Best restaurants in Yorkshire 2026: The best sustainable restaurants in Yorkshire according to our food critics
To think of food in Yorkshire is to think of Sunday roasts, rhubarb and probably fat rascals.
But the people behind Yorkshire’s footprint on foot across the world are the farmers, growers, fishermen and suppliers who work tirelessly come wind, rain or shine to provide us with the bounty from our incredible land.
Sustainability is at the heart of many restaurants in Yorkshire, ensuring these people who work hard on our land are continuing to thrive.
As part of our Best Restaurants in Yorkshire 2026 launch, we felt it important to honour the restaurants which are continuing to support the hard-working farms and people across the region.
We asked our food critics for the best restaurants they ate at in 2025, and pulled them all together in the list of 20 you can read above.
But to mark the important role our suppliers play, we asked them to highlight the five best sustainable restaurants.
Hare Inn, Scawton, York YO7 2HG
Our reviewer says: “What intrigued me at my first visit to Pignut was the ‘wastage course’, based on the principle that, where possible, nothing is wasted in the kitchen. I've visited many other restaurants that have attempted a similar approach but haven't achieved the same success as Pignut at the Hare.
“For me, it's the combination of the pair that makes it unique — a synergy that is truly difficult to replicate. Plus, they have surrounded themselves with an astonishing array of local suppliers, and those further away, such as the wines chosen by Laurissa for their ethics and care.
Grand Hotel, Station Rise, York YO1 6GD
Our reviewer says: “Legacy is a small but exquisitely decorated dining room with only 26 covers, and has a sustainable policy so keen that they even have their own beehives on the roof – you can't get fresher than that.
“Hand-dived Orkney Scallop with a sake sabayon, topped with fermented turnip, and served with Sturia caviar, crisp white Kombu, and Japanese seaweed, came next. This is a dish so beautifully balanced in its taste and texture, with a neat kick from the turnip, I am already thinking this might be my dish of the night.
“How wrong I was. Ahmed presents us with his dish from Great British Menu (hurrah), and now I totally get why this was praised so highly by the judges. Unbelievably fabulous piece of cooking, and I'd love to know where the dish it was served in came from.”
Our reviewer says: “It was easy to see why Michelin and the many diners here on a weekday evening loved it.
“I found it rare for a restaurant of this calibre, serving a tasting menu, to have the relaxed and engaging atmosphere as here at Forge; there was no stuffiness, and the service was still impeccable, warm and friendly, and even my constant questions must have driven them crazy when they were so busy.”
The General Tarleton
Harrogate Road, Ferrensby, Knaresborough. HG5 0PZ.
Our reviewer says: “Here it’s all about paying homage to the classics by using the best of British produce. Amen to that. There are occasions when you look at a menu and it sounds interesting without making your mouth water, and others when you feel bamboozled by the sheer amount of choice.
“And there are also times – like this – when you know you’re going to eat well and a warm sense of anticipation and smugness washes over you. I’m not ashamed to admit that I have scoffed plenty of pies in my time, but I’m hard pushed to think of one better than this.
“Put simply, it was faultless.”
Jöro
22-24 Main Road, Wharncliffe Side, Sheffield S35 0LB
Our reviewer says: “You’ll just have to believe me when I say that what comes to the table is insanely good.The highlights, in no particular order: extraordinary presentation, Luke French’s precise approach to clean, intense flavours; he’s endlessly inventive.
“Actually, the best thing about Jöro is the feeling in the room: this level of cooking often demands a hushed reverence, having to sit up straight and whisper. There’s none of that malarkey here – it’s a happy, relaxed vibe which if they’ve any sense they’ll bottle.”