Just had a fantastic meal at The Devonshire this evening. 6 of us had dinner together for a bit of a family reunion.
Portion sizes are large enough to satisfy the hungriest hiker, but the quality of the food doesn’t suffer for that. The chips are good enough in their own right to deserve a mention, in terms of both flavour and texture, even though they were “just” an accompaniment to the baby back ribs.
The back ribs - pictured - really are not for the faint-hearted, as the menu suggests, and were plentiful enough that the two of us who ordered them needed help finishing from other members of the party.
The halloumi starter is delicious, with good quality halloumi cooked to perfection and served with flavoursome tomatoes and basil oil. The duck breast main looked and tasted fantastic, and both risottos hit the spot for their respective recipients. The beef and dumplings also surpassed expectations, with a delicious, thick gravy that perfectly offset the tender dumplings.
We rounded off the meal with some of the locally made Northern Bloc sorbet, and a cheeseboard with Harrogate Blue.
Unusually for one of my reviews, given I’m coeliac and so usually speak to the availability of safe gluten free options, I’m only mentioning it as an afterthought. That’s because there are plenty of options, clearly marked on the menu, and front of house staff are knowledgeable and helpful enough that for the first time in ages, my dietary requirements didn’t feel especially onerous.
I absolutely cannot fault The Devonshire. This may have been our first meal there, but we will most definitely be back.