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Yorkshire is known for hearty food, though bacon-based breakfasts and lunches of pork pies do tend to pale fairly quickly. Increasingly, the larger towns and cities, particularly Leeds, have developed a foodie scene of sorts. Indian restaurants (often called curry houses) can be very good in northern cities. Out in the countryside, pubs are your best bet for dining. Many serve excellent home-cooked food and locally reared meat (especially lamb) and vegetables. Roast beef dinners generally come with Yorkshire pudding, the tasty, puffy, oven-baked dish made from egg batter known as a popover in the United States. It's generally served with lots of gravy. Be sure to sample local cheeses, especially Wensleydale, which has a delicate flavor and honey aftertaste.
Perfectly positioned at the bottom of the village, this friendly retreat dating back to 1828 looks out from atop a seawall to dramatic views of the North Sea (if you can get a coveted window table), with a warming open fire in winter and a sunny terrace in summer. The reasonably priced menu leans towards well-prepared traditional pub grub, including fish-and-chips or shellfish like Whitby scampi or crab and lemon salad. There are three B&B rooms upstairs.
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).
On the outskirts of town, in a Victorian textile mill that's been transformed into a live-and-work complex for artists, this family-friendly, café-cum-coffee shop has been winning fans with all-day healthy breakfast and brunch dishes like a veggie version of a Full English (smashed avocado, Halloumi, egg, beans, tomatoes, and toast) as well as breads, cakes, and pastries baked fresh on-site. When you've finished eating, check out the exhibitions in the complex's 3,500-square-foot art gallery. Buses 16 and 508 can get you here from the center.
On the first floor of a shopping center, in what is known as Trinity Kitchen, you'll find a changing (bimonthly) lineup of six pop-up restaurants featuring the offerings of top food vans from around the country installed next to permanent options serving burgers, gluten-free-pho, Indian, Mexican, gyros, or pizza. Recent temporary vendors have included Yoi Fried Chicken (a spicy pan-Asian take on chicken bao); Hong Bao Asian Street Food (vegetable tempura, pork skewers, curry dishes); Yard Dog (hot dogs and mac-and-cheese); and Burgerati (smash burgers).
Claiming to date from 1715, this narrow, atmospheric bar in a quiet alley off bustling Briggate retains 19th- and 20th-century features, like beveled mirrors, copper-topped tables, Art Nouveau stained glass, and mosaic tiles. It serves superior pub food with an emphasis on the local and seasonal, like a grilled eggplant tabbouleh or homemade beef-and-ale pie. Beers from local microbreweries are featured, and the prices are friendly. There's also a pre-theater fixed price (£25) menu.
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