The Crown, Hutton-le-Hole: The deliciously dark Yorkshire pub in a cripplingly beautiful village

We tried again on a reasonably pleasant Bank Holiday Monday. No chance; there wasn’t a single spot in the massive car park. Please note that you must pay to park if you aren’t a customer.

Hutton Le Hole is a cripplingly beautiful village up on the North Yorkshire Moors, and it’s not too far from the A170 main road, and the Crown is the only pub. So why wouldn’t it be swamped?

Finally, we struck gold on a weekday early evening and bagged a table to eat, too.

Even so, the sprawling, deliciously dark pub on a rainy evening was very busy and noisy; it is very dog friendly, and a large extended family group at the bar had been there some time by the noise level.

Thankfully, we were shown to a tiny booth to enjoy our drinks and pub dinner away from the noise, and reassuringly, there are enough of these nooks and crannies, plus a smaller dining room should you wish to escape exuberant drinkers.

The large, busy bar has a more comprehensive range of drinks but nothing overly exciting on the pumps except plenty of Black Sheep and a Hobgoblin IPA. The wine list is good, too, with plenty by the glass.

The menu also offers an excellent assortment of sandwiches and some a la carte pub classics. We ordered a plate of scampi, fish, and chips, but neither was overly special.

The staff are efficient and friendly, and there’s no hanging around to be served, though perhaps not on a weekend.

I can see the charm in this pub and why it is so popular, but if you want a quiet drink, maybe not.

Welcome 3/5

Atmosphere 4/5

Drinks choice 3/5

Prices 3/5

The Crown, Hutton-le-Hole, York, YO62 6UA Tel: 01751 417 343

Please check times as they change over the year.

In June - Wed to Sat food from 11:45 am to 2:15pm and 5:30pm to 8:15pm, Bar until 9.45pm