A private courtyard at Northcote, which has been named as the UK’s best restaurant (Image: Christopher Megrath)
Everyone has heard of The Fat Duck or Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, the kind of world class restaurant that has been at the top of the industry for years.
But a far less well-known gem in a beautiful area of the UK is making a serious name for itself — and has been ranked among the world’s best in the process.
Northcote, based in Langho in Lancashire’s Ribble Valley, has been named as the UK’s best fine dining restaurant (and third best in the world) in Tripadvisor’s 2024 Travellers’ Choice Best of the Best Restaurants Awards. The awards are determined by the “quality and quantity of traveller reviews and ratings posted on Tripadvisor over a 12-month period”.
But it’s not a surpise to me, because I’ve been lucky enough to eat and stay at Northcote. Not only is it a beautiful fine dining restaurant, but guests can stay on the grounds overnight surrounded by miles of unspoiled beauty. The restaurant is led by Michelin-star chef Lisa Goodwin-Allen, who is best known for her award-winning menus, seasonal ingredients and expert taste.
I stumbled across it while my partner and I looked for somewhere to celebrate our anniversary. Given it’s practically on our doorstep, I was interested to see how much of a getaway this would actually feel like.
Pulling up, the manor house was cosily lit up by the warm orange lights indoors and a handful of wall lanterns dotted around the entrance.
Northcote Hotel’s grand entrance (Image: Christopher Megrath)
The expansive countryside surrounding the building was completely lost in the night’s darkness, so the grounds of Northcote felt like wandering around an isolated island. We were greeted warmly by a front-of-house member who gave us a guided tour of the building.
Brief introductions and tours finished, the member of staff guided us back outdoors, telling us our suite was along the way. Unbeknownst to us, the stairs leading up from the lobby were not where our rooms were, we were staying in an entirely separate building, complete with courtyards, balconies and enough privacy that no fellow guest would bother you.
The Northcote courtyard is small but the high hedges, garden lights and original towering buildings from over a century ago make your first few moments unforgettable. It’s such a beautiful venue that even photos won’t truly do it justice.
Northcote Hotel’s bar (Image: Christopher Megrath)
Through the dormitory building, which had its own communal area, complete with a fireplace, reading materials and board games, we were shown around the facilities of our room before saying farewell to the staff member. The interiors were modern and stylish, as were the appliances, goodies and complimentary materials – of which there were many.
Nespresso pods, vanity sets, nail files, shower caps, sewing kits, dressing gowns, lip balms and a large assortment of toiletries, — there was nothing you could ask for that was not already provided in abundance. Our bags set down, we headed back for our dinner reservations.
We were ushered into the bar area that had several areas to relax in, though we chose the bar itself. The mixologist took her time to serve us to ensure every drop was served to perfection. The overall feeling by now was that we were basking in luxury and a lot of that comes down to the service and grande interiors.
The dining room is actually quite small considering the rest of the venue, no more than 40 or 50 seats altogether adding to the personal feel you want from a date night or a private getaway.
From the moment you’re seated, you begin an extraordinary 90-minute gourmet experience of some of the finest food you can get. We chose the seasonal menu accompanied by the wine flight package. Every single thing was perfect.
The tartare came with a peculiar gelatinous top, unlike anything I’ve ever experienced before. Horseradish pearls made the dish explode with flavour. A selection of mushrooms were plated under a gorgeous, smooth sauce that was best soaked up by the accompanying bite-sized pastry.
The Orkney scallop could be spicy or rich depending on the sauce it was soaked through. Both were equally delicious and a rarity to have such varying, complimenting flavours in a single dish. The runaway star of the evening was the duck, cooked pink, with heirloom beetroot and aged balsamic.
I found myself cutting tiny bitesize pieces in order to trick my mind into believing it would last forever. It was so luxuriously moreish that my partner and I locked eyes in silence as we ate and with a relaxed shoulder gesture, we knew we were both thinking: “Oh my god, this is unbelievably good.” The five courses came to a close with the spectacular hazelnut egg that, despite its rough, dry appearance, was actually more of a structured mouse of sorts.
The seasonal five-course menu at Northcote (Image: Christopher Megrath)
All of the dishes were expertly paired with complimenting wines, finishing with a speciality dessert wine. It was one of the best dining experiences I’ve ever had. The staff, too, were so lovely and attentive, continuously topping up our water or replacing our wine for the next plate. In pairs they came to the table – one to hold the plates and another to set them in front of us – before running through how everything was made and suggestions on how to best enjoy it.
Thoroughly stuffed, we had another drink in the bar before retiring to our room, where new toiletries including a lip balm and mouth spray had been set on our bedside tables.
Climbing into bed in this beautiful building with the countryside right outside the window, following a great dinner experience, was divine, a mental massage.
Our expansive junior suite at the Northcote Hotel (Image: Christopher Megrath)
Guests are provided with breakfast in bed which we chose the night before. At our specified time, we were warmly greeted by staff with adorable wicker baskets full of food we felt gluttonous for ordering. There was everything from muesli and fruit to cereal and a stacked, fried breakfast sandwich available.
If it wasn’t for the bitter cold, we would’ve sat in the private garden area to enjoy everything but that’s definitely more of a summer activity. The worst feeling in the world was finishing breakfast knowing it was time to check out. We couldn’t call this beautiful location home any longer.
From the moment we pulled up to Northcote Hotel it felt like a world away from reality. I’m definitely one for hopping on a plane and jetting off on holiday as often as I can but I can’t wait to return here. If you’re in the market for a fine dining experience or a getaway for you and a partner, this should be at the top of your list.