Bantam

What can I say, if I could give 10* I would. Lovely unpretentious restaurant, great friendly staff that know about their food and wine. Wonderful food and a great way of eating. Prices right, and no salt pepper etc on tables, now there’s a sign of a confident chef, as well he should be. Well Done.

Took my mam for a fabulous lunch today. The food is imaginative and cooked excellently. The service was attentive, friendly and professional. It is so rare that I find a restaurant that doesn't disappoint. I hope it gets the custom it deserves.

We were regulars at Rawduck in London and were gutted when it closed down, so you can imagine how quickly we booked into here when we walked past while on holiday and then read that this is where the chef had moved on to. We went for Sunday lunch and it did not disappoint - the food was delicious, the drinks list was short but well thought out, and all served in a lovely space at a very fair price. We will definitely be back for dinner if we’re in the area again.

Didn't understand the bit about sharing when we ordered, wasn't explained very well, too rushed, so had conventional 2 courses. Husband's dish was served on a flatbread, and one main ingredient was pigs cheeks - was not expecting in the form of lardons, so disappointing. If only the young staff would explain things better.

The best food ever ! Really cannot tell you how much you HAVE TO GO HERE!!! We had 5 or 6 dishes ALL were INCREDIBLE.

Really nice atmosphere inside. Great service and fantastic fresh food. Would definitely recommend Bantam if you are near Helmsley. Even if you're not it's worth the trip.

We had a great dinner last night. Everything's fantastic, especially the hanger steak with oxtail in bone marrow. Great value for money and the ambience was warm and casual.

Bantom, where the fun starts when you arrive and doesn’t stop until you leave. I’ll focus on the concept as this may be new to some people, as I’m confident that if not the best you’ve tasted, every dish will be right up there with the best. For me, the former applies: The anchovies an explosion of flavour, the arancini just as they should be but rarely are, the mussels quite unlike anything I’ve tried, the monkfish beautifully cooked and the bisk could have been a meal on its own, the turbot treated with the respect it so richly deserves, the chips … chips aren’t just chips clearly, the desserts shamelessly indulgent! A timely reminder that in terms of cooking, I’ll only ever kick about on park pitches on a Sunday morning, I may have the occasional good day out, and I believed I was OK. I’ll never grace this league though, no matter how hard I try. The menu as you’ll see consists of dishes split into various categories. Snacks or nibbles such as the Arancini ideal as an accompaniment with that first drink, or as you decide on what to have. Sharing plates such as the Chickpea Pancakes, these are slightly bigger than tapas portions, you can share or not, the beautiful thing being you can build your own tasting menu. Dishes such as the Mussels, akin to a smaller main, or the specials which last night fell into this category. There appear to be no rules, you can mix and match as the mood takes you, mix match and relax, let time pass, the dishes will arrive when ready. The same mix and match applies to the desserts, 1 per person here though, in case you need a rule of thumb. This is less of a meal out, more an A list performance, where the principle Actor will wow you with his dialogue, communicating in exquisite dishes, and those on stage with him will be solely focussed on your enjoyment. If you’re of a similar mindset to me, you’ll leave satisfied, believing that the experience was worth every penny, as well as craving the sequel.