The Railway, Restaurant And Bar, Skipton

When you go somewhere on a mid week night to find the place heaving you know you must have found an uncovered hidden delight.

That seemed to be the first impression upon entering The Railway, a newly opened bar and restaurant in Skipton. The place admittedly isn't that big but it certainly is a cosy and welcoming place.

With a good mix of locals and guests (They do Bed and Breakfast) it all made for a good mix. Whilst not in the centre of town, it appears that in only a few months since The Railway opened that they have built up a strong and faithful following.

The food though is what the majority of people seemed to be there for and I can't blame them. If you like good home cooked food that tastes just like your mum used to make, served in humongous portions, then you could be in for a treat here. 'Proper Yorkshire food' as one customer remarked to me.

As well as the main menu there is a specials board that had on the night we visited such temptations as Mussels in white wine as a starter for £5.95 or perhaps as a main Pan fried Gressingham duck breast, cooked pink with potato rosti for £13.95 or even more tempting a 10oz Sirloin steak served with pepper sauce, mushrooms, tomato and onion rings for £16.95.

The main menu though sticks to the classics with all the usual suspects. My partner chose the prawn cocktail for a starter which tasted as good as it looked, whilst my Garlic bread would have served two people.

For her main the choice came from the specials board. The Pork tenderloin filled with apple and smoked applewood stuffing wrapped in streaky bacon served with mashed potatoes and seasonal vegetables seemed reasonably priced at £12.95. The pork was said to be succulent, juicy and cooked to perfection.

They say that they serve the best gravy in Skipton, whilst I can't say if this is true, I must admit that the gravy that came with my Steak and ale pie was definitely thick, meaty and extremely tasty. The portion of pie was massive, the meat inside was packed in tighter than a Yorkshire man's wallet! and the pastry was light and not greasy at all. Proper chips were a bonus too.

My dessert of sticky toffee pudding served with ice cream was pure indulgence. It was so filling it felt like I wanted to go upstairs and lie down in one of their beds - all the rooms were taken that night so I wouldn't have been able to. Now there's an idea, why don't restaurants have a bed so that you can lie down after eating a filling meal?

If you like somewhere with a very homely and friendly feeling, where you can dress up or dress down, then perhaps The Railway could be just the ticket for you - and it will cost you less than your average train fare!

The Railway, 10 Cavendish Street, Skipton BD23 2AB
Telephone 01756 228307
www.therailwayskipton.co.uk