16 Al Fresco Dining Spots

1. Country Park Inn

The riverside patio at the Country Park Inn boasts panoramic views of the Humber estuary and the distinctive Humber Bridge. Visit on a Sunday and you can tuck into a traditional carvery, served until 4pm, as you enjoy the tang of sea air.

Cliff Road, Hessle, Hull HU13 0HB

01482 640526, www.countryparkinn.co.uk

2. Swinton Park Deerhouse

Have you got a birthday or family occasion to celebrate this summer? Then try the Deerhouse’s picnic or barbecue packages. Sit on tables of up to 30 in the beautiful parkland grounds of the castle. With delicious country fare, personal service to the table and uninterrupted views from the River Ure to the moorland dales, you’ll feel like the king of the castle.

Swinton Park, Masham, Ripon HG4 4JH

01765 680900, www.swintonpark.com

3. Brasserie Forty 4

After you’ve worked up an appetite wandering along the wharves of Leeds Docks, relax with a glass of wine on the balcony at Brasserie Forty 4, with views over the River Aire. The menu changes every two months so you’re bound to find something new each visit – this time, we’re craving the Chateaubriand for two with hand-cut chips and peppercorn sauce.

44 The Calls, Leeds LS2 7EW

0113 234 3232, www.brasserie44.com

4. The Black Bull Inn

Known for its seafood, the Black Bull in Moulton’s ‘Celebration of the Sea’ menu features fresh Lindisfarne oysters and a variety of seafood platters. While they’re known for fish, they also serve steaks cooked in ‘Big Bertha’, their cast-iron charcoal-fired oven. Enjoy all this outside on the modern terrace under the watchful eye of the black bull statue.

Moulton, Richmond DL10 6QJ

01325 377556, www.theblackbullmoulton.com

5. The Bull at Broughton

Sit under the parasols in the back garden of The Bull, a quality gastropub with a menu inspired by Nigel Haworth, a Ribble Valley culinary legend. Make your stomach happy with classics like steak and ale pie and pork belly. On Mondays you can bring your own wine into the restaurant, so it’s good for your pocket too.

Broughton, Skipton BD23 3AE

01756 792065, www.thebullatbroughton.com

6. Jeremy’s

The late afternoon is when Jeremy’s comes into its own. The decking area at the front of the restaurant catches the last of the early evening sun and makes a great place for drinks after work. The a la carte menu is extensive and unusual, with gems like tuna tataki and pan-fried monkfish.

Scarborough YO12 7TR

01723 363871, www.jeremys.co

7. The Bull

Underneath the arches of a bridge crossing the River Ure is the garden of The Bull. Sample local beers like Black Sheep from Masham or tuck into a hearty lunch on the garden benches, surrounded by freshly cut grass and garden flowers. Weather permitting, an ice cream shack appears in the garden on weekends.

Church Street, West Tanfield, Ripon HG4 5JQ

01677 470678, www.thebullwesttanfield.co.uk

8. The Fleece Inn

Situated in the rolling hills of the Ryburn Valley, The Fleece Inn has the perfect backdrop for you to enjoy your pint. There is plenty of outside seating on a balcony terrace that overlooks a charming patchwork landscape of little fields. 

Barkisland HX4 0DJ

01422 820687, www.fleece-inn.com

9. The Ship Inn

As you pull up to The Ship Inn, you’ll be met with an attractive red-brick building set on the edge of Sewerby Hall and Gardens. The outside area has beautiful sea-views, a beer garden and a kid’s play area, so when the sun’s out, this is where you’ll want to be.

Sewerby, Bridlington YO15 1EW

01262 672374, www.shipinnsewerby.co.uk

10. Blue Bell

Blue Bell have taken al fresco dining to heart: their enclosed sun garden is open all year, with parasols for summer and heaters for winter. Try their braised rabbit in herb bacon stew or their crispy duck confit with an orange and fennel salad. Food is prepared as you order so you may have to wait for your meal, but in such beautiful surroundings, this is a blessing rather than a problem.

West Green, Cottingham HU16 4BH

01482 847 113, www.bluebellcottingham.om

11. Nunnington Royal Oak

As they proudly proclaim, when you visit this pub it’s not just a beer and a packet of crisps on offer. The Yorkshire pub is heavily inspired by the Tuscan fare the family who run it grew to love during their time in Italy. Expect seasonal produce, imports from trusted farmers in Tuscany and a special Italian evening menu. The outside beer garden and small games area provide a welcome to both kids and dog-owners.

Church Street, Nunnington YO62 5US

01439 748271, www.nunningtonroyaloak.co.uk

12. The Pheasant

Watch mallards floating about the village millpond from the terrace of The Pheasant, which seats a cosy 30 people or so. Their tasting menu makes the most of seasonal fare and offers six courses of culinary delights such as Scarborough-landed wild bass and warm pistachio cake with coconut milk sorbet, with an accompanying wine for every course. Go on, be decadent!

Harome, near Helmsley YO62 5JG

01439 771241, www.thepheasanthotel.com

13. The Terrace Café

Based in the old stables of the historic Sledmere House, the Terrace Cafe looks out onto a vista of yew trees and serves a range of hot meals as well as sandwiches and cakes. They stick to local suppliers where possible, and many of the vegetables are from Sledmere’s own walled garden.

Sledmere, Driffield YO25 3XG

01377 236637, www.sledmerehouse.com

14. The Lamb and Lion

This cute little pub’s decked terrace has views onto the Minster and the kitchen has earned two AA Rosettes for its locally sourced, straight-forward interpretations of modern British classics and a particularly strong line in poultry and lamb.

2–4 High Petergate, York YO1 7EH

01904 654112, www.lambandlionyork.com

15. The Bridge Hotel and Spa

Drag yourself away from the 250-year-old oak panelled Byron Bar and luxuriate on the patio terrace. The menu’s handsome too: try the pancetta-wrapped monkfish or locally reared rump steaks.

Walshford, Wetherby LS22 5HS

01937 580115, www.thebridgewetherby.co.uk

16. Hipping Hall

It’s well worth straying just beyond the western edge of the Dales National Park to sample this high-class hotel’s three-AA Rosette restaurant, particularly if you can cadge a table on their manicured lawn.

Cowan Bridge, Kirkby Lonsdale LA6 2JJ

01524 271187, www.hippinghall.com