Shibden Mill

Tucked-away restored mill with cosy rambling bar, five real ales, and inventive bar food

At the bottom of a peaceful wooded valley, this warmly friendly 17th-c restored mill comes as a nice surprise. The rambling bar has cosy side areas with banquettes heaped with cushions and rugs, there are well spaced nice old tables and chairs, and the candles in elegant iron holders give a feeling of real intimacy; also, old hunting prints, country landscapes and so forth, and a couple of big log fireplaces. Theakstons XB, a beer named after the pub and brewed for them by Moorhouses, and a couple of guests like Copper Dragon Golden Pippin, Saltaire Blonde, and Titanic English Glory on handpump, and a dozen wines by the glass (and two champagnes as well). There's an upstairs restaurant; piped music. There are plenty of seats and tables on an attractive heated terrace, and the building is prettily floodlit at night.

Using carefully chosen local suppliers and produce, the imaginative bar food includes sandwiches, soup, mussels in parlsey, garlic and ale, seared scallops with bacon, crème caramel, peas and girolles, sausages of the day, braised spring lamb with suet pudding, parmesan gnocchi with wild mushrooms and baby spinach, cod with egg yolk ravioli, truffle mash, parmesan and parsley oil, honey-roast bacon joint with parsley sauce, pot roasted chicken with goose liver and morrel cream, daily specials, and puddings like banana tart tatin and chocolate crunchy; good breakfasts.