The Tartine Lounge, Ripon: The Yorkshire restaurant with French flair and just five tables

The Tartine Lounge brings the ambiance of a small French bistro to the centre of Ripon. Jill Turton enjoys the Gallic flair of a restaurant with just five tables. Pictures by Tony Johnson.

By Jill Turton

Published 23rd Dec 2023, 00:00 GMT

I was 20 when I first went to Paris staying in a cheap pension in Montmartre. It’s where I discovered a love of good, simple food. Breakfast was café au lait in a dimpled bowl and fresh baguettes with a fleecy dough and a crust so fragile it shattered at the first bite. Bistros were as cheap as frîtes but still had starched white tablecloths.

I can’t remember what we ate, beetroot vinaigrette, some sort of beef stew comes to mind, but I discovered you could eat simply and well for just a few francs.