Food & Drink
Food & drink in the North York Moors
In the North York Moors, what matters most isn't so much where you eat as where what you're eating came from. Moorland game and rare-breed meat from the hill farms, fish landed on the coast that morning, cheese and cake and ale made just down the road. Here's how to eat and drink well across the area, from a stone-floored moorland pub to a portion of fish and chips on the harbour wall.
A traditional Yorkshire pub interior with a fire, in the North York Moors
Moorland pubs
The proper Yorkshire pub, thick stone walls, a fire that's lit by noon in winter, and a kitchen that knows the farmer who raised the lamb, is one of the real pleasures of the moors. Famous names include the Lion Inn on Blakey Ridge, a 16th-century free house standing at one of the highest points on the moors, and the Fox and Rabbit Inn on the A169 near Dalby Forest; many walks here finish at a village local, like the Horseshoe Inn at Levisham on the Hole of Horcum route. Most moorland pubs get busy and many need booking for food, especially at weekends and in winter. Always worth a call ahead.
Pubs with a view
High-moor free houses, ridge-top beer gardens and sea views on the coast.
Dog-friendly pubs
Where muddy paws are welcome after a walk, and what to check before you go.
Sunday lunch
Roast beef and Yorkshire puddings, which inns to book and when.
Pubs with rooms
Inns where you can eat, drink and stay the night without driving.
The coast: fish, chips and seafood
The coast is the larder for seafood. Whitby is the heart of it, home to the celebrated Magpie Café overlooking the harbour and a handful of long-running, family-run fish restaurants, plus fresh crab and lobster straight off the boats. Don't miss Fortune's, the tiny family smokehouse that's been curing Whitby kippers since 1872. Up the coast, the fishing village of Staithes serves its catch almost within sight of the harbour. Eat your fish and chips on the harbour wall at least once, more on the shoreline in our guide to the coast.
Market-town food: Helmsley and beyond
Helmsley has a real reputation as a foodie market town, independent bakers and delis, the Vine House Café in the beautiful Helmsley Walled Garden, and its own small brewery, with a busy market on Fridays. The other market towns are well worth grazing too: Pickering and Kirkbymoorside have good independent bakers, butchers and cafés, and a wander round any of them turns up something worth carrying home.
Farm shops and local produce
Farm shops are the best way to taste the area at its source, places like Beadlam Grange near Helmsley pair a butchery and deli with a café, and shelves across the region carry Yorkshire staples: rare-breed and moor-reared meat, moorland game in season, Yorkshire cheeses and rapeseed oil, and local preserves. Pick up a picnic and you've the makings of a proper day out.
Tea rooms and cake
Yorkshire takes its tea and cake seriously, and the moors are full of proper tea rooms, scones, home baking and a pot of Yorkshire tea after a walk. Whitby's Botham's has been baking to Victorian family recipes for well over a century, and there are lovely tea gardens tucked away in the countryside, like the one by the waterfall at Falling Foss. It's the perfect reward at the end of a walk.
A drink of something local
The area brews and distils its own, too: small breweries such as Helmsley Brewing Co, Cropton and Whitby Brewery, the monks' celebrated cider at Ampleforth Abbey, and Whitby Gin, made in the shadow of the abbey. Many offer tours or a taproom, check their own sites for times. For real ale in particular, see where to drink well.
For a special occasion
The Moors and their fringes also hide some serious kitchens, the area around Harome, Oldstead and Ampleforth has gathered a cluster of celebrated, even Michelin-recognised, dining pubs and inns making the most of the local larder. Worth booking well ahead if you're marking an occasion.
A few practical notes
Country pubs and tea rooms often keep seasonal hours and many require booking for food, particularly on weekends and over winter, so it's always worth checking ahead or calling to reserve a table. For harvest-season eating and drinking, see the North York Moors in autumn, for the practicalities see plan your visit, and for a base see where to stay.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the highest pub in the North York Moors?
- The Lion Inn on Blakey Ridge, a 16th-century free house standing at one of the highest points on the moors.
- Are North York Moors pubs dog friendly?
- Most village and moorland pubs welcome dogs in the bar and often in a flagged snug; dining rooms vary, so ring ahead if you want to eat with your dog.
- Do you need to book a table in moors pubs?
- Often, yes. Remote inns and Sunday lunch fill up, and country pubs keep seasonal hours. It is always worth checking ahead or calling to reserve a table.
- Where should I eat fish and chips in the North York Moors?
- On the coast, Whitby is the heart of it, with long-running family-run fish restaurants and fresh crab and lobster straight off the boats. Eat them on the harbour wall at least once.