The Angel at Hetton is the kind of place you half want to gatekeep. Tucked into the postcard-pretty village of Hetton in the Yorkshire Dales, this 15th-century inn is widely considered Britain’s original gastropub (before the term was even a thing). In 2018, chef-patron Michael Wignall and his wife Johanna took over, quietly weaving Japanese precision and technique into the kitchen while keeping the pub’s warm, Yorkshire soul intact — a combination that really shouldn’t work, but absolutely does.

The accolades tell their own story: a Michelin star (held since 2019), five AA Rosettes and a stack of national awards, including Best Restaurant with Rooms in England — twice. Yet there’s nothing stiff or showy about it. Fires crackle, the welcome is genuinely friendly and the Scandi-leaning interiors – all pale woods and soft neutrals – let the food take centre stage. Menus are tasting-only but refreshingly flexible, whether you’re diving into a full 10-course feast, a shorter midweek lunch or an elevated Sunday roast. Michelin dining, minus the intimidation.

And then there are the rooms. Sixteen calm, beautifully designed bedrooms upstairs make staying over a no-brainer, with cloud-soft beds, crisp linens, Nespresso machines and bathrooms you’ll happily linger in. The result is a proper destination restaurant that still feels like your favourite local – relaxed, refined and 100% worth the detour.

Book here: The Angel at Hetton, Back Ln, Hetton, Skipton, BD23 6LT