We usually have a dinner at the Talbot during our stays in the area. This time we went twice. The restaurant is a nice room in this town centre hotel. It started life as a privately owned mansion in the 1660s and, about a hundred years later, was converted to a coaching inn on the road between York and Scarborough. Subsequent developments by the Earls Fitzwilliam and their successors have been undertaken sympathetically to the building’s history. With that length of time offering hospitality, it’s perhaps no surprise that staff do their job with a smile.
Our first visit was for a Sunday roast, which we’ve had before and enjoyed. The plus points for the Talbot are that they serve their roasts at dinner as well as lunch. And it’s a very generous and varied serving. And, in the latter, lies an issue. I know it will sound a bit odd, but there’s really too much on the plate. It’s piled high – like the worst excesses you see in an all-you-can-eat buffet. And comes swimming in gravy – we had to ask for a bowl so we could pour most of it off. There’s literally no room on the plates so actually eating it isn’t easy, until you’ve carefully worked your way in quite a bit from the edge.
The second visit was much better and much more as we remember the Talbot. We skipped starters and went straight in for main courses. Flat iron steak was OK – decent flavour but, even for this cut, a bit tougher than you expect. Good fries but the advertised watercress salad was, literally, just a spring of watercress. Excellent béarnaise sauce – really pronounced tarragon flavour. “Pie of the Day” was game pie. A “proper” pie with crisp shortcrust pastry completely enclosing the filling of venision, rabbit and pheasant. That came with really nice non-sloppy mash and mixed greens. A separate jug of gravy was there for “topping up”.
Lemon posset always feels like summer. Light, creamy with a tang from lemon curd. And cheese was excellent – a selection of three Yorkshire ones – a cheddar, a blue and Brie-like one. Served with crackers, grapes, celery and a tangy chutney.
Nice second evening which made up for the misses of the first.
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