenced and that’s why we...

I like the Punch Bowl and have eaten here a number of times. On this occasion it was disappointing. The prawn cocktail starter was excellent but the steak pies less so. They were dry with no sign of gravy inside and the gravy provided was...

We returned here to meet up with friends that we hadn’t seen since the COVID lockdowns. We weren’t disappointed. The food was as good as we remembered. Three of us had the steak &ale pie with one had the belly pork. The pies were delicious...

A superb location for a mid day meal in an authentic bar

Good service Friendly staff Great food

Had a great week visiting friends in the village with multiple stops to the Punch Bowl. Great food, beer and staff!

Support your local pub, times are tough.

Sehr leckeres Essen, nettes Personal und hübsche, gemütliche Atmosphäre. Alles was ein Landgasthaus auszeichnet.

Great value and delicious menu...well done all. Highly recommended.

We had the fish pie and the tuna. Both were great. Cooked to perfection as were the vegetables. Lovely friendly staff. It was nice and busy. Great drinks choice. John, the manager very welcoming. Couldn’t fault it.

Disappointing!! Charming pub with a lovley atmosphere but we were forgotten about several times, the food was ok but there was not enough for the £15+ that Sunday dinner costs. Other people also complained to staff while we were here.

Really delicious lovely food, food you would die for, the best that ever been to for lovley food lovley staff lovley pup highly recommended to everyone, you all must come to try it you won't look back

Looking for somwhere for lunch whilst travelling and remembered the "Punch Bowl" from a previous visit some time ago. The pub/restaurant is made up of a number of rooms as well as outdoor seating and was not very busy. Our welcome was pleasant and friendly,...

Expensive for what it is. Portions are on the small side, and were not as described. There was a noticable gap between the group getting our mains at the same time

We came for our ‘date night’ and weren’t disappointed. I have been wanting to come for ages but it’s quite a drive from home. Finally got to go and was so pleased we made the effort. We were made to few very welcome and greeted...

Food was excellent but they were short staffed and the service slipped a bit once the pub filled up. Really friendly but took nearly an hour to clear our plates after mains meaning we didn't have time for dessert! 100% will come back though!

Brilliant food, brilliant service and a tremendous atmosphere of a traditional English Pub! The staff are all fab.

Attractive village location, fantastic food and service. Will definitely visit again.

Great Sunday lunch in very pleasant surroundings. 5mins from a nice park for a run around with the kids after.

Dinner for 2, without booking, great service excellent food.

Really helpful staff she described food perfectly and persuaded us all to have sirloin sandwiches divine nice ambiance

Service and food excellent a very pleasant experience.

Ate here with friends for the first time in ages and it was very good. It's a nice pub. The lady behind the bar was very pleasant and helpful; just the sort of welcome all too rare in pubs these days. And the food was...

Ambience seemed flat and was seated in a corner. Excellent starter for both. Ordered rump steak well done, got bloody. Told staff who just said sorry. Did not stay for pudding as staff did not seem bothered.

Four meals, all different, all superb! It’s very rare these days that I go for a meal and find my tastebuds alive with new flavours. As two couples we had different dishes and were equally impressed with our choices; even the desserts were something to...

Prices high for standard of food! Empty no atmosphere staff not confident in their role!

Food quality is very good. Service was below par to the extent of being comical. Manager seems to change every couple of weeks and it shows.

Thoroughly enjoyed lunch at the Punch Bowl Inn. Food was really lovely and two young ladies serving us were fantastic. Thank You, we will be back :)

We held our Christening party at the Punch bowl after a service in the local Church. They were very accommodating throughout the arrangements and helped us chose the best menu and room to suit our needs, including welcoming our little dog along and we were...

Went with a couple of friends. She and I had the scallops £15 for 3 tiny scallops. Ridiculous. My partner had a pie, obviously heated up in a microwave. Rock hard pastry. Won’t be going again. Very disappointed. Especially as on previous occasions we thought this was such a special place. The surroundings and service were good , however.

Had a delicious dinner with friends and family. Great atmosphere and friendly service. Fires were roaring and all our meals were excellent 10/10