Whether it’s for an event such as Easter, or simply after a sunny spring walk in the moors or the dales, there’s nothing quite like enjoying a Sunday roast at a proper country pub.

Pubs and restaurants across the UK serve up a roast on the final day of the week, but nowhere else does them quite like in Yorkshire – after all, it isn’t called the Yorkshire pudding for nothing.

Our county is home to some of the best country pubs, too, offering up the classic aesthetic of a small, cosy pub complete with a fireplace and local beers on tap.

Read on to discover five fantastic Yorkshire country pubs that serve up a delicious Sunday roast dinner.

1. The Abbey Inn, Byland

The Abbey Inn is the very definition of a country pub. Lying around 20 miles north of York in the North York Moors, the cosy pub and restaurant sits right in the middle of the countryside directly opposite Byland Abbey, a former monastery that’s now an English Heritage site.

The inn is a perfect location to visit for a walk, letting you build up an appetite by exploring the abbey itself or hiking in the surrounding hills.

Afterwards, you can enjoy a classic roast of pork, lamb, or beef complete with all the trimmings in a pub with oak beams running over your head for the vintage country pub experience.

In fact, the Abbey Inn serves up such a fantastic roast that it was named the best in the country by Rate Good Roasts, an Instagram account that ranks roasts across the UK.

Thanks to the mouth-watering food and beautiful surroundings, this is a classic pub roast done right.

2. The Hawthorn, Haworth

Although the Abbey Inn took the top spot in the Rate Good Roasts rankings for 2023, it was another Yorkshire country pub that claimed the accolade in 2022: the Hawthorn in Haworth.

Located in the heart of Haworth, the Hawthorn combines everything great about a country pub in a central town location. The building that houses this tidy little pub dates back to the Georgian era and has an interior to match, giving you the sense of stepping back in time for a proper, old-fashioned pub lunch.

The pub’s Sunday menu boasts a choice of dry-aged topside beef, slow-roasted lamb shoulder, or a vegetarian option, alongside all sides you’d expect with a roast plus additions such as tenderstem broccoli, cavolo nero, and coastal cheddar cauliflower cheese.

Afterwards, you can walk off some of your roast around the quaint village of Haworth. Explore the beautiful central park as shoots start to come up for spring, or enjoy a cultural day out at the Brontë Parsonage Museum, a writer’s house museum in honour of the Brontë sisters.

3. The Star Inn the City, York

The Star Inn the City is another alumnus of the Rate Good Roasts listings for 2023. The pub finished in joint-11th place last year, scoring a remarkable 87% for its delectable roast.

The pub and restaurant sits on the edge of the Museum Gardens in York, comprised of one older, redbrick pub building and a contemporary restaurant space. This blend gives you the sense of being in a classic country pub, while enjoying the amenities of the modern day.

It also boasts a fantastic riverside terrace out on the Ouse, perfect for enjoying a cup of tea (or something stronger) on a sunny spring day.

For lunch, enjoy pork, beef, or chicken, alongside duck fat roasties, seasonal greens, what the pub calls “proper” gravy, and of course, a Yorkshire pudding.

Naturally, York is an ideal location to enjoy a Sunday roast. The pub is located right in the centre, so you have the entire city at your fingertips and you’re just a short walk from York Minster.

If you want to enjoy a country pub lunch in a city setting, the Star Inn the City could be an ideal option for you.

4. The Blue Lion, Leyburn

For a true countryside pub lunch, you could visit the Blue Lion in Leyburn.

Although Leyburn is the largest nearby town, the Blue Lion is really located in the village of East Witton, lying in the east of the Yorkshire dales national park.

Complete with real flickering log fires to melt the cold of the last few days of winter or outdoor seating to soak up the early spring sun, the Blue Lion is an ideal location for Sunday lunch.

Enjoy a classic roast of beef, pork, or even smoked haddock, all in the cosy atmosphere of a traditional English pub.

Thanks to its rural location, there are plenty of walks and trails to explore nearby. Or, you can visit Jervaulx Abbey, a ruined Cistercian abbey just a three-minute drive away.

The Blue Lion is also a hotel, offering homely accommodation and a delicious breakfast in the morning. So, while you could make the trip out just for lunch, it could be the ideal option for a weekend away in the dales, too.

5. The Tan Hill Inn, Richmond

Although it may have a Richmond address, the Tan Hill Inn is a fantastic option for a country pub if you’re looking for a traditional inn lying in a truly remote location in the Yorkshire countryside – in fact, it’s a 42-minute drive from Richmond to the pub, showing just how off the beaten track it really is.

Interestingly, the Tan Hill Inn also boasts the rather unique accolade of being the highest pub in Britain, perched at a remarkable 1,732 feet above sea level in the north of the dales.

The pub’s traditional Sunday roasts include an offering of slow-roasted brisket, pork loin, honey-roasted gammon, or lamb shoulder. You can also try a “Sunday’s tallest” and enjoy three of the meats in a homage to the inn’s mountainous surroundings.

As a three-star hotel, the Tan Hill Inn also has plenty of rooms you could stay in if you wanted to enjoy a night or an entire weekend exploring the dales.

Get in touch

If you’d like to work with a financial planner based in Yorkshire, please do get in touch with us at Cordiner Wealth.

Email hello@cordinerwealth.co.uk or call 0113 262 1242 to speak to an experienced adviser today.

Please note

This article is for general information only and does not constitute advice. The information is aimed at retail clients only.