From Britain’s highest inn on the Pennine moor to a Michelin-starred kitchen in a Wharfedale hamlet, these are the Dales pubs where sitting down is as worth the drive as arriving.
Most people drive through the Yorkshire Dales looking for walks. The landscape makes that easy to understand. What they miss is that some of the best experiences in this part of the country involve sitting still, ordering something proper, and watching the light change across a fell or a river valley while you eat.
These eight pubs are not on every list. Some sit at the end of narrow lanes that most visitors never take. Each earns its place for specific reasons: the food is genuine, the setting is authentic, and the combination of the two makes the drive worthwhile.
Region: Yorkshire Dales, North Yorkshire
Best for: Pub food, scenic drives, walking, weekend breaks
Getting there: Skipton station serves Wharfedale pubs via the Wharfedale and Settle-Carlisle lines. A car is essential for Tan Hill, Wath-in-Nidderdale, and Chapel le Dale.
Time needed: Half a day for a single visit; a full day to combine two or three pubs with a walk between them.
Yorkshire Dales Pubs: Eight Worth Stopping For
These pubs were chosen because the specific combination of what is on the plate and what is visible from the window or the beer garden makes each one worth the journey. The view earns its place. So does the food.
Tan Hill Inn, Swaledale
Tan Hill sits at 1,732 feet above sea level on the Pennine moor above Keld, making it the highest pub in Great Britain. The view from the car park runs to open moorland in every direction, with no houses, roads, or trees visible beyond the drystone walls. In winter, the wind is audible from inside the bar; the stone walls take the full force of it, and the fire draws heat steadily across the room.
The inn has served travellers and workers on this exposed ridge since the 17th century. It stood above the Tan Hill Colliery, which extracted thin seams of coal from the Pennine moorland until the pit closed in 1929. The building runs on solar power and a diesel generator because the mains supply does not reach this far.
The menu covers Yorkshire pub classics: pies, Yorkshire puddings, burgers, and a children’s menu. Food runs from noon to 8.45pm at weekends. The Barn events space hosts live music most weekends. Go on a Thursday evening for the acoustic open-mic night from 8.30pm.
Where to Stay: Tan Hill Inn has nine en-suite bedrooms, a bunk room for walkers, and two glamping pods set into the rock behind the building.
Worth Knowing: The Pennine Way passes the front door. Walkers on the national trail have been stopping here since the route opened in 1965.
The Craven Arms, Appletreewick
Appletreewick sits in lower Wharfedale, with Burnsall Fell and Simon’s Seat rising steeply to the east. The Craven Arms has one of the best beer gardens in the Dales for precisely that reason: on a clear day, you look directly up at open fell with nothing between you and the skyline. Inside, the gas lamps throw amber light across the low oak beams at dusk, and the Cruck Barn behind the main building smells of old timber and stone.
The building dates to 1548 and served first as a farmhouse, then as an alehouse. The interior is all open fires, low ceilings, and flagged floors. The menu covers pies, fish and chips, and game from local keepers. The thatched, oak-beamed Cruck Barn behind the pub is worth seeing on its own terms.
The Dales Way passes through the village, and the River Wharfe is a five-minute walk downhill. The valley links naturally to 10 river walks in the Yorkshire Dales that most people never take, making a full day from the pub and valley straightforward.
Where to Stay: Craven Shepherd Huts are three shepherd’s huts set in the fields above the pub, with views across the valley.
Worth Knowing: The Cruck Barn is one of the few surviving medieval cruck-frame buildings in the Dales still in regular use.
The Red Lion, Burnsall
Burnsall stops people. The five-arch limestone bridge over the Wharfe, the sloping village green, and the church set against the fell behind. The Red Lion has occupied a 16th-century building on the riverbank since the pub first opened here, and in summer the sound of the Wharfe over the limestone shallows carries across the terrace at dusk. The bridge reflects in the water below.
The AA Rosette restaurant has oak floors and overlooks the river. The menu focuses on local produce: Dales beef, game in season, and seasonal fish. The terrace runs along the water’s edge. Book ahead at weekends.
Where to Stay: The Red Lion Hotel has 27 rooms across the main hotel and a nearby Manor House, with fell and river views.
Worth Knowing: The Red Lion sits along the Dales Way. Walkers covering the section from Grassington arrive directly at the front door.
The Angel at Hetton
Hetton is a hamlet six miles north of Skipton that most drivers pass without stopping. The Angel dates to the 15th century and opened as a restaurant-pub in 1983. Food writers and critics have long considered it Britain’s original gastropub, and the building has held a Michelin star since 2019 under chef-patron Michael Wignall.
The hamlet carries almost no through traffic. On weekday evenings, when the kitchen is running, the smell of cooking crosses the car park before you reach the door, and the surrounding fields are silent. The dining room looks out across dry-stone walls and open Dales pasture. The menu changes with the seasons, built around Yorkshire produce: the tasting menu and the carte shift as the landscape shifts.
This is not a pub to visit in muddy boots. It is a destination that happens to have the character of a Dales pub and the cooking of a serious restaurant. Book well in advance.
Where to Stay: The Angel at Hetton has 16 rooms and suites spread through the village, with interiors using natural wool, stone, and local oak.
Worth Knowing: The Angel has appeared in the Good Food Guide without interruption for over thirty years.
The Sportsman’s Arms, Wath-in-Nidderdale
To reach the Sportsman’s Arms, cross a narrow packhorse bridge two miles west of Pateley Bridge and follow a single-track lane. The inn sits on the bank of the River Nidd in Nidderdale, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty that draws fewer visitors than Wharfedale or Swaledale. On still evenings, the sound of water over stones carries from the river through the open windows into the bar.
The Carter family have run this 17th-century sandstone inn since 1978 and built its reputation on produce sourced close to the kitchen: game shot within a mile, Nidderdale trout, beef from local farms, and home-cured gravadlax. The river runs alongside the garden. The fells rise directly behind the building.
Where to Stay: The Sportsman’s Arms has eleven rooms across the main house, stable conversion, and barn, several with four-poster beds.
Worth Knowing: How Stean Gorge, one of the most dramatic natural features in the Dales, is a short drive further up the valley.
The Old Hill Inn, Chapel le Dale
Chapel le Dale sits between Ingleborough and Whernside in the western Dales, directly on the Three Peaks route. The Old Hill Inn dates to 1615 and served originally as a farm and drovers’ inn. In the 1870s, it fed the navvy gangs building the Ribblehead Viaduct; the churchyard down the lane holds over one hundred of those workers and their families. At first light on a clear morning, Ingleborough fills the north-facing window of the bar, its flat summit catching early sun while the dale below sits in shade.
The menu runs to home-cooked food and proper puddings, and the pub carries a long reputation among Three Peaks walkers for fuelling both ends of the route. Six en-suite rooms serve those wanting to start on the fells at dawn.
Where to Stay: The Old Hill Inn has six rooms with views across to Ingleborough and Whernside, plus two glamping pods for the warmer months.
Worth Knowing: The Ribblehead Viaduct is a short drive south down the B6255. The Station Inn at Ribblehead is a second strong stop on the same road.
The Fountaine Inn, Linton
Linton sits just below Grassington in Wharfedale. A beck runs through the centre of the village, an ancient packhorse bridge crosses it at the edge of the green, and The Fountaine Inn looks directly onto both. Sitting outside on a dry evening, you hear the water before you see it. The pub takes its name from Richard Fountaine, a wealthy timber merchant who funded the rebuilding of Linton in the early 18th century, including the almshouses that still stand at the east end of the village.
The Fountaine Inn is quieter than anything on Grassington’s main street, and that is the reason to choose it. Real Yorkshire ales, open fires, and a menu of Dales classics done properly. Linton Falls, five minutes on foot from the pub, drops the River Wharfe over a wide limestone shelf. Go after the rain.
For those combining the valley with an overnight stay, 7 hidden cabins and private retreats in Yorkshire, nobody is talking about the best options nearby.
Where to Stay: The Buck Inn at Thornton Watlass has rooms with Dales views and sits under 30 minutes from Linton. Verify opening and booking on their own website before travelling.
Worth Knowing: Linton is on the Dales Way. The Falls are a five-minute walk from the pub door.
The King’s Head, Kettlewell
Kettlewell is one of those Dales villages that looks exactly as it should: pale limestone, a beck running through the centre, fells rising steeply on both sides. By early evening, the main street is quiet enough to hear the water in the beck from the door of the King’s Head. The village takes its name from the Old Norse “Chetelwell”, meaning a spring or cattle stream, and appears in the Domesday Book.
The King’s Head has built a reputation for food that sits well above the standard for a village pub. The menu covers British dishes made with local produce. The patio faces the village and the valley beyond. Book at weekends.
Kettlewell puts you in reach of Buckden, Starbotton, and the high route across into Coverdale. The Dales Way passes through the village, and the surrounding country is some of the quietest walking in the national park. For context on the market towns either side of the dale, the guide to 6 quiet market towns in North Yorkshire better than the tourist brochure says, covers the valley towns well.
Where to Stay: YHA Kettlewell is the value option for walkers in the village. For full rooms, Wharfedale Manor near Grassington is the nearest comfortable option. (Verify Wharfedale Manor directly before booking.)
Worth Knowing: The high road from Kettlewell over Park Rash into Coverdale is one of the quietest passes in the Dales and takes under an hour to drive.
Practical Tips
- Book well ahead for The Angel at Hetton. Tasting-menu evenings fill weeks in advance. Book directly through angelhetton.co.uk.
- Tan Hill is most safely reached from Keld via the B6270. Check weather forecasts between November and March; the road can close in heavy snow.
- Most Dales pubs welcome dogs in bar areas but not dining rooms. Call ahead if you are arriving with a dog and intend to eat.
- The AllTrails app gives the most reliable navigation for walks between these pubs. Download routes before you lose mobile signal.
- You can reach The Red Lion at Burnsall and The Fountaine Inn at Linton by bus from Skipton on the Dales Bus summer service. The remaining six require a car.
- Bank holiday weekends across the Dales are extremely busy. Midweek visits in May, June, or September give you the views without the queues.
Responsible Visiting
Park considerately in villages. Many Dales lanes are single-track, and field gateways need to stay clear year-round. If you are walking between pubs, keep to marked paths across farmland. Gate latches matter in farming country. Take litter home.
Reader Q&A
What are the best Yorkshire Dales pubs for food and views? The Angel at Hetton is the most acclaimed, holding a Michelin star and appearing in the Good Food Guide for over thirty years. For exceptional food in a less formal setting, The Sportsman’s Arms at Wath-in-Nidderdale and The Red Lion at Burnsall both focus specifically on local Dales produce and are worth the drive on their own terms.
Which Yorkshire Dales pub has the best view? Tan Hill Inn has the most dramatic setting, sitting at 1,732 feet above sea level with open Pennine moorland in every direction. For valley views, The Craven Arms at Appletreewick looks directly across the lower Wharfe to Burnsall Fell and Simon’s Seat.
Are Yorkshire Dales pubs dog-friendly? Yes. All eight pubs on this list welcome dogs in bar areas. Several have outdoor seating suited to walkers arriving with dogs. Call ahead if you want to eat inside with a dog; dining rooms often have a separate policy.
Do I need to book a table at The Angel at Hetton? Yes. Bookings are essential, and weekend tables fill weeks in advance, particularly for tasting-menu evenings. Book directly through angelhetton.co.uk.
Can I reach Yorkshire Dales pubs without a car? You can reach The Red Lion at Burnsall and The Fountaine Inn at Linton by Dales Bus from Skipton during the summer service. Tan Hill, The Sportsman’s Arms, The Old Hill Inn, The Craven Arms, The Angel at Hetton, and The King’s Head all require a car or taxi from the nearest town.
Where to Stay
Tan Hill Inn, Swaledale. Nine en-suite rooms and two glamping pods at 1,732 feet above sea level.
Craven Shepherd Huts, Appletreewick. Three shepherd’s huts in the fields above the village, with open fell views.
The Red Lion Hotel, Burnsall. Twenty-seven rooms on the riverbank, several with views of the Wharfe.
The Angel at Hetton, Hetton. Sixteen rooms and suites in the village are using natural materials.
The Sportsman’s Arms, Wath-in-Nidderdale. Eleven rooms in the main house and barn conversion beside the River Nidd.
The Old Hill Inn, Chapel le Dale. Six fell-view rooms and two glamping pods below Ingleborough.
YHA Kettlewell, Kettlewell. Good-value walker accommodation in the centre of the village.
The Dales do not announce themselves. They just sit there, waiting.
