The Black Hat

We had the small Sunday roast beef lunch for £7.50, and it was warm, tasty and nice. Service was fine, and they’re dog friendly too. Drinks were a pint of lager and a medium Chardonnay, bringing the bill to £14.35. A bit steep, though I suppose that’s Ilkley. We called in at The black hat, Ilkley for lunch.

We were right in the town centre, with open countryside handy as well. The Bird room, named after the legendary cricket umpire Dicky Bird, was spacious, done in soothing heritage colours and had a comfortable king bed with a mattress that gave just enough support. The large en suite was good, and despite being over the bar the room was quiet. Breakfast was hot, tasty and filling, and the young woman serving was excellent. Booking and check-in went smoothly, and the staff member was friendly, excellent and explained everything. The one thing that could be better was the light at night. Our window faced the road and had a lamppost outside; because the curtain didn’t sit close to the window, the room never got properly dark. A blackout blind might help. Great value, and a good place to stay.

Tony made us feel welcome from the start, and was generous and helpful throughout. The pub hotel was spotless, tidy and very comfortable, with a lot of care clearly going into it. I had a wonderful stay and would happily recommend it to anyone after friendly hospitality and a clean, relaxing place. Thanks, Tony!

Check-in was friendly and the room was comfortable, but dinner was the problem. I ordered a non-alcoholic drink and picked the cider. It tasted like cherries rather than cider. When I mentioned it, the waitress said, “That is all we have.” I couldn’t drink it, and nobody offered me something else. We both had gammon, which was OK, though my plate was cold while my wife’s was hot. We won’t eat in the restaurant tomorrow evening.