The Gallery - Ryedale

I booked a table for our group of 10 friends on New Years Eve in the Black Swan and we had a really fantastic evening. We were greeted with a Champagne reception and served really good canapés. The tables were immaculate in their layout with white linen and silver cutlery, drinking water and wine glasses. The food was divine and every one enjoyed the seven courses. The service at the table was outstanding and the staff here are all very friendly and super efficient, I would particularly like to praise Andre and Lori. The manager Lise worked very hard to ensure that all tables were happy.

The food and service was perfect. The grouse was so tender and pumpkin with blackberries was the perfect combination. My husband had lamb chump, his comments were utterly delicious . The ham hock starter was mouth watering.White chocolate fondant oozed sauce. The only negative was the room, changed since we were last staying there and rather stark. This would have been a five star rating otherwise. No tablecloths or flowers, bleak infact.. Cloths would improve the noise level and flowers however small would be more attractive. We have already booked to eat there again!

My wife and I ate here on Saturday evening, we had no booking and just walked in. The staff were very helpful and friendly. The food that we were served was delicious and they have a very good wine list.

We decided on the Market menu which has a relatively small selection but sounded interesting. Three truly excellent courses followed with good basic ingredients and skilful but not over-complex presentation. I was so impressed( and not a little surprised) that I asked how long the chef had been there. Apparently only about a month and the new menu just started!! Good wine list with interesting choices and very helpful and knowledgeable staff. Not given away but well worth the price!!

We’ve been coming to the “mucky duck” almost every year for 30 years or more and sadly the restaurant is not what it was. Seated in the bar we made our choices over a gin tonic, we both asked for the crab starter, I ordered plaice and my wife lamb for our main courses. We couldn’t help hearing lots of folk in the bar ordering the crab and judging by the teaspoonfull of crab we got, the chef must have decided to ration it and compensate by dumping two thick unpleasant lumps of cured salmon on each plate. My plaice was beautiful but my wife’s lamb was tough and the kidneys which came with it, tasted as though they had not been properly cleaned. Slighly making up for the rest of the meal was the prune creme brulee dessert. What we really missed was the crisp linen tablecloths of days past.