Visiting various companies in and around the maritime fishing port of Whitby, on a day when there has been no let up from torrential rain, does not detract from the mystical and ghostly characteristics of this coastal heritage town.

Sat majestically above the town, the famous Abbey looks across the North Sea as it so often does surrounded by a mysterious haze, as if it has been set up for a filming shoot; daylight has not permeated through the low cloud and swirling mist and that iconic view is silhouetted as if ready to reveal its secrets.

Talking of secrets, I am heading to one of Whitby’s best kept - The White Horse & Griffin, the first coaching inn built in 1681 by Sir Hugh Cholmley, from Whitby to York and London and operated as such until 1939.

I am among an illustrious list of former guests that have graced this delightful bistro; Michael Caine and Bryan Ferry, to American Actress Linda Gray, best known for her role as Sue Ellen Ewing on the television soap opera Dallas, to name a few.

I am ambling up the cobbled street with my guest towards the restored central entrance porch with its original decorative panels and the exposed Victorian signage. We come across the unassuming small entrance next to a little alleyway that leads to the ten ensuite double rooms.

As we venture in, forget Dracula think more Harry Potter. The narrow atmospheric bar area creates an impression of an enchanted magical world inhabited by mystical Griffins, perhaps that is why the creature is appended to the White Horse name.

It is a place where your imagination works overtime and you can visualise the likes of Hagrid, and Harry Potter or seafarers and smugglers huddled together whispering about adventures past and present.

The welcome from the team is warm and much needed on a cold damp night and we are led into a more expansive room already festooned with diners bustling with chatter having a convivial time.

As we sit in a corner by the old fireplace and settle ourselves with the menu, the Harry Potter feeling does not dissipate with the beamed ceiling and an offer of a pre-prandial signature Hooting Owl gin. Distilled in East Yorkshire, this quite dry drink certainly has a hint of subtle sweetness and black pepper. Nice too that it was served with lime and lemon.

The menu has some interesting entries all reasonably priced; the starters listing a sweet potato velouté, ciabatta, a seafood chowder along with a pepper crusted venison carpaccio, rocket, and parmesan shavings.

However, we opted for the dressed Whitby Crab, brown bread, Samphire, and aioli why wouldn’t you? When in Whitby! It comes with the option of gluten free bread and the wild mushroom truffle, poached egg, and spinach on ciabatta.



Both were superbly presented. The truffle was subtle and the mushrooms meaty with an excellent quality egg made this a perfect take on mushrooms on toast, lots of flavour not too heavy before a main course certainly a dish that would be chosen on return. The crab was wonderfully prepared, the taste of the white meat superb, I can’t get enough of this lovely crustation, the Samphire brought the taste of the sea.

Another welcome addition is the pairing of wines. The White Horse & Griffin has an extensive and fabulous wine list consisting of forty-six examples from Andrew Firth’s fine First & Co a fine example of a Yorkshire wine merchant.

To accompany the crab was a good Sauvignon Blanc Sileni Estate and a Pinot Noir Frunzo for the mushrooms.

If the starters were excellent the main courses were exceptional, not a word I often use but, on this occasion, deservedly so and here’s why.

We ordered two things from the special board an 8oz flat iron steak and the roast Halibut with lemon fondant potato, curried mussel cream and seagrass.

The steak came with either a stilton or a peppercorn sauce. My guest asked for the stilton on the side. A sign of a good steak is when it appears and does not need a sauce to enhance it. This was one of those occasions, the medium prepared meat from its suppliers, Wetherby-based Sykes House Farm, was succulent, cooked to perfection and full of taste. Equally impressive was the stilton sauce. One would automatically think this was going to be a heavy powerful sauce with more than a pungent tang of the blue cheese. Well, as it happens it was a terrific supplement to garnish the meat, complementing the flavours well. It was subtle, blending in, so much so that it did not overpower the meat. Too often these days chefs are lazy with the preparation and cooking of onion rings; here the chef Luke Wilson had prepared a light fresh batter and refrained from using old oil. It makes a difference and if chefs really think their diners cannot tell then they are misguided.



The roasted halibut was cooked well and a decent size, the slightly curried sauce had a delicious sweetness to it and a wonderful kick, the flavours coming together to create a lovely meal, although a tad too much seagrass.

Again, the pairing of the wines had been sagaciously curated - a tremendous job each dish duetting well with its chosen partner. A muscadet for the fish and a French Château Morillon 2019, St Emilion Grand Cru Bordeaux for the steak. Even the deserts were carefully matched, with the mango sorbet and berry compote served with a glass of Monabzillac Domaine l’Ancienne Cure. From the specials board came the spiced pear upside down cake with vanilla ice cream, the overabundance of pears in the garden had led to this delicious desert. It was coupled with a Hungarian Tokaji Aszu 5 Puttonyos 2017 Chateau Derezla Tokaji an exceptionally good dessert wine. The cake was not insanely rich, well-judged not too heavy and refreshingly light. Everything was beautifully executed.



To end we were offered as a digestif a Hooting Owl vodka exceptionally smooth and with a creaminess that was the perfect postprandial. Finally replete, it was time to leave but not before chatting to the neighbouring table who were regulars. The ambience is relaxed, sophisticated charm with a buzz and supported by a brilliant team.

As we made our way back out through the narrow pub section and onto the cobbled streets to the enchanted and mystic world that beckoned, the mist had turned to fog, but one thing was for sure - the magicians working the kitchen had conjured up a marvellous and exquisite meal in an equally lovely setting.