Pipe and Glass, South Dalton

Once the gatehouse for Dalton Park – the private estate of Lord Hotham – the Pipe and Glass is a gem of a pub in the impeccably pretty Wolds village of South Dalton.

Except it’s not really a pub at all. It has a bar, all rustic and traditional with a log fire and a copper canopy where they serve beer and posh sarnies, but James Mackenzie came from the Star at Harome and while you can take Mackenzie out of the Star, you can’t etc. etc. … which is exceedingly good news for East Yorkshire because the food is of the highest order and great restaurants get thin on the ground beyond here.

In fact, the food is so good that in 2010 the Pipe and Glass was awarded a Michelin star. If that makes you think of ditsy splashes and tiny portions on big square plates, think again. James Mackenzie cooks gloriously gutsy food. You might have called in for a sandwich but once you see the plates going by, I defy you not to be tempted by the likes of crispy lamb with mutton and kidney faggot, roast butternut squash, rosemary braised potatoes and an onion sauce or wild rabbit, langoustine and Jerusalem artichoke crumble. Veggies get a decent look in with truffled wild mushroom and spinach tart, cheddar rarebit, poached egg and hazelnut pesto.

They look after your kids nicely with a sensible menu of smaller dishes: risotto, fish pie, sausage and mash and the like. Puddings are good, too. Try blood orange and rosemary burnt cream with East Yorkshire sugar cakes – a spiced biscuit Mackenzie developed from an old recipe that someone unearthed in Beverley’s council offices.

For a big family get together you might want to book their mighty 28-seater table in the conservatory; those with smaller families can eat pleasantly off chunky wooden tables in the dining room.

As you can imagine of such a much-loved place it is exceedingly popular so best to book ahead and if you’re feeling flush or if you can’t agree on who drinks and who drives there are a selection of glamorous bedrooms for overnight stays.