Ginkgo, Harrogate: 'How this restaurant in a stunning Yorkshire town instantly won me over'
Harrogate has always been considered a town with a touch of quality... but is sadly lacking in decent restaurants, until now. Amanda Wragg discovered Ginkgo and was instantly won over.
It’s a mystery to me that Harrogate is a bit of a culinary desert. You would think, given the demographic, that the town would be bristling with Michelin stars. There are craftspeople making sushi for your lunch in your Waitrose for goodness sake.
Judging by the quality of the shops, the good people of Harrogate are a discerning lot, with plump wallets and time on their hands: you’d think it would be a honeypot for restaurateurs.
It’s not always been so; the Drum & Monkey was THE place to be seen back in the 80’s, and let’s not forget The Good Food Guide’s favourite, the amazing Van Zeller.
My Harrogate chums confirm, saying the town ‘isn’t particularly well served’; they frequent Il Bivio, ‘a good neighbourhood Italian’, Rhubarb for fine dining and Lilypad ‘if we’re in the mood for something a bit unusual’.
There are chains of course – The Ivy, Pranzo and Pizza Express, but look at York! Every time you turn a corner you’ll find a remarkable, independent place to eat.
So welcome Ginkgo, tucked away on King’s Road just a heartbeat from the town centre.
It’s an appealing double frontage with big picture windows and pavement tables. And, joy of joys, free parking on the roadside.
It’s very easy on the eye from the get-go: blonde wood, calming, neutral colours and a long comfortable bench along the far wall, above it shelves with an impressive collection of well-thumbed cookery books and jars of preserves.
But my eyes land immediately on the shelf groaning with home baked goods: pistachio swirl, cinnamon roll focaccia and a loaf of shokupan, a pillowy, slightly sweet Japanese milk bread.
Heck it’s a good looking menu.
There’s something listed under ‘seasonal treats’ called ‘sticky toffee apple shokupan French toast: cinnamon and nutmeg marscapone, miso butterscotch, fresh apple and honeycomb’.
If ever there was a bunch of words that were meant to be together these are they, and also jumping off the page is ‘Sheffield Forge Hendersons relish grilled cheese with pickled pears and chutney’: I know I’m completely predictable but anything to do with Hendos always grabs my attention (sign of a dyed in the wool dee-dar).
The entire menu looks good.
There are a few categories: Nibbles & Quick Bites (where you’ll find the Hendos) Autumn Brunch Menu (aka mains), Brunch Classics with the likes of eggs hollandaise and a full English (served til 12) Seasonal Sweets (chai spiced porridge with maple roasted autumn fruits and sesame brittle) Soup and Sides.
You can, of course, just stroll in and have a cuppa and banana chocolate cake – there are a few folk doing just that (it’s so full on a Thursday lunchtime there’s a polite queue waiting at the tables outside on the coldest day so far this autumn).
We make a start with toasted focaccia and spiced dukkah, olive oil and pomegranate molasses, with an extraordinarily deeply flavoured root veg hummus – it’s moreish and I don’t think I’ve ever tasted anything quite like it.
There are half a dozen mains and two take some choosing I can tell you.
We’re having a wild mushroom jag at the moment, on account of himself finding boletus on the lane. We’re good for porcini for the foreseeable, but can’t help ordering them out.
Here they’re piled on sourdough with pickled shallots and a couple of poached eggs, and a welcome tang of tarragon – and the masterstroke – curried hollandaise, with just enough kick to announce itself without bullying the other ingredients.
The shokupan makes an appearance, toasted, as a base for nicely roasted and very tender, succulent roast chicken, with sweet roast shallots and a fabulous caramelised cauliflower puree, so rich and deeply flavoured the chicken gravy, lovely as it is, is almost redundant.
A shower of crispy kale adds the right amount of crunch and colour. There are three sides on offer, and I wish I’d ordered them all – not because the dishes are mean - just the opposite, they’re very generous – but because, you know, greed.
Halloumi coated in zaatar with crispy sage, Harrogate honey and hazelnuts works well with the chicken, and the shredded kale salad does too, particularly with pangritata and the divine creamy lemon dressing.
Glasses of foraged elderflower cordial wash everything down nicely – there is a wine list – it’s short but thoughtfully put together and there’s a cheeky brunch cocktail menu too.
Next time I’m overnighting I’m back for a Campari Spritz.
There’s one chef working in the open kitchen (by now the place is packed and he’s barely breaking a sweat.)
That man is Tommy Souter and when I hear that he started his cooking life with Andrew Pern at the Star at Harome it all falls into place.
For twelve years he’s cheffed in Alpine villas and super yachts, so he knows a thing or two about people-pleasing.
En route he met his wife Brigit and together they had the dream to come home to Yorkshire and establish their own restaurant.
Listen I’m not going to kid you, this is brown food, and those of you who read between the lines know that in the right hands, it’s my favourite sort.
I noted on their Instagram that in summer it’s not brown at all – quite the opposite, it zings with colour.
But it’s November, and Souter’s dishes respectfully reflect the season, and he does it with imagination, care and flair.
The plates are generous, interesting and different, bringing a frisson of joy to this jaded old palate. There’s no wonder folk are queueing to get in.
The day I discovered that Waitrose had a fresh sushi bar was the day I started to think that I could perhaps trade Hebden for Harrogate. Now that day has come closer.
Welcome 5/5
Food 5/5
Atmosphere 5/5
Prices 5/5
Ginkgo , 122-124 King's Rd, Harrogate HG1 5HY www.ginkgo-cafe.com
Hours 9 – 4 every day ‘for brunch, lunch, sometimes dinner’ except Tuesday (closed) No booking, walk-ins only
Lunch for two £65