Alice Hawthorn Hotel

Nun Monkton, England

In the 1840s, a mare made horse racing history. Her name became synonymous with good luck, and a local pub took it in her honour. Today, the Grade II-listed Alice Hawthorn Inn dishes up its hearty country fare with flair in the cul-de-sac village of Nun Monkton, where vine-clad cottages, ancient churches and a winding river set the ideal scene for switching off and getting stuck into North Yorkshire’s finest larder.

Aside from your traditional fish and chips, The Alice’s menu features dishes like potted rabbit with pickled summer cherries and freshly baked brioche, and roast Yorkshire Dales lamb with crispy fondant potato, baby carrots, black garlic and goat’s curd, with a selection of artisan cheeses served with fruit cake to finish off.

After feasting, mosey up to one of the rustic Pub Rooms, where local-wool-stuffed beds are standard, to relax amid low-hanging wooden beams, a soothing colour palette and views of the tranquil village green. The eight Garden Rooms – formerly the stables – give a nod to the cultural heritage of Nun Monkton through fir and timber-panelled interiors, corrugated iron roofs and touches of exposed brick, while minimalist hygge décor and elegant, sliding glass doors create a modern, Scandi-chic ambiance.

Don’t miss the inn’s Little Book of Walks for the area’s best scenic routes, and pay a visit to the nearby Beningbrough Hall, a baroque Georgian mansion of art galleries and stunning gardens – a ferry will take you across the river.

Doubles from £130. 0142 330303, thealicehawthorn.com

Words by Jas Matulewicz.

This review was taken from the Christmas 2021 issue of Food and Travel. To subscribe today, click here.