The Farrier Review

Situated in the village of Cayton, half way between the seaside towns of Filey and Scarborough, The Farrier is a restaurant (and B&B) which was saved from redevelopment and extensively refurbished over a three year period by the current owners. Since then, it's gone on to win a host of awards, including top spot on Channel 4's Four In a Bed and an AA rosette in March 2022. I was therefore fairly confident of a pretty decent meal as I made the trip for lunch with my wife, our two young children and my parents, on a mild October Saturday to celebrate my mum's birthday.

The booking process had actually been pretty frustrating; they only allow booking of tables online for up to four people (which is pretty low, I've booked tables of six online at multiple Michelin star venues in the past for example) so my wife had to ring up. Sadly, she had to ring several days in a row before anyone actually answered; we nearly ended up going elsewhere due to that. Alas, in the end she did manage to speak to someone and book (they charged a £30 deposit which is fine) and my wife let the lady on the other end of the phone know that both my parents are vegetarian, my mum is also coeliac, and that we were visiting for my mum's birthday.

The venue wasn't difficult to find and there's a decent sized car park at the rear (as well as a couple of disabled spaces at the front). Right from arriving it's clear the renovation work here has been extensive; the outside looks smart and inside is equally as impressive; there's a strong horsey theme (as expected) and the decor throughout is very pleasant. There was a short wait on arrival to be seated, but the welcome was warm enough and we were shown to our table, complete with a happy birthday card and blackboard for my mum, which was a nice touch.

The lunch menu offers a decent selection of starters and mains and there's also a range of sandwiches available if you're after something a bit lighter. There's a children's menu too with both starters and mains (although no desserts I found out later) which was much appreciated. There was one disappointment; we'd made it very clear when booking (weeks in advance) that my parents are vegetarian and my mum is coeliac; although our waitress was aware, there was nothing done in advance to prepare for this and highlight which dishes would be suitable. There's a vegan menu listed on their website for example; nothing like that even came close to making an appearance. Our waitress though was happy to check with the kitchen what could be done and we got there in the end.

Drinks wise, there's a comprehensive drinks list which covers all the main basis well, including a larger-than-average gin selection. I enjoyed a couple of my usual Hendrick's and tonics during the meal, whilst the rest of the family was happy with a variety of soft drinks including apple juice and dandelion and burdock.

For the food, first up were some complimentary bread rolls (including a gluten free one for my mum) which were nice enough. Lunch proper began for me with a duck salad; it was fine but the duck was a little bit tough and the flavours weren't very interesting. Other starters around the table included chicken pate which my wife enjoyed, whilst my daughter was happy enough with the nachos and cheese from the children's menu. My mum passed on starters whilst my dad had a portion of chips and a bowl of olives (and why not).

The food did improve somewhat with the mains; I opted for the venison served with chimichurri and a game reduction sauce, as well as some vegetables on the side. The venison was cooked well and it was a very tasty plate overall. My parents both went for the black truffle and mushroom mac and cheese; literally the only vegetarian main course on the menu. Fortunately, they were able to make a version for my mum with gluten free pasta, and my parents both said it was delicious. Was wife was less thrilled with her gammon with egg and chips, but my daughter did enjoy her fish and chips from the children's menu which were very nice; the fish in particular was perfectly cooked and well seasoned. My young son (as he often is) was perfectly happy with just a bowl of chips.

I wasn't feeling especially confident about dessert but we pushed on and ordered anyway, and it was a wise choice as this actually brought the best plates of the meal. My bitter chocolate tart with Malteser ice cream and caramel textures was nicely presented and tasted delicious, I'd happily order that dish again. My wife and dad both opted for the (deconstructed) key lime pie which again looked great on the plate, and featured some very zingy flavours. There's no children's dessert menu, but they were happy to serve raspberry sorbet to my young son which he was perfectly happy with, whilst my daughter went for the crepe suzette with the same raspberry sorbet from the main dessert menu; it was perfectly edible.

Service up to this point had been OK, but we were then abandoned somewhat and getting the attention of a waitress took a good fifteen to twenty minutes after the desserts were cleared. We were eventually able to order some coffees (which were fine) and bring a decent meal to an end. Overall, I'd say this was a good lunch which my parents in particular enjoyed. The cooking here is generally pretty good; it's certainly not the best food I've eaten at a one rosette restaurant, but it's far from the worst, albeit the meal was fairly pricy versus the quality of what's offered. The service too was OK and when combined with the very nice venue, I'd be happy to venture back here for another meal in future.