The Blacksmith Arms, Lastingham offers great food and exceptional service

We turned off the A170 somewhere between Kirkbymoorside and Sinnington, heading north.

The road eventually widens as we reach the moors, and the landscape is truly glorious. We drove slowly as sheep and pheasants meandered aimlessly across the road, oblivious to us or just asserting their right to roam with a gentle reminder that we were on their territory, just in case we had forgotten.

We arrive in Lastingham and drop down into the seemingly sleepy village, and finding the Blacksmiths is easy as it is opposite the churchyard.

Parking takes a little more effort. We finally find a spot on the hill out of the village, but it takes some manoeuvering to get into it. Given the number of cars, everyone must have been packed into the pub, but if they were, you would never know, given how quiet it was as we wandered back down the hill.

Walking in, though, it appears they are all in here. The bar is packed, with drinkers crowded around the bar and a few tables on the periphery where diners tuck into some rather tasty-looking food.

Getting to the bar is a bit of an assault course, bobbing and weaving between groups of animated drinkers; there’s a roaring fire in the old range; tankards hang from the ceiling, and I can’t help but feel this is one of the best pubs I have been in for a long time. The atmosphere is intoxicating. I love it.

But we are not eating in the bar but in a small, almost empty, side dining room. I was so fed up, I wanted to be in the bar. There are two dining rooms, and the one on the other side of the building was full, so I resigned myself to enjoying the party from a distance and tried not to be grumpy. There was, in fact, no need to be that way when I sat back and looked around the small and beautifully decorated room, and within half an hour, it also filled up and had a great atmosphere.

The Blacksmiths Arms is owned by Ali Moran, a local lad who took over in 2021. He has worked in various kitchens since he was 17, and, in his words, here, he wants to utilise the quality that surrounds him, whether it’s game from nearby shoots, beef from local farmers, or even the gin and tonics behind the bar.

His evening menu has just four starters but 17 mains - phew, that’s a lot for one kitchen to handle - and a specials menu with a further four of each. Ali may be missing a trick here because if he is using local produce, there is no mention on any of the menus.

There are pub stalwarts of steak and ales pies, fish and chips, curry, steak, scampi, pizza etc on the main menu and I was immediately drawn to quite a few of them. The specials menu, though, is where he and his team can get to work with a different palette of ingredients and dishes to keep the creativity flowing. We choose assiduously from both menus.

First up is the perfect combination of soft, succulent belly pork and what we are told is apple and grain mustard; we were expecting pineapple chutney, so we were a bit confused, but who cared? It was a lovely, accomplished dish. As was a neat block of gratin dauphinoise with the thin slices of potato sharing the block with chorizo, two small scallops, and a pea puree topped off with a little frenzy of pea shoots. Apart from the chorizo, which I thought a great touch - this is a classic dish, even a tad old-fashioned, but again, who cared? It was excellent.

I then went feral and headed to the weighty main menu and was determined to have Whitby Scampi, which may be on just about every pub menu across the land but, when cooked with a light hand and a careful eye, cannot be beaten. Sadly, this one had not had a close eye on it and was overcooked though the mushy peas were just the way I like them as if they were straight from the chippy.

Rabbit and Chorizo came in a creamy sauce on a – rather large - Bruschetta with some crispy Parma ham, salad and good fries. The dish looked a little messy thanks to the rabbit, which could have been placed with more care onto the chunky slice of bread. But again, put that aside, as this was another delicious piece of food.

Happily, whoever in the kitchen had plated the delicious frangipane tart alongside a large ball of blackberry ice cream had put more effort into its look, with its drizzle of coulis and crumb. I know these are minor points and sound a bit picky, but plating food well is a real art and will certainly elevate the enjoyment of a dish.

Finally, I must give a big shout-out to the staff at the Blacksmiths. When finding any staff, let alone great ones, is nigh on impossible, everyone is lovely, both friendly and professional here. I have no idea how Ali manages this in the middle of nowhere, but well done.

We had a great evening despite a few small niggles. The Blacksmiths Arms is lovely and exactly what is needed in a rural community; it’s great for locals and undoubtedly brings visitors in too. The whole team are doing a fabulous job. I shall be back and next will give eating in the bar a try next and if you fancy a trip up here, they also have rooms.

The Blacksmiths Arms, Anserdale Lane, Lastingham, York YO62 6TN

Tel: 01751 417247

Open: Mon to Sat: 12 noon till 4.30 pm from 6.00 pm till 8.30 pm

Sun: 12pm to 4.30pm

Welcome5/5

Food4/5

Armosphere5/5

Prices5/5