THE GASTRO PUB WITH A SECRET GARDEN

From the outside it just looks like one of the many chic gastro pubs overlooking the stray in Harrogate.

But for those who have entered through its heavy wooden doors it’s a very different story. With its amazing vintage décor, top notch cuisine and a ‘secret garden’ Three’s a Crowd really does outshine some of the towns other restaurants and gastro pubs.

The minute you walk through the front door you will be amazed by the spacious feel and the expertly choreographed seating and table arrangement. The exposed brickwork decoration merges with marble pillars and the heavy woodwork to add to the cosey ambience.

You can chose to sit watching the world go by at tables in front of the large windows and look out onto the stray or you can chose to sit in some of the smaller breakout areas or even sit up at the impressive tiled bar that dominates one side of the pub – the choice is yours.

Whatever you chose there’s a friendly and convivial atmosphere to enjoy their top quality and very imaginative menus.

But what you cannot spot from outside is Three’s a Crowd’s best kept secret – their exceptionally large, stylish and varied outside area at the back of the pub.

This is no ordinary beer garden it has so many different seating options. Outside near the rear door there is an elevated terrace with flora and plants a plenty and tables with umbrellas; walk a little further and there a large three sided seating area with comfortable chairs and smart tables whilst further back there’s more beautifully placed chairs and tables. This must be the best planned beer garden in North Yorkshire – you could be a million miles away instead of in the centre of the spa town.

After a busy morning it was time to put up our feet, relax and enjoy some of the rather sparse summer sun. Three’s a Crowd have an excellent lunch menu whether you want a three course main meal, as we selected knowing we had a very long and late day ahead of us or you can indulge in a lighter offering.

We chose from the smaller plates menu for our starter. My colleague chose the Cheese Puff made with a Wyfe of Bath Cheddar Custard and served in puff pastry with house chutney. The shell was a very light puff pastry and the filling had a kick to it just like the Wyfe of Bath in the Canterbury Tales with her sharp tongue. Although it looks a small dish one is certainly enough.

I went for the Tomato and Basil Bruschetta. This was one of the tastiest Bruschetta I have had for a long time. The chopped tomatoes, peppers and onions delivered a tasty attribute to the large portion.

Three’s a Crowd has to be congratulated for its presentation. Each dish that we ordered was a work of art and had been obviously put together with loving care.

For main course my colleague chose the Poached West Ross Salmon with Horseradish Potato Salad, Crème Fresh and Dill. A very generous portion it was poached to perfection and very flavoursome. The Horseradish Potato Salad was a great accompaniment but was not overly strong and blended well with a smooth Crème Fraiche and Dill.

I love Chicken Schnitzel and this arrived piping hot and wonderfully presented. It was a large piece of chicken well cooked – as it should be with the Caper Brown Butter and Charred Onion giving a great fusion of flavours with a Rockett salad that just belonged there.

I chose new potatoes with crème fresh and chive dressing as a side. The potatoes were expertly cooked and just melted in my mouth. We shared a Tomato and Onion Salade with a Treacle Vinegar Dressing – this was amazing with every kind and colour of tomato you can imagine and the dressing was just so delicious I had to ask for the recipe.

Before our sweet we had a walk outside round the ‘secret garden’ and shared some gossip on one of the comfortable seats before returning inside for our dessert.

My colleague was very brave and chose the Glazed Yellsons Goat Cheese served with a Thyme Scone – and she admitted, although dubious at first, she made a wonderful choice. The scone was home made and hot and served with three scoops of goats cheese – a beautiful combination.

I was less adventurous and my heaven on a plate was Strawberry Pavlova. This can sometimes be overly sweet but the pastry chef here has the ultimate trick for making this dessert so palatable and diffusing the sweetness of the meringue. The strawberries are marinated in mint which gives the whole dish a really great taste especially when topped with Chantilly cream.

Three’s a Crowd has some really exceptionally friendly and knowledgeable staff and its really service with a genuine smile. They do not rush you, are attentive and willing to go that extra mile for their customer satisfaction.

This has now become one my favourite go to places in Harrogate whether its for coffee, cocktails, brunch, drinks, lunch, snack, or a full three course meal – and that’s saying a lot. By the way its dog friendly too and has a Vegan menu on request.