Yemi Adelekan is a food writer and blogger who was a semi-finalist in the 2022 series of BBC TV’s Masterchef competition.

Yemi writes for the Stray Ferret about her love of the area’s food and shares cooking tips.

On New Year’s Eve I decided to do something very simple and very indulgent. I took a load off my feet and let someone else do the cooking. For me, The Pine Marten was the obvious choice.

Situated on the edge of Harrogate, just over the road from the serene gardens at RHS Harlow Carr, The Pine Marten is a pub/restaurant with rooms that manages to feel both polished and relaxed. It is the sort of place I regularly recommend to people looking for a solid lunch or dinner spot without pretension. Warm, welcoming and dependable, it has built a loyal following over the years and for good reason.

My decision was shaped by past experiences. The last time I visited with a group of friends, the atmosphere was so convivial and the food so well received that several of them returned later from out of town with their spouses. The winning combination was friendly service paired with food that felt thoughtful and satisfying. This visit had me wondering whether the same standards would still hold up after many months.

We began with the shared fritto misto platter (see main image, above), a generous spread that immediately set the tone. Crisp king prawns, calamari and sea bass were joined by battered red pepper slices, served with burnt lemon, tartare sauce and a saffron aioli that was frankly irresistible. I missed the courgettes which often feature in a fritto misto, but there were enough sweet red peppers to compensate. The batter was light, the seafood well cooked and the accompaniments carefully considered.

Alongside this we ordered the rustic bread, served with garlic butter, tomato tapenade and balsamic with olive oil. The balsamic was gloriously thick and aged, the kind that stops conversation mid-sentence. Paired with the tapenade it became a flavour bomb in a single bite. The garlic butter, however, lacked a noticeable garlic aroma or punch. It was pleasant but a little timid, especially next to such confident flavours elsewhere on the table.

For mains, we chose the lamb rump with roasted vegetables and The Pine Marten’s signature pork two ways with scallops. The lamb was served with potatoes, chorizo, tenderstem broccoli, cavolo nero and a lamb jus. The flavours were sound and the vegetables well cooked, but the lamb would have benefited from a little more resting time. Some of the meat juices ran onto the plate, a small detail perhaps, but one that I noticed.

The pork dish was the standout of the evening. Slow cooked pork belly and pork fillet wrapped in prosciutto were served with roasted apple ketchup, dauphinoise potatoes, tenderstem broccoli and a rich gravy that was deeply savoury and beautifully made. The gravy packed more flavour than the lamb jus and tied the dish together effortlessly. The pork belly was tender and juicy, the fillet perfectly cooked and the scallop delicate and sweet, slicing like butter.

The potato dauphinoise deserves a special mention. Indulgent, rich and unapologetically comforting, it was exactly as it should be.

We also ordered rustic chunky chips, which initially failed to arrive with the mains. Once I mentioned it to the waiter they were promptly brought out. They were fluffy inside but lacked the crisp exterior I hoped for, and they arrived unsalted. There was no salt shaker on the table, another small but noticeable oversight.

Despite being thoroughly full, I could not resist dessert. The tiramisu came with a shot of espresso and bourbon vanilla ice cream. The dessert itself was enjoyable, with the tiramisu exactly what I wanted it to be, though I couldn’t detect the bourbon in the ice cream and I would have appreciated a proper quenelle of the ice cream. Perhaps that’s me expecting too much, but at this level, details matter.

Some of this may sound picky, but these are minor misses that the average diner may not notice. As a food writer, I do. None of them detracted significantly from what was, overall, a very enjoyable meal.

The roaring fire was a welcome and much needed touch on a cold evening, adding to the sense of comfort that The Pine Marten does so well. The waiting staff were attentive and polite throughout, and the mocktails we ordered, the Forest Mojito and Everleaf Martini, were genuinely excellent and visually appealing.

I left feeling satisfied and already looking forward to my next visit. The Pine Marten remains a place I would happily recommend for a relaxed and rewarding meal out, proof that consistency, warmth and good cooking still count for a great deal.