With winter firmly on the way, a Sunday is not complete without a roast dinner, and we recently visited Amber’s in Harrogate for the ultimate luxury Sunday roast.
Located in the heart of the charming town of Harrogate, Amber’s sits within Cedar Court Hotel, which itself sits along the town’s historic Park Parade. With views across the parkland, the hotel and its resident restaurant offer stunning views year-round.
Our visit coincided with the beginning of Autumn and the golden leaves added to the cosy Sunday feel. As we entered the restaurant, we were greeted by very friendly staff who showed us to our table within the elegant dining space.
Amber’s is inspired by progressive thinker and pioneering scientist Lady Amber Fitzwilliam, long time resident of the Cedar Court Hotel, and host of the weekly Thursday Club. She famously said that ‘one should never hold forth on an empty stomach’ and there was certainly no risk of that for us.
We started with cocktails- an Old Fashioned and Pineapple Margarita- both made fresh by the on-site bartender. The flavours were fantastic and a great opener to the afternoon.
Amber’s Sunday menu offers a contemporary take on traditional British cuisine, and there is a real focus on the best food Yorkshire has to offer, from moor, dale and coast, which was evident within the menu options.
For our first course, we opted for the pig’s cheek with pancetta bubble and squeak and apple puree, which was perfectly tender and the ideal portion size to begin the meal.
For our mains, we opted for roast Hereford Bred beef and the six hour slow cooked lamb shoulder, which both came with Yorkshire pudding, potatoes and seasonal vegetables, as well as an extra jug of gravy. Both mains were delicious and felt like the perfect choice for a Sunday meal with friends and family.
Our waitress was lovely and ensured we had everything we needed, as well as recommending red wines that would pair well with our respective meats. The portions were perfect and meant we still had room for dessert. The vegetables came on a separate tray which meant we could pick and choose how much to have, which is always appreciated.
The little touches and attention to detail in the restaurant, such as the William Morris inspired gravy boat and a low-lit table lamp on each table, added to the ambience and grandeur of the room. The restaurant has been recently renovated by local interior design firm Studio Two and replicates a grand dining room from the 20th century, with decorative coving, a musician’s gallery overhead and large candles and soft furnishings.
For dessert, we opted for a cheese board and a rich dark chocolate Marquise with peanut Chantilly and salted hazelnut praline. The blend of chocolate with peanut was perfect and the mousse was light and not too filling. The cheese board featured three locally produced farmhouse cheeses from nearby dairy farms and came accompanied by a delicious fruit chutney.
We arrived quite early in the afternoon, but as we were there, more families and groups arrived and the atmosphere was great, with old friends catching up and grandparents enjoying a Sunday dinner with their grandchildren. The team at Amber’s have a real focus on good food and quality time with loved ones and this was evident on our visit. It felt like the perfect way to spend a Sunday afternoon, which we paired with a walk along the parkland outside of the restaurant for the ultimate cosy Sunday.
For more information on Amber’s, or to book a meal, visit https://ambersrestaurant.co.uk/
