We dined in the restaurant last night. The service is very casual, phrases like "there you go" pepper the experience.
One waitress spoke no English at all. The whole thing was shoddy and although the setting is good, there is no customer service as it's obvious the staff aren't trained.
I had the smoked haddock risotto which was bland.
To be fair though the bits & bobs platter was tasty especially the pate.
Pity the service lets everything down so much, they could learn a lot by visiting Rudding Park where we dined last week, it was just fantastic.

This a review of a "restaurant" in a hotel in Harrogate. That should make most people run a mile as Harrogate is already very well served with decent restaurants in the town centre and most hotel dining is, how can I say, very traditional (mass catering, bland and old fashioned like Fanny Craddock).

Yet, this recently rejuvenated hotel is trying very hard to make a mark and if they can keep it up they will. The decor at ground level is sophisticated and modern, all cold colours, dark wood and candles. Nice touch is the door link to The Fat Badger pub, where you can have a sharpener pre dinner.

We went for the Wine Club dinner in January 2012, which is a great opportunity to sample some great wines matched to dishes from the White Hart kitchen, as a concept it sounds great and at £35/person it is very good value, they hold one each month on the last Tuesday (I think, check).

Assuming the food and wine on a normal night are of similar quality then it is well worth a visit whether it's your first visit to Harrogate or for a regular diner looking for a new restaurant.

The food was themed around game and included a terrine with winter fruits, pan fried mallard duck and quail in pastry with a desert of banana bread with sloe gin ice cream, wine was chosen to complement each dish.

The food was a mixed bag:

- Starters, the terrine with winter fruits and salmon with capers were tasty and well balanced, with no sign of rocket anywhere.

- Mains, the mallard duck was overcooked and tough, the cherry sauce was tasteless, the quail in pastry was delicious, yet mounting it on an Everest of sauerkraut was a mistake.

- Desert, the banana bread was disappointing, heavy and absolutely tasteless, left it, the sloe gin ice cream was delicious.

The wines were a pretty good match with the food apart from a Pinot Noir that was totally blown away by the sauerkraut.

The staff were attentive and helpful even though they were trying to feed 50 people at the same time.

I sensed a really good chef behind the meal, just need to keep the focus on excellence and execution in each and every dish.

The White Hart is trying hard to be a go to restaurant and if the management and kitchen keep their focus and iron out a few weaknesses then they will have a winner on their hands.

On the basis of the quality of the food, wines, service and general ambience I'm happy to recommend the White Hart Restaurant.

Generally a nice hotel with friendly staff. Well located and public rooms in good condition. Breakfast was great and dinner in the restaurant was very good apart from an inedible Tiramisu that was dry and hard.
What I can't forgive is the size of the supposedly double bedroom. There was 8 inches between the bed and a wardrobe so you had to shuffle past sideways banging your knees on the wooden bed footboard. The wardrobe door could not be used. Only a bedside table and light on one side of the bed so no reading for one of us! See the photo's.
A further issue was that there was no heat control in the room which was uncomfortably hot - reception could not help because the central control system was broken. We slept (or tried to) with the windows wide open listening to the very noisy street cleaning trucks and other sounds of the city.
We arrived late and did not make a fuss but when we politely told the manager in the morning he got quite uptight because we mentioned trip advisor.
Get the right room and it's a good hotel. Avoid the third (top) floor.

Recently well decorated, Not a dolly girl behind reception, but someone mature and curteous.

Do yourself a favour and don't leave Hotel for food, the Restaurant food is as good as any restaurant has to offer in Harrogate.

The Bar/Pub is popular with locals and is decorated well, however broadband reception is poor.

Will return with family to stay for weekend away.