What the papers say
The Evening Gazette
September 24th 2005
Everyone has a favourite family place to eat where the food is just perfect.
For us it is the Golden Lion in the beautiful North Yorks Moors village of Osmotherley. It's far enough away from Teesside to feel deep in the country. Near enough to be a short drive home. Sunday lunch is our time to go.
The village pub welcome is there at the door, but it's given a twist with a bit of French bistro style. The boss and staff wear long white aprons and look the biz. They are. And so is the food.
Nothing quite like getting together with the family for a lazy lunch in this laid-back place. On a sunny day, the light streams in past jugs of garden flowers, the bare wood tables set with polished glasses and cutlery twinkle warmly and no-one stands on ceremony.
We go there because we want to. But also because it's on the way to delivering living-away kids to Northallerton Station for the mid-afternoon train to Kings Cross. There are family birthday parties, wedding anniversaries and just people like us, showing off about the gourmet gem on our doorstep. The young 'uns may have all the joys of London on their doorstep. However, they love the Golden Lion equally.
The menu of starters and mains is long and I haven't worked through it totally yet. But I'm trying.
So this time, I went for the rack of lamb in a wonderful aromatic rosemary sauce with mash for £12.95. This is by far my favourite to date - but then there are more to go! Best Pal couldn't resist the steak and kidney pudding at £8.95. He pronounced it perfect (which miffed me, the expert steak and kidney cook, a bit!). The two trendos with us settled for the fish they can't cook for themselves. Plaice lightly dusted with flour and then beautifully sauteed, for £10.95 per serving. With peas and chips, it amounted to their perfect meal.
Now unusually, we shunned starters in favour of puds, perhaps because the next table were tucking into some heavenly ones as we were ordering. So it was squidgy Middle Eastern orange cake with marmalade cream for me. Yum. Ice-cream with raspberry sauce for Him. Yummy. And cheesecake for them. Umm. Each pud cost £3.95.
As I said. Food and atmosphere - just perfect.