Bantam
Helmsley, North Yorkshire
The market town of Helmsley is just three miles from the village of Harome where dwell two of the best inns in Yorkshire, the Star and the Pheasant, so it was a brave move by Sam Varley to open in the shadow of these two big boys. We need not have worried. Bantam fulfils a long-met need in bustling Helmsley for a casual dining restaurant serving good food at a modest price at both lunch and dinner. Yorkshire-born Sam honed his kitchen skills in Melbourne, London and Scotland's Kinneuchar Inn, before settling in Ryedale. His experience and knowledge are evident on the plate: a rich and earthy chicken liver parfait; a classic salad of blue cheese, walnuts and chicory and a superb dish of roast Jerusalem artichoke with cured egg yolk and autumn truffle, were just three of the dishes on an attractive menu of sharing plates. Flatbreads are invitingly topped with ox cheek, caramelised onion and Tallegio or simply confit garlic butter. Specials might be sirloin steak and chips or a whole turbot. Finish with an elegant marmalade ice cream and sablé biscuit or doughnuts with rhubarb and custard. Low intervention wines feature on a sharply curated list.
Dining Information:
Counter seating, No background music
8 Bridge Street, Helmsley, North Yorkshire YO62 5BG
01439 770479
