Where There's Smoke Restaurant — Restaurant in England

How things have changed. Once upon a time the only food you could reliably get in the charming market town of Masham would have been pie and chips or soup in a basket, and you would have considered this the epitome of fine dining. But now the town is home to the immensely wonderful Where There's Smoke, which would easily be at home in Notting Hill but, rather fortuitously for anyone passing this way, has chosen to make the Yorkshire Dales its home. My dear departed aunt and uncle, who farmed not far from Masham, would certainly have considered it 'a bit posh for the likes of us' but we were well impressed. It's a smallish space with maybe 30 covers, beautifully designed and furnished. It turned out that the chef not only created a well balanced seven course menu (there is no a la carte) from mostly local in-season ingredients but also makes all the ceramics and even built the tables! Each dish, including the now obligatory bread course, was superbly executed and well balanced. Our favourites were the "''Salad' of Creedy Carver duck, redcurrants" which was duck served three ways with a tangy berry reduction, and the pudding of "Almond frangipane tart, cherries, sour cream sherbet". There is also a well curated wine list featuring some unusual wines, we had an excellent Basque red, the name of which I unfortunately forgot to take note of. Service was also excellent, un-hurried and friendly, and as the restaurant filled up, very calm and measured. Highly professional and to be commended. Perhaps the icing on a very sumptious cake for me was the playlist for the evening, put together by the chef's partner (who is also responsible for the soft furnishings) since it featured, as we were taking our seats, one of my all time favourite bands, Fat Freddy's Drop, which I most certainly would never have expected to hear played in a Yorkshire market town. Make that six stars! The restaurant is very much an occasion destination but it is well worth a journey. We wish it long life and happiness, because we would certainly revisit if we are ever back in the area. Hopefully it will be there for a...

I will try to make this quick but it won't be easy. We are spoiled for choice locally for fine dining. So these guys have their work cut out for them but they have absolutely smashed it out of the park!! As far as I am aware this is a relatively new restaurant but everyone is talking about it and for good reason. We've tried for weeks to book a table but struggled to get a reservation. We managed to claim a cancellation on our wedding anniversary. Whether this was actually a cancellation or kind gesture of an early-open table I'm not sure but we took it and it didn't disappoint. Three words I would use to describe 'Where there's smoke' are Exclusive, Exquisite and Personal. From what we could gather there seemed to be only 3 members of staff, a manager, very friendly, warm welcoming and presented each course with an introduction. A young waitress, equally as friendly, who took turns presenting each course and couldn't do enough for us.. and seemed to know just what we wanted before we'd asked. And the chef, who we didn't get to meet but when trying to book I caught on the phone advised me he would have his manager call me. His food speaks volumes of his attention to detail and culinary perfection!! We hadn't seen the menu or pricing before we arrived, it was a set menu of 5 courses with a selection of treats from the chef served with sourdough. Considering the local competition, exclusivity and excellence of the experience we expected this to be in the region of £100 - £200 pp (or should be) needless to say it was somewhat under this. 5 star doesn't seem enough for our experience. Thank you so much and look forward to...

Visited WtS at the end of October, in the hope of finding a great dinning experience reasonably close (within 30 mins drive). Well, we absolutely smashed it here and have already booked again in November and December so we can share the find with friends and family.

It is a set menu so you get whatever chef decides to serve. This might challenge some, for example, whipped marmite butter might not suit everyone, but I urge you to try... it's sublime. In my opinion, the smoked cod with leeks and salsify was the stand out dish, but all were quite magnificent. My preference for red wine, even with fish, was sated with the recommendation of a light but flavoursome red which was not only perfect, but inexpensive.

Coupled with wonderful front of house service, great wine suggestions, interesting art work and beautiful wooden tables, made by chef himself (too much skill in one person... and where does he find the time?), this is a place I...