The Place to be for brunch or lunch (Harrogate)

Just a few days into the long school summer holidays, with weeks of child-centred activities stretching out ahead of us, we were already feeling rather frazzled and in need of a couple of hours respite. A taste of relaxed sophistication in the Victorian spa town of Harrogate was certainly a welcome contrast from the noisy playgrounds and loud echoing swimming pools demanded by our young children.

The Place, a charming eatery forming part of the iconic Crown Hotel, is perfectly situated on the edge of Harrogate town centre, nestled under mature trees and overlooking the Pump Room Museum. A stone’s throw from the famous Valley Gardens, with beautiful floral displays, boating lake, tennis, crazy golf and a fantastic playground, we felt a little guilty that we hadn’t brought our children along too – but only a little guilty!

We weren’t really sure what to expect because the restaurant, as it now is, has only been open for a few weeks, but we were already impressed by the menu. Not being ones to crave a huge list of options (which are usually adequate at best) we were delighted to be presented with a select menu offering local produce yet still providing enough variety to leave us spoilt for choice. Even without children and family in tow, I’m always curious as to whether there’s enough choice for fussy little ones, vegan older ones and a husband with a nut allergy! The Place would have satisfied them all. Not having any of these restrictions ourselves, we could have easily ordered everything!

As it was a beautiful sunny day, we treated ourselves to a refreshing summery Aperol spritz whilst making our difficult food choices. The staff were friendly and attentive without being intrusive and we certainly felt no pressure to order quickly. The ambience was calm with a subtle bustling hum in the background and although we opted to eat inside, surrounded by tasteful and smart decor, we would have been equally happy to have dined outside under the shade of the trees.

Our first dishes were three of the ‘Small Plates’ (£5 each or three for £13). I have never been drawn to arancini, expecting it to be bland and heavy, but the Harrogate Blue Arancini was delightful – extremely light and moist with a delicately sweet purée topping. The Cauliflower Bajis were also delicious, with a perfect balance of spices. The Cheese and Bacon Loaded Hash Browns really were loaded! Crisp mini hash browns with plenty of quality bacon throughout and a generous topping of cheese.

Although we were there at lunchtime, we were keen to sample the brunch offerings too and opted for Chilli and Yorkshire Chorizo Scrambled Egg (£9). The perfectly scrambled egg was complemented by the fresh heat and crunch of the chilli and balanced by the saltiness of the local chorizo.

And who can pass on traditional fish and chips (£18). If we do decide to bring our children here (and I suspect we will) I think it is fair to say they will be extremely satisfied with the crisp batter made with beer from a small local brewery, surrounding a generous fillet of fish. However, my favourite dish – the one I kept going back to – was the Superfood Salad (£14). Healthy and delicious with sweet and sticky goji berries, this was fantastic!

As we had suspected from our earlier perusal of their website, the menu had been carefully planned to ensure variety with quality ingredients and food cooked to perfection. The calm setting provided the antidote we were craving but we will certainly return, possibly with children in tow, for brunch, lunch, coffee and cake or evening drinks under the twinkling lights in the trees.