Things to do in Yorkshire
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Little Tokyo
Fans of genuine Japanese food should go no further than this superb restaurant, which serves a wide array of quality sushi and sashimi (including half-portions) and Bento boxes – those handy trays that serve the Japanese equivalent of a four-course meal.
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Little John
This historic pub – the third oldest in York – is the city's top gay venue, with regular club nights and other events. In 1739 the corpse of executed highwayman Dick Turpin was laid out in the cellar here for the public to view at a penny a head; the pub is said to be haunted by his ghost. Not sure what's scarier though – the ghost story, or the Thursday night karaoke session…
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Le Jardin
This cool little bistro has a snug, intimate atmosphere, especially in the evening when candlelight adds a romantic glow. During the day locals throng to the tables, enjoying great salads, sandwiches and homemade ice cream. A two-/three-course dinner is £9/13.
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Leeds Art Gallery
The municipal gallery is packed with 19th- and 20th-century British heavyweights – Turner, Constable, Stanley Spencer, Wyndham Lewis et al – along with contemporary pieces by more recent arrivals such as Antony Gormley, sculptor of the Angel of the North.
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Le Caveau
Set in a stylishly decorated 16th-century cellar with barrel-vaulted ceilings, this friendly bistro offers a seasonal menu built lovingly around fresh local produce. Daily specials include dishes such as a light and flavourful quiche made with black pudding, bacon and mushrooms, and a succulent fish pie. On weekdays you can get a two-course lunch for £10.
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King's Arms
York's best-known pub in a fabulous riverside location, with tables spilling out onto the quayside – a perfect spot on a summer evening, but be prepared to share it with a few hundred other people.
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J Baker's Bistro Moderne
Superstar chef Jeff Baker left a Michelin star in Leeds to pursue his own vision of Modern British cuisine here. The ironic '70s-style decor (think chocolate/oatmeal/tango) with moo-cow paintings is echoed in the unusual menu, which offers witty, gourmet interpretations of retro classics – try Olde York cheese and spinach pasties with dried grapes, capers and aged balsamic vinegar, or a Whitby crab cocktail with apple 'textures' and curry-spiced granola. Wicked desserts include a separate chocolate menu.
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Java Cafe-Bar
A cool little diner with stainless-steel counters and retro decor, with music vids on the flatscreen and a menu of healthy salads, sandwiches and wraps washed down with excellent coffee.
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Humble Pie 'n' Mash
Superb homemade pies with fillings ranging from lamb, leek and rosemary to roast veg and goat's cheese, served in a cosy, timber-framed cottage.
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Hitchcock's Vegetarian Restaurant
The word 'quirky' could have been invented to describe this place – an atmospheric maze of small rooms, and an all-you-can-eat vegetarian buffet whose theme – Thai, Indian, Spanish, whatever – is chosen by the first person to book that evening. But hey – the food is excellent and the welcome is warm. Bookings necessary.
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Hansa's Gujarati
A Leeds institution, Hansa's has been dishing up wholesome Gujarati vegetarian cuisine for 20 years. The restaurant is plain and unassuming (save for a Hindu shrine), but the food is exquisite – specialities of the house include samosa chaat, a mix of spiced potato and chickpea samosas with a yogurt and tamarind sauce.
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Grays Court
An unexpected find in the very heart of York, this 16th-century house has more of a country atmosphere. Enjoy gourmet coffee and cake in the sunny garden, or indulge in a light lunch in the historic setting of the oak-panelled Jacobean gallery (extra points if you grab the alcove table above the main door). The menu runs from smoked bacon with oatmeal pancakes and maple syrup to Yorkshire rarebit, and from lavender shortbread to lemon drizzle cake.
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Grant's Bistro
Grant's is a great place for a romantic dinner à deux, with dark-wood tables, fresh flowers and candlelight. The menu makes the most of fresh local beef, game and especially seafood, with dishes such as pan-fried scallops with black pudding. From Monday to Thursday you can get a two-course dinner, including a glass of wine, for £15.
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Grand Theatre & Opera House
Hosts musicals, plays and opera, including performances by the acclaimed Opera North.
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Glass House
Homemade lasagne, steak-and-ale pie, and filled baked potatoes pull in the lunchtime crowds at this appealing (and always busy) cafe beside the start of the North Bay Railway, while fried breakfasts, sandwiches, cakes and scones fill the menu for the rest of the day.
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Gardens
A huge green thumbs-up to Harrogate's gardeners; the town has some of the most beautiful public gardens in England. Flower fanatics should make for the Harlow Carr Botanical Gardens,the northern showpiece of the Royal Horticultural Society. The gardens are 1.5 miles southwest of town; take the B6162 Otley Rd, or walk through the Pine Woods southwest of the Valley Gardens.
Much closer to the town centre are the Valley Gardens, overlooked by the vast, glass-domed Sun Pavilion, built in 1933. The nearby bandstand houses concerts on Sunday afternoons from June to August.
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Fudge
This funky cafe serves hearty breakfasts, cakes and coffee all day, but also offers a tempting brasserie menu at lunch and dinner times, with dishes that include juicy burgers (beef or veggie), herby crab cakes and roast pork belly with leek and bacon suet pudding.
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Frog & Parrot
Home to the world's strongest beer (allegedly), the 12% ABV 'Roger & Out'. Unsuspecting ale-heads saunter in looking to down a pint of something as strong as your average wine, which is why they only serve this particular brew in half-pint glasses (...so that you have at least a 50/50 chance of walking out under your own steam).
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Fodder
Owned by the Yorkshire Agricultural Society (there's a bigger branch at the Great Yorkshire Showground), this cafe serves fresh, healthy salads, sandwiches and lunch specials such as mung beans, chorizo and roast veg.
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Fat Cat
One of Sheffield's finest pubs, the Fat Cat serves a wide range of real ales (including Kelham Island, brewed nearby by the pub's owner) in a wonderfully unreconstructed interior. There are three bars, good pub grub, a roaring fire in winter and – in the men's toilets – a fascinating exhibit on local sanitation.
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Duke of York
Popular watering hole at the bottom of the Church Stairs, with great views over the harbour. Serves Timothy Taylor ales.
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Duck & Drake
A down-to-earth, traditional boozer with a well-worn atmosphere, a cast of regular pub characters and no fewer than 15 hand-pulled real ales to choose from. The Duck also provides a stage for local rock and blues bands from Thursday to Sunday nights.
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Dine on the Rowe
This friendly brasserie rivals Grant's Bistro in its dedication to local produce, but offers a less formal atmosphere. Try their signature dish – smoked haddock and salmon fishcake with curry cream – or aged Yorkshire sirloin with black pudding potato cake. Lunch dishes are available noon to 6pm, when a sharing platter for two, including two glasses of wine, costs £28.
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Dales Way
A charming and not-too-strenuous amble from the Yorkshire Dales to the Lake District, following the River Wharfe through the heart of the Dales, and finishing at Bowness‑on-Windermere.
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Cross View Tearoom
So popular with locals that you might have to queue for a table at lunchtime, the Cross View is the place to go for a hearty breakfast, homemade cakes, a hot lunch, or just a nice cup of tea.
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