10 Best Restaurants in Yorkshire, England

This unpretentious restaurant prides itself on not being trendy, but it is, nevertheless, popular—considered one of the best in Yorkshire if not in all of Britain. Although the menu changes, it always includes elevated versions of Italian meat (perhaps oxtail stew with chickpeas) and seafood classics. Opt for seasonal specials incorporating white truffles or game (October through February) or locally sourced vegetables. With only 30 seats, it books up quickly.

Seafood is the draw here, and although the long menu includes freshly caught Whitby crab, salmon, haddock, halibut, cod, and lobster, the crowds come for the outstanding traditional fish-and-chips. Fans say a meal here is worth the wait, which can stretch to an hour on busy nights.

The welcoming interior of this celebrated Yorkshire tearoom—which began life in Harrogate in 1919 when a Swiss restaurateur brought his Alpine confections to England—has changed little since it first opened, and its extensive array of teas has changed not at all. Omelets, quiches, sandwiches, and pastries are all on the menu, which also has items that take you from the Dales (sausages) to the Alps (rösti). Betty's is famous for its traditional afternoon tea, but there's an even more elaborate afternoon tea, complete with a pianist, served in the Imperial Room Thursday through Saturday (reservations required).

Bettys has been a York institution since 1936. The decor—inspired by the Art Deco ocean liner the Queen Mary—the dessert trollies, and the solicitous white-aproned staff all contribute to an impression of stepping back into a more genteel era. An excellent afternoon tea is served in the downstairs café; breakfast and light lunches are served in the upstairs Oak Room, where you can see the mirror inscribed by the RAF air aces who dined here during WW II. An in-house store sells a range of specialty coffees and teas, plus pastries and old-fashioned sweets like rose and violet creams.

This handsome pub combines a cozy traditional wood-paneled bar with a restaurant in a contemporary glass-and-steel extension that specializes in traditional Yorkshire cooking. Using seasonal, locally sourced ingredients, options might include Chicken Supreme with asparagus, peas, and black garlic aioli; Seafood Thermidor with locally caught salmon, cod, and monkfish; or a homemade steak-and-ale pie. There's also a good-value two-course lunchtime and early bird set menu (£16.95).

This cozy independent restaurant receives rave reviews for its hearty Eastern European fare. You'll find primarily Polish dishes, including favorites like pierogi, bigos (a hunter's stew made with cabbage, wild mushroom, and sausage), pancetta-wrapped rabbit leg, and schnitzel, as well as vegetarian options. It's popular, so it can get noisy and reservations are suggested.

With its oak-paneled, candlelit dining room and open fires, this traditional inn is an inviting rural dining spot. Old favorites such as duck breast in a port reduction, crispy pork belly with black pudding, or traditional Sunday roasts are served with vegetables fresh from the kitchen garden. There are also eight comfortable rooms that continue the traditional theme (£125 per night). Dogs are welcome and in fact have their own menu. The inn is 10 miles north of Skipton in the town of Grassington.

Everyone visiting Scarborough has to have fish-and-chips at least once, and this harbor-front spot is a classic of its kind. Choose an upstairs window table for the view, and tuck into freshly fried, lightly battered, locally caught cod or haddock. Fresh fish pie, oysters, crab, seafood casserole and lobster, plus  sausages and steaks, all locally sourced, are also available.

This bright, modern Yorkshire take on an American steak house emphasizes locally sourced ingredients for its slow-roasted rotisserie or grilled meats. Specialties include options like sizzling teriyaki beef with peppers and onions or baby-back barbecue ribs, as well as classic steaks and burgers. Fish eaters and even vegetarians are accommodated with dishes like seafood linguine or a superfood salad.

This book-lined, below-ground bar–restaurant serves well-crafted pizzas, homemade burgers, and superior pub grub like steak-and-ale pie or haddock and chips. There's a quiz night on Wednesday and a DJ on Friday and Saturday.