Willowgate Bistro

A place we have visited for many special occasions and Wednesday evening's dinner was as wonderful as ever! The staff are fantastic, friendly and passionate, making you feel valued and the table service is top notch without feeling fussy. I had venison for starters, beautifully balanced flavours and textures. A scrumptious succulent monkfish with mussels for main. My husband had Pickering trout followed by lamb loin, polished off both with a grin! We shared a cheesecake, which was light as air and melted in the mouth and a chocolate cherry mousse cake equally as delightful. A meal that will last in my memory until the next time we get to visit this fantastic restaurant. My only suggestion on the atmosphere, would be perhaps to soften the lighting even further with candles on the tables, the lights in the window interrupt the views down the high st and I love snooping out of the window! Thank you Willowgate Bistro! Xx

AMAZING FOOD!! Everything was delicious. The complimentary tapenade was surprisingly moorish, especially when neither of us like olives and it was a nice touch. We had the crab arrancini and pork to start, both were very fresh and piping hot, incredibly enjoyable. We had the monk fish and venison for mains and neither could be faulted. The monkfish was cooked perfectly, it was soft and fell apart. The venison was also perfectly cooked. We managed to squeeze in dessert which was well worth it. It was one of the fluffiest sticky toffee puddings I've ever had and the chocolate torte was huge and absolutely incredible. It was easy to tell the staff were passionate about their business and took the time to talk to us about the food and the local area. Definitely worth a visit. The higher price tag is reflected in the quality and quantity of the dishes.

Have to say this place shines. Booked on the off chance as we'd had an Indian and Chinese the nights before which had been poor. This place did not disappoint. You have to book a table, it's popular and id say unlikely to get a walk in table. I had shoulder of pork for starters, and venison for my main, was just excellent. Good size and went home very happy and enjoyed every moment. Would highly recommend and will be going back the next time I visit Pickering.

The food was stunning and the service was beyond amazing. We didn't have a reservation and we're lucky to get the last available table. Right from the start Gemma was incredibly friendly and helpful when discussing dietary needs (my partner is Coeliac and needs gluten free). We got complementary tapenade, neither of us are big fans of olives but this dish changed both of our opinions! The crab Tian was incredibly tasty, the smoked duck breast was the best duck I have ever eaten, the black cherry sauce balanced it perfectly. Both the chocolate torte and the gluten free cheesecake finished the meal perfectly. The precise are very reasonable too. We will definitely be returning and make sure we book next time!