Style has always been the thing in Harrogate.
Since the spa waters made it the fashionable place to be in the North of England two centuries ago, appearances of all things have mattered.
Genteel, select, upmarket, well-heeled, prosperous and downright posh are the common descriptions for a town made handsome by the wealth that accompanied the people who made it their home in Georgian and Victorian eras.
Running a hospitality business here – be it a hotel, restaurant, bar or coffee shop – is challenging. Ordinary just won’t do if you are to keep the interest of the town’s demanding residents and the many visitors.
Around ten years ago, Provenance Inns, the North Yorkshire group which made its name rescuing ailing village pubs, dipped its toe in Harrogate’s hospitality waters when it purchased the West Park Hotel.
Although I don’t recall the West Park back then, by all accounts it had fallen on hard times and was distinctly down-at-heel.
Provenance gutted it to create a boutique hotel, restaurant and bar which survived Covid and cost of living pressures to establish itself in the town’s crowded leisure market.
The West Park’s location is a major plus, overlooking the town’s handsome Stray. So is the classically-proportioned frontage. The floral garland framing the entrance is certainly welcoming and gives way to the various eating, drinking and lounging areas which is the ground floor of the West Park.
(Image: Malcolm Warne)
It’s a stunning environment, especially when you think this refurbishment is almost ten years old. It still looks box fresh.
A blend of the old-world gentility this town is famous for and a hip swankiness which wouldn’t be out of place in the biggest city, we loved this space.
On a late Friday lunchtime, there were people in to eat, of course, but there were others who had popped in for a coffee and others hanging out at the zinc-topped bar. It felt like, umm, a fashionable place to be.
We had a table in one of the dining areas where the accent colour was teal – or perhaps aquamarine – and the most striking element of the room design was the up-lit metal ceiling. Pretty funky.
As were the wraparound bar stools, the music and all-round vibe but not so as to be too much for more genteel, traditional Harrogate folk. It is a clever trick but they have pulled it off.
So, full marks for style but what about the dishes coming out of the kitchen?
(Image: Malcolm Warne)
All good it has to be said. Starters of asparagus, feta and lemon linguine and crispy duck spring roll with Asian slaw and a palm sugar and coriander dip were fresh and aromatic respectively.
The pasta dish was as light and delicate as a pasta dish can be and the spring roll was a cylinder of crunchy veg, tangy duck with additional flavour delivered by ginger, chilli, soy and something citrus.
The mains were not quite so subtle but we are talking about a burger and a steak pie.
Robust flavours were what we expected – and got. A packed individual pie with a good gravy and a crisp pastry case was top notch. The Highland Wagyu patty justified the hype that accompanies this premium brand of beef and was nicely charred and juicy as anything.
That juice rendered the brioche bun a soggy mess but that’s brioche for you. I know it’s the bun of choice for most burger joints these days but I think there are better alternatives – anything that has a fighting chance of holding the patty, melted cheese, lettuce, pickle, tomato and relish in some form of collective embrace.
While this bun was manifestly not up to the mark in this regard, the burger and all that came was nevertheless quite historic.
The chips (chunky with the pie, French fries with the burger) with both were spot-on. Having tempered our appetite early doors with some sourdough, herb butter and sea salt (£5.95) we were never going to be able to tackle desserts.
(Image: Malcolm Warne)
We had eaten from the Provenance Classics menu, available from noon up to 6.30pm on a weekday, until 3pm on a Saturday and 7.45pm on a Sunday. And at £16.95 for two courses and three for £18.95 it’s one hell of a deal for this level of food and the quality of surroundings.
Recommended reading:
- What we thought of lunch in a delightful beer garden on a rare sunny day
- Eating out review at The Fauconberg Arms in Coxwold
- Sunday Dinner at Spring House Farm Shop, near Northallerton
Service was up to scratch too. Efficient is the primary word that comes to mind; perhaps a few more smiles would have helped.
West Park Hotel,
19 West Park, Harrogate, HG1 1BJ.
Tel: 01423 524471
Web: www.thewestparkhotel.com.
Open: Mon-Thurs 7.30am-10.30pm; Fri 7.30am-11.30pm; Sat 8am-11.30pm; Sun 8am-10.30
Ratings (out of ten): Food quality 9 Service 8 Surroundings 10 Value 10
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