The Crescent, Ilkley

Just so you know, I was invited along to write this post and they paid for my meal and drinks.

The Crescent Inn is a fairly new refurbishment. It consists of a cosy country pub, an 11 bed boutique hotel and a large bistro.

We decided to eat in the Le Bistrot Pierre rather than the pub area (which offers dishes such as fish and chips, burgers and steak).

We ordered from the bistro lunch menu priced at £11.95 for three courses. Each course has at least five dishes to choose from, all fairly simple classic French dishes with classic combinations of flavours.

We chose an additional aperitif of honey glazed chorizo £2.75 for five little sausages, they were tasty enough to justify the price.

Emma had a salad of grilled goats cheese and beetroot, beautifully presented, the dash of raspberry dressing provided enough sweetness to contrast with the acidity of the cheese.

I had a fricassee of  mushrooms and bacon on toasted brioche, this was simple but really good, proper comfort food.

Emma for her main course had pork cooked firstly sous- vide and then pan fried. A piece of smoked garlic sausage added extra succulence and flavour. The meat was really tender due to its slow cooking. This came with seasonal veg and herby potatoes.

I had a eggs benedict type dish made with smoked haddock, spinach, a perfect runny free range egg and a big blob of rich hollandaise sauce. This sauce looked like it had suffered a bit from waiting too long under a heat lamp but actually the flavour was not affected. I opted for the salad accompaniment. Eggs Benedict is my favourite breakfast and I found this smoked haddock version as equally as pleasing for a lunch.

We were stuffed but it was free so we persisted on with pudding. A lovely lemon tart was topped with raspberry sorbet. The only other fault that I could find with the cooking was that the dense chocolate mousse that was laced with grand manier had a very slight, unusual grainy texture (although I still finished all of it and the piece of shortbread that came with it).

Our service of course was very good but I noticed that everyone in our part of the restaurant was receiving a level of attention and treatment equal to us.

The decor varied in the different parts of the restaurant. We were sat in an area where powder pink couches lined the room, and there were mirrors, glass lampshades and lime waxed wood fixtures. All that was missing from this French boudoir scheme was a white toy poodle. I loved it and would like to imagine that if Marie Antoinette were alive today, her salons and boudoirs might look a little like this too. Other parts of the restaurant are decorated more conservatively, so maybe sit there if you are eating out with the lads.

I think with the extra appetiser, a glass of wine and coffee each the bill for the two of us would have been around the £40 mark. Not bad for a lavish lunch that left me so full that I couldn't eat any tea that night. This lunch menu per head is a whole fiver less than afternoon tea at Betty's, and even with a glass of wine its probably still cheaper! This to me is good value for money.

We got to take a little sneak peak around the lovely boutique hotel. Rooms cost £55-£120 depending on room/ date. This includes all you can eat from the breakfast menu in the morning.  Bargain.

This is a small group of family run restaurants, with other ventures across Yorkshire and the Midlands. The attention to detail and the close involvement of the owners in every venue means that this still has the passion of an independent but with the slick organisation of a chain. Worth checking out if you are in Ilkley or are looking for a destination for a day trip.


Le Bistrot Pierre
*Simple dishes well done
*Great value lunch menu
*Lovely surroundings

Brook Street,
Ilkley,
West Yorkshire,
LS29 8DG.

01943 811 255
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