It was a late spring evening when we visited The Ticket Office in Ilkley to try their new summer menu, it had been a while since our last visit and we had forgotten just how great this place is.
As it was a warm evening, we decided to sit outside where we could people watch to our hearts content while enjoying first class food and drinks!
The Ticket Office is Ilkley’s first-class drinks carriage, located within the town’s historic railway station and it’s the perfect spot to start and end your night. But it is so much more than that. Inside you have comfortable roomy chairs and sofas, lots of space and a fabulous décor which is a mix of super-stylish and a throwback to the station’s historic roots.
You can literally step off the platform, straight into the Platform Lounge and chill out with a signature cocktail, or your choice from their extensive selection of premium wines, champagnes, spirits, cask ales and craft beers.
Or, as we did, you can sit outside under their covered, heated al fresco drinking and dining space. Be warned, it’s a popular space and you need to get there early to bag a table, especially if you want to enjoy food and drinks.
Once settled in, we ordered a large gin and tonic each while we perused the menu. This new menu consists of a selection of Small Plates designed to mix and share; they recommend at least two dishes each.
We do love a tapas style relaxed dining experience, we are real food sharers, so this suited us down to the ground. We ordered Mango Shrimp – Argentinian prawns, chilli mango salsa, avocado. Truffle Parmesan Chips – fat chips (Yorkshire style!), truffle oil, shaved aged parmesan. TFC Slider – parmo style chicken, aged parmesan, truffle bechamel. Wagyu Slider – wagyu smash patty, smoked cheese, Lingford’s burger sauce, truffle chips and Halloumi Popcorn – crispy halloumi, sun dried tomato dip, asparagus spears.
Everything arrived together and was laid out in front of us on the table, a colourful delicious feast for the eyes, but would it be a feast for our bellies? Absolutely!
The prawns were fat and juicy and with the chilli mango salsa and avocado, it was like a party in your mouth – we wished we had ordered two dishes of them! They were gone way too fast!
The TFC Slider was really delicious with moist, succulent chicken and that truffle bechamel – we could have eaten that on its own! But the Wagyu Slider was to die for, there is just something special about wagyu beef and with the smoked cheese and Linford’s burger sauce it was a match made in heaven.
The Halloumi Popcorn we knew would be a winner as we are both ‘squeaky cheese’ fanatics, and it really was good. But those big, fat, Truffle Parmasen Chips were something else. We love our chips fat in Yorkshire tha’ knows and these were pure perfection.
We had superb food, in great surroundings, watched lots of people and put the world to right and I’ll be honest, we could have sat there all night.
They say The Ticket Office is the perfect place to start and end your night, but we say it’s the perfect place to spend the whole evening. Why go anywhere else when it’s so good here?!
Team H&N highly recommend a visit to The Ticket Office – All Aboard the first class food and drinks carriage!
Book your table here.
The Ticket Office, 11 Station Plaza, Station Road, Ilkley, LS29 8HF
