The Hinchliffe Arms — Restaurant in Calderdale

This was my first visit to the Hinchliffe arms and despite living in North Wales, it certainly will not be my last. Every part of the Hinchliffe experience was exceptional.

The drive down through the forest valley on the approach to the attractive old stone pub was the perfect setting. The front of house staff gave us a very warm welcome and were very attentive to our 15 month old twins. There is no specific children's menu but we were offered smaller portions of the main menu. This was great because they got to eat a decent balanced meal with fresh vegetables rather than the usual suspects such as chicken nuggets and chips. The menu was concise but still had plenty to offer, so much so that I still struggled to choose something. All the food was sourced locally too.

My husband chose the crispy black pudding potato cake and I had mussels in a creamy sauce. Both were flavour packed and beautifully presented. For main course my husband chose the wood roast aged ribeye steak which he had rare. I had wild boar with fondant potato. Both were cooked perfectly and again the presentation was perfection. My twins had a small portion of fish, chips and peas which they shared and I ordered them a dish of seasonal vegetables and a small dish of maccaroni cheese. One of my twins is a very fussy eater and even he couldn't get enough. To finish we shared a cheese board. This was very nice but in hindsight I wish that I had tried something else that would showcase the chef's outstanding capability. The vimto poached pear really stood out to me. Hopefully it will still be on the menu when we next visit because that is on my hit list!

The staff were great and the front of house team really knew their stuff. They told us which farm the meat came from and recommended the perfect wine to match both the steak and the boar. The bar staff were all very young but don't let this put you off. They were all very polite and friendly and really wanted us to have a great visit. They had clearly been trained well and came across as professional and personable. The staff also pointed us in the direction of the animals along the road. Its a steep climb with a double pram but worth the effort to see their faces light up when the pigs came to say hello and the chickens flock down the hill towards them. A lovely touch to a fantastic day.

I have been so impressed by our whole experience and outstanding food that I have been searching for a Robert Owen Brown cookery book. Where can I buy it and did the mussels in cream sauce recipe make it in to the book?

Thank you all for such a truely wonderful dining experience and making our little ones welcome. Definitely recommend...

Having driven over from Manchester me and my partner were looking forward to our first visit to the Hinchliffe Arms. All good on arrival with a friendly greeting from the waiting staff but it all went downhill after that. The very first thing the waiter told us was what they DIDN'T have on the menu. No pies, no mac and cheese. No explanation as to why this was the case. This was 7pm on a Saturday evening with only two other tables occupied. I'd have understood if it was much later in the evening but 7pm and we're being told what isn't on the menu? I'm vegetarian but my partner isn't so I scoured the menu to see what I wanted to order. None of the four specials were vegetarian. When the waiter eventually arrived I asked what the veggie options were. I was told - after he'd fumbled about looking at the menu - that I could have the mac and cheese - despite us being told earlier that there was no mac and cheese. I was then offered a ploughman's lunch. I politely pointed out that it was 7pm and I'd rather have something more substantial. It soon became clear that there was nothing for me on the menu so we decided to leave. Vegetarianism really isn't that rare these days and more and more places to eat have at least a couple of veggie options - why not here? We tried to make a booking at another restaurant but, obviously, as it was Saturday night, everywhere was booked. We drove home hungry and very disappointed. All in all a really poor experience - and especially disappointing as we'd driven...

Well what can I say about our experience at the Hinchliffe Arms ? Well for a start the ‘Hinch’ is situated in idyllic settings, nestling next to the imposing St John in the Wilderness church & over an old bridge spanning the river Elfin. Our dinner experience was for the Valentines menu, set at £25 per person for 3 courses including a bottle of Prosecco.. Having been to several ‘Special’ occasion dinners when we’ve been disappointed, I was very pleased we chose the Hinchcliffe to celebrate Valentine’s Day. Everything was first class:- (A) The ambiance of the Hinchliffe; reflected by the warmth & welcoming staff. (B) The menu, which was excellent. On past experience some restaurant’s ‘Special Occasion’ menus have been limited & disappointing. (C) The food, was exceptional & clearly prepared & cooked by an accomplished chef of some high standing. (D) The attentive, courteous & very pleasant staff. (E) The price. For such a high standard quality of menu (Including a bottle of Prosecco) , it was was exceptional value.

All in all I would highly recommend the ’Hinch’ as a place for exceptionally good food, at reasonable prices & in a...