The Sportsman in Harrogate

Another excellent visit to one of my favourite restaurants, which never disappoints. The dining area in the pub is warm,cosy & inviting with a real fire roaring away which is a delight on a winter's day. Service is friendly & attentive. Food is good quality & wonderful, delivering a feast of deliciousness that we all enjoyed. I can't recommend this pub/restaurant enough even though it's an hours drive for us, I still can't wait for my next visit.

We were staying in the area with family and booked for Sunday lunch. There were nine of us and we were fortunate enough to get a private room. The staff were lovely, friendly& knowledgeable , food was served quickly, perfectly cooked and tasted amazing, a wide choice to suit most tastes. Probably the best place we have visted in a long time, The only downside is that we live to far away to frequent on a regular basis but totally recommend a visit, you wont be disappointed!

Fabulous and generous as always. We visited for lunch with some old friends, and enjoyed fabulously cooking, and a relaxed atmosphere. Perfect in every way.

Had a fabulous 2 night stay in a deluxe room, which was lovely. During our stay we enjoyed 2 leisurely lunches, 2 excellent evening meals and 2 very nice breakfasts. The staff are all amazing and the chefs are very talented. The icing on the cake for us was being able to sample grouse for dinner on our first evening! It was exquisite and we can now tick that box on our 'bucket list'. Thank you so much. We will definitely be back in the future.

Excellent lunch in every respect. Beautiful pub inside and outside, in a stunning area. Top class menu for a Sunday lunch with the usual offerings plus fantastically cooked local game dishes, which really should be tried. Very positive and friendly staff. We loved it and will be back many times I am sure! Perfect area for a walk before or afterwards of course.

Loved this place. Strong recommendation from friend who is reasonably local and so glad I took the advice. Charming and helpful at the bar, insisting on bringing drinks out to us in the lovely gardens when I could easily have taken a tray. Sad in the sunshine, chatted with fellow diners. So nice. We’d had a long walking day and just wanted to chill and be well fed. Got that in spades. Food was excellent. We hoovered everything. My youngest daughters (in their 20s) are vegetation and pescatarian. They loved it. . Wine selection good. No rush no hassle no waiting. Just all over spot on. Walked back along the river footpath to Pately. Perfect. The whole area is amazeballs so we’ll definitely be back and look forward to eating here again 👍

What a gem this place is! We enjoyed a nights stay with an evening meal and breakfast. The staff were very welcoming, helpful and attentive from the moment we arrived! The food was delicious. The room was cozy and had everything we needed. There was something special about this place, it had such a good feel about it and was very relaxing. Thank you everyone for a lovely stay!

Excellent food as always and superb service. This is a popular pub/hotel most of the time but at peak periods you really have to book well in advance. Nidderdale trout is superb and on this visit one of us had (roasted) grouse which was absolutely delicious. There’s an extensive wine list and superb draught beer on tap. The rooms are very comfortable and have all the facilities you would expect. We have been several times now and will definitely visit again.

Stayed for one night with extended family on way to Scotland. Absolutely fabulous and highly recommended. Staff were so helpful and the dinner was worthy of a Michelin star. Would certainly stay again if in the area.

This was our 2nd visit, having found this beautiful pub after visiting How Stean Gorge. The beer garden is lovely, plenty of tables, peaceful and pleasant views. We sat in the bar area for Sunday lunch. Great service. We all had mains and puddings. The food was excellent quality and very tasty. The bar area was full, but not noisy at all. The restaurant looked lovely. Not the cheapest family Sunday lunch(£144), but you get what you pay for and it was worth every penny. Wouldn't hesitate to return and this place is about an hour away for us to travel. Even my very fussy 15yr old daughter loved it! We will definitely be back. Thank you.

Food second to none. We were lucky that their lobster festival was on, so had a, starter and main of lobster. Good value for lobster dishes, and they did not stint on quantity. Heaven. The taste and quality was superb, staff efficient and friendly, would definitely recommend. So, I would rather pay a little bit more for good food than a bit less and poor quality food. Oh, and the summer pudding was excellent (according to my partner who chose that dessert), it certainly looked impressive (I don't have a, sweet tooth, hence lobster starter)

We were a Thursday night walk-in and they accommodated us for food. Nice bar area, and the starters were delicious and came out very quickly despite being told the booked in people took priority, which I felt was an unnecessary thing for the lady to say! Mains followed in good time, venison delicious but the Rump steak was a bit of a let down! Desserts were lovely, and overall the visit was a nice treat to end our trip with. Would return again.

We were out driving some of the fine roads in the vicinity and stumbled across this gem. Owned by the same Family for 45 Years and a flourishing business it would seem. We arrived after the advertised kitchen service but we chanced our arm and asked if they could serve us, which they did. They have rooms too, which we would have preferred to have stayed in had we have known, having had a very poor experience at another venue in the area. Thank you for a super experience - great good, good wine but above all superb welcoming service.

This wonderful country pub is about a mile or so from Pateley Bridge and a lovely place to stop and have a drink after a walk or book in for a wonderful meal. The menu is local, good produce and cooked really well. The staff were friendly, helpful and chatty. We enjoyed a meal in the bar area where the dog was made welcome. The starters were with us fairly quickly and of a good size, there was a nice wait for the mains but that was okay as we enjoyed the atmosphere. All in all a great nights food. It isn't cheap, but then really good food and service shouldn't be. It was a treat for a good days walking!

I would have loved to give 5 stars because, the food was delicious, the staff charming and friendly, the bar area full of character. So what's the problem, we arrived at 11.55, we didn't order starters, our main course arrived 50 mins later, our desert was served just before 2pm. When I booked, the table had to be vacated by 2pm. Of course no one asked us to leave. It wasn't very busy. What is happening in the kitchen. Delicious food is being cooked but so slow to the pass and service. We have been coming to the Sportsman's for special meals for more than 20 years and we know a new generation is now in charge but service MUST be speeded up

We had viewed the website before a holiday in Pateley Bridge and were keen to try this place. Stopped for a drink at lunchtime midweek and enjoyed a lovely pint sat outside in the sunshine, so decided to book for dinner later in the week....

Fantastic as ever. Great Sunday roast. Fab starters as puddings too. Extensive wine menu to suit all tastes and budgets. Very friendly professional staff too. Looking forward to our next visit

We had stopped at lunch time for a couple of pints after walking the Nidderdale way with our dog. We thought about having lunch but it was a bit warm to have the venison that had my mouth watering from the menu. We managed to...

Yet again - top drawer service from start to finish, superb food , excellent service and a great pint of Timothy Taylor’s ale . We are fortunate to have the Sportsman’s Arms on our door step - so we’ve popped in many times of the...

Great location when walking the Nidderdale Way. We were only stopping for a pint or two but the service and atmosphere made us stay for lunch. Customer service was perfect. We ate outside but the bar is dog friendly. Not a cheap lunch but worth...

Lisa and the team are so helpful and friendly. Excellent service, great atmosphere and absolutely amazing food. We had the recommended venison and it was the best venison we’ve had. Meals were on the pricier side but worth it given the presentation, quality and setting....

Rave reviews about this quaint country inn. Just the most super service, from the phonecall and booking, to the moment we walked into the door and left again. We enjoyed the loveliest dining experience infront of the glowing fire, super seafood - scallops cooked to...

Tasty roast beef dinner. Brilliant service, especially David speaking French to our daughter. Beautiful place, would definitely visit again if in the area.

Top quality food served by a fantastic team all in a beautiful location. What’s more to ask? Keep up your great work and thanks to all at sportsman’s arms in making a very memorable visit to nidderdale

Booked a table at the last minute. Very accommodating and friendly staff. Had a warm welcome. The food was delicious, local and freshly cooked. The price was very reasonable for such quality. Very pleased to note that the ‘no dogs in the restaurant area’ was...

Fantastic food in a beautiful location with outstanding service. I left my driving license in the restaurant and the staff went to a lot of effort to find and contact me and then send it back as I’m not local. Highly recommended!

A family lunch after five years away. Food and service was excellent In beautiful surroundings. Was worth a long wait and as good as we remembered

A really relaxed lunch after a walk with the family in Nidderdale. After several days of Christmas indulgence we just wanted a simple soup and sandwich lunch. They absolutely hit the spot with just that. The service was excellent and I felt we were treated...

This is a special place in beautiful Nidderdale. The food is superb and the staff are lovely - efficient, warm and friendly. Highly recommended.

My wife and I have been drawn here for nigh-on 33 years, testimony in itself for its excellence in all ways. We returned just yesterday to celebrate my wife's birthday with a group of friends from various parts of the north. We had booked their...

We had stopped for a pint or 2 mid walk during our stay and decided to book a table for lunch ,Good decision Lovely food ,we had main courses and puddings .would recommend. I had the venison My wife the chicken, both delicious choice delicious...

We booked for Sunday lunch, a good job as it is very popular. The waiters and bar staff are brilliant, interesting and funny despite being very busy. Beer and wine was excellent and the food was good but not outstanding and service was slow (due...

If you want the best grouse, look no further, mine last night was excellent, probably the best I've had..

Let’s start with what was good. The service was friendly and efficient. The roast sirloin of local beef was tender, perfectly cooked, and tasty. That, I’m afraid, is where it ends. Most of the rest of the meal was distinctly average. The starter of lobster...

Today I came to the sportsman's arms for the lobster festival lunch with my family. It did not disappoint. The food was excellent, the location beautiful, but what made our visit was the warm welcome by the staff. We had David and Debbie serve us...

What a superb experience. Location, Lunch, dinner, room all fantastic but most of all the welcome we received from all the staff was what made our stay so enjoyable. This is a firm 9 out 10. Thank you.

We had seen good reviews on TripAdvisor and our meal lived up to them. The dining room is very nicely appointed so feels a bit special. The staff where very friendly and efficient. Our meals were excellent, very tasty and well,presented.

Me my wife and two sons (11 & 14) all stayed at the sportsman’s arms hotel for 1 night as we had an activity day planned the following day. What an amazing place in a beautiful setting. The food was outstanding and the staff where...

Night ruined by one particular member of staff that should probably change sectors. Pushy and just downright rude to us, she clearly did not want us there from the start. The younger ladies were much nicer to us, but I cannot recommend this place to...

Stopped at this lovely pub twice recently. Once for drinks and again for Sunday lunch. The place is set in the most delightful small hamlet and is a very beautiful building. The owner is quite simply charming, making us feel most welcome. Sunday lunch was...

Been visit the Sportsman’s for years and it was as good as ever. Food outstanding, service was amazing and request for an early breakfast was absolutely no problem. Loved seeing some fresh decorating and furnishings around the hotel too.

Really nice stay, nice rooms and very dog friendly. The staff and chef were fabulous, thank you all for your great service and gard work. Only quibble - please try harder to cater for vegetarians!

We went as two couples to the Sportsman's Arms and had a really excellent meal. The staff were friendly and efficient, the ambience very cosy. Even though they had a large group seated nearby they made sure we were seated and served before they sat...

My wife had been before but this is the first time I visited. We had lunch there last weekend and it was very nice and excellent service. The venison and soup starter was tasty and quite large service. My wife had the roast beef as...

We longed for a short break in an area and place we knew. The Sportsman's Arms filled the bill, bringing back good memories as well as the location. After a long drive from south of Birmingham we were welcomed by the friendly staff. We then...

it was very welcoming. A perfect stop for lunch after a very wet walk! Food excellent and fire going 😊

We have visited many times as a family and as a couple. We had lunch there last week and it was wonderful. The fishcake starter was beautiful. My wife had the venison main which was well cooked, beautifully presented and tasted fantastic. I had the...

Having Sunday lunch at the Sportsman's in Wath-in-Nidderdale was really a treat. The welcome was warm and friendly; the service could not be faulted and the food simply superb! All in all, a really great dining experience.

Stayed for two nights on a weekend break and found everything very good. Rooms where very clean and well maintained. The restaurant food was of a very high standard although the menu was quite small on selections. The prices where a little on the high...

Booked the last room for a couple of nights at late notice. The room was ground floor in the adjacent building, plenty of space, very clean. Food on both nights (we ate in the bar and restaurant)was excellent as was the service throughout. It’s so...

So disappointing - has a great location but let down by the lacklustre food. Very expensive for small portions. The worst part was the rude waitress. We asked for a refill of water and she muttered under her breath that we ‘just go to the...

We tried to book the day before but restaurant was full. We had no problem with this but were told by the man who answered the phone that the bar was open for walk ins as tables could not be booked in the bar. We...

Piping hot fish and chips & fish goujon bucket. Good wine. Friendly helpful and pleasant staff. Comfortable surroundings and good ice cream!

It is with the heaviest of hearts that I write this review. I have frequented the Sportsmans Arms for many years. Hence, when I had my 70 th Birthday I wished to celebrate with my close friends at the Inn. However, I cannot begin to...

Searching TripAdvisor for somewhere to eat on our trip to Nidderdale I came across the Sportsman's arms and it looked lovely. I tried calling several times to book but couldn't get an answer, so we chanced a drive out. What a beautiful setting and lovely...

Disappointed. Have wanted to visit for a long time, so as going to be in the area, telephoned 2 weeks prior, to book table for 2 for anniversary meal. Was told the restaurant was full, but we could have last table in the bar. Suited...

No one to greet us on arrival or signs to say where we should enter etc. Dining room extraordinarily noisy..or was that the 2 tables next to us who were extraordinarily loud? We enjoyed their conversations. Not. My trout was lovely but apparently fish knives...

The venue is beautiful, gorgeous gardens and set up for an afternoon stop on a walk or lovely alfresco lunch. However the menu has changed and no light lunches available, very limited choice and £15 for a small cottage pie with no vegetables is excessive....

Can highly recommend this very classy restaurant, the food was excellent, my husband had the pork chop, it was massive. He said it was so succulent and the best he has had for a long time. I’m a vegetarian and although they do not cater...

We had noticed that this pub was halfway round our walk from Pateley Bridge to the reservoir and back. It turned out to be one of the best stops on a walk that we have ever had, shady garden table, selection of beers, friendly service,...

The food was very poor and very expensive. We don't mind paying the prices for good food, but it was very bland at best. We ordered 3 lots of vegetables and potatoes and got 1 small tureen of each, very small tureen, instead of 3....

Overpriced for basic food which isn’t even very good. £15 for cottage pie and £17.50 for smoked haddock and poached egg is scandalously pricey, and it was nothing special. The location and the pub is lovely, but i wouldn’t eat again at those prices.

Absolutely fantastic experience, cannot recommend this place enough. We booked in The Tent, what a great set up - cosey with cute views across the field and up the hill. The olives were divine, the grilled sardines beautiful, the sirloin steak the best I think...

I had hoped to get a reservation in the restaurant but it was fully booked. I managed to secure a reservation in the bar area for 4 of us.The weather on Sunday May 30th and It was exceedingly busy when we arrived at 1.15pm but...

Went for dinner on 22nd May with my family although I book the table the week before for restaurant they put us in the bar area by the door on a table which only could fit 3 people even though there were 5 of us...

Very slow and unhelpful service. Poor staff training. Expensive compared to other local restaurants. Poor covid measures: no ventilation indoors, and other customers were not wearing masks indoors.

Enjoyed a fabulous night in the grounds of the Sportsman’s. The Tent is superb as were the staff and the food. Highly recommended.

We were recommended a visit to the Tent by our Airbnb hosts who had in turn been recommended it by friends (word of mouth travels quick!) It certainly did not disappoint. The setup at the Sportsman's Arms for alfresco dining is so well done and...

We enjoyed an outside meal on Monday 12th April, the first available day after lockdown. We enjoyed the lovely sunny weather. Very friendly staff, very good food and lovely beer sat. We couldn’t fault it.

My partner and I have visited the Sportsman while walking in the area and always enjoyed their garden. Since current covid restrictions mean we can't meet at anyone's home, we arranged a family rendezvous (two small groups) in the area today, thinking we'd have a...

In contrast to another reviewer, we walked in and were greeted in a friendly manner. The bar is really inviting and we had lunch there. What a menu - and not just frozen- to-microwave food. If we weren't also having an evening meal I'd have...

We called in on a walk from pateley bridge for a drink and rest . It was just gone 12 , place was very quiet , we went to the bar and waited , waited ,the lady behind the bar ignored us for a good...

Absolutely Fantastic in every way. Lovely room, beautiful breakfast and great service. Evening meal great I can recommend this place to anyone Enjoy

Service and food was very good. I had a sportmans salad and my wife had soup. Our friends had fish and venison. We could not fault the food. Some dishes were a bit expensive. If they were two or three pound less for certain dishes...

So wanted to love this place, having called in for a drink previously. However, although the pasta dish was fine, the venison was re-heated and very overcooked, but the vegetables appeared to not have been cooked at all. I'm all for al-dente, but couldn't cut...

About a week ago we were back at our Yorkshire idyll, Harrogate, which has unsurprisingly adapted itself with long-held aplomb to the current crisis called 'Corona'.  Along with three friends, Den, Al and son, Li, we repaired to the hills around the famed village of...

We came out especially to try the summer pudding. Got here at 7.15pm in the bar. Refused service for food. We ordered drinks, a couple came in after us. They got served, we didn't. We were told service was over, it clearly wasn't and your...

This is an excellent spot for a short break. A well-stocked bar, very good food, nice room and really friendly staff - add to that the location and we thought it superb value. The local trout was so good that my wife chose it again...

Came on the recommendation of our Airbnb owner. Wished we hadn’t. Menu is reminiscent of 1970’s ‘British’ restaurant stodge; remarkable for 2020 that there was no vegetarian option for either starters or mains. Choices were all heavy, no lighter/salad options were available and even the...

We recently had a good stay at the sportmans arms, good food as ever, but we felt it was pretty cheeky that none of the VAT saving is being passed onto the customer. I thought the spirit of the Policy was to incentivise customers to...

Have just returned from a 3 night break at the Sportsman's Arms. A large party of 10 (no children) had excellent service, delicious food and comfortable accommodation. We were received with great courtesy and traditional yorkshire hospitality. Different dishes available every evening with a great...

All the meals we enjoyed at the Sportsmans’s were simply excellent. Everything we ate was beautifully prepared, well cooked and nicely presented, all this backed up by friendly, efficient service. The dining room is the perfect setting for the style of food served. Overall, an...

4 of us enjoyed Sunday lunch in the restaurant. The menu had really good and varied choices for each of the 3 courses. Service was professional with well trained and knowledgable staff. The food really good in fact just perfect. Wine selection very good moderately...

My partner and I met here 20 years ago on Millennium night. The place was fabulous then, as it is now: spectacular food, warm and friendly welcome and cosy atmosphere. We came on Sunday with two friends who also know the place very well and...

My wife and I decided on recommendation to drive from Boston Spa to the Sportsman’s Arms It was a nice trip even though the weather and visibility was poor. The bar was cosy and warm and food was very good.We both had comfort food sausages...

This is our second review after visiting the Sportsmans Arms yet again. The location is very nice indeed, the ambience comfortable and welcoming. We found the bar menu to be more interesting than the restaurant. Roast venison was cooked to perfection, tasty, tender and accompanied...

Lovely setting, lovely food. Excellent service, although was fairly busy so a little slow, but it didn't spoil it at all. Would definitely recommend and definitely visit again. Well done.

Fabulous Anniversary meal following our reception here 10 years ago! The prawn cocktail, halibut, and Lamb, were exceptional, worthy of the five stars given. The ambience and relaxed nature made the whole meal experience one to be remembered and cherished for years to come. We...

We celebrated our 10th Wedding anniversary here(following our wedding reception) with a truly memorable gorgeous meal. Prawn cocktail, halibut, lamb, sticky toffee pudding and food to die for. The ambience and staff and service made it the most relaxing perfect dining experience I have ever...

Excellent service, as always. We went during their lobster festival and both enjoyed the Thermidor. The wine was very good and reasonably priced. There are little things that took the shine off it being a 5 star review. For example, the bread they serve is...

The Pub is quaint and remote, but charge per person, which makes it very overpriced for a couple. The staff were lovely, breakfast decent, but the room was average and an exterior light made it daylight all night long. The mattress has seen better days,...

I would have given this review four stars as the meal I had was tasty. However my partner is vegetarian and he literally had one choice, which was the same dish for main (large) and starters (small).

We ate in the bar. The location is superb, whichever way you arrive it is through some of the best scenery in the Yorkshire Dales. The staff are friendly and helpful. The bar menu includes several of our favourite foods such as loin of venison,...

Called to see a relative on holiday near Pateley Bridge and went to Sportsman’s for lunch. 3 of us had pork/ham/beef with salad and chips very pleased with food and presentation. The staff were welcoming and friendly. Unfortunately hikers kept leaving the door open letting...

Stayed here for two nights and ate at breakfast, bar lunch and dinner over that time. A very good range of food at bar and restaurant, from gastro-pub to just good pub. Wath rabbit (Welsh rarebit with a lithp) to a first-rate local pheasant in...

From what we could gather the restaurant menu/food is the same as the bar food with table clothes! A varied menu but very little for vegetarians on offer I think. We had 2 salads for starters, the pork mains and trout were well cooked and...

As last review, a disappointing lunch (23rd May). Ambience spoilt by local 'gentrified' persons of no great repute. Food only moderate. Front of house staff tried their best, but seemed somewhat overtaken by the kitchen staff presenting what should have been perfectly obvious food from...

We ate dinner at the Sportsman's Arms the other night while staying in Pateley Bridge and having never visited the Sportsman's or Wath before. The location for the hotel/bar is really lovely being just over the little bridge and it's a very attractive building that's...

Had lunch here with friends on a visit to Pateley Bridge. It was a delightful experience all round. A traditional, understated country pub/inn with delicious, fresh food, attentive and very pleasant service. I highly recommend it. Worth the short trip down a country road from...

Called in in my birthday for lunch whilst in a walk in Nidderdale. Superb! I’d forgotten how good the food is at the Sportsman’s. Just had a main course - pork loin. It was to die for! Absolutely delicious. Nice pint of beer too from...