The Tannin Level Harrogate: A Sunday Lunch Worth Leaving the House For
I have said it before, and I’ll say it again – I’m not the biggest fan of going out for Sunday lunch.
Admittedly, I can, on occasion, feel slightly under par by Sunday lunchtime, given my penchant for a Saturday evening tipple. But there’s more to it than that. I’ve always considered Sunday lunch a bit of a family affair, and somehow, it just feels more enjoyable when there’s a crowd gathered around the table. Especially when, more often than not, it’s just the two of us.
Besides, I rather like having it at home, where I can make exactly what I fancy, serve mint sauce with chicken if the mood takes me, and absolutely flood my plate with gravy without having to politely request another jug. There are no rules in my house when it comes to Sunday lunch, and that’s precisely how I like it.
And, perhaps most importantly, there’s no taxi home to contend with. I can simply eat myself into a stupor, retire to the sofa and fall asleep almost immediately. Good times.
BUT…
When there are just the two of us and I’ve decided that I am absolutely, categorically not cooking, I can occasionally be tempted out by the promise of a perfectly crisp roast potato and some seriously good cauliflower cheese. I do have my weaknesses, after all.
And so, on Sunday, I found myself heading out for lunch at The Tannin Level in Harrogate, ready to see whether its Sunday offering could tempt me away from the comfort of my own dining table.
Not originally hailing from this part of Yorkshire, there are still plenty of places for me to discover, and it seems The Tannin Level is something of a local institution. Clearly, I’m a little late to the party, but better late than never, eh?
A Harrogate Institution
Occupying a lower-ground-floor space in the heart of Harrogate, The Tannin Level has been serving up stylish British cuisine since 1985 – no mean feat in an industry where restaurants can come and go faster than you can say table for two.
Heading down the stairs, I was expecting something of a cosy, perhaps slightly dimly lit affair, but I couldn’t have been more wrong.
The restaurant is deceptively spacious, pleasantly lit and has a wonderfully relaxed ambience. Exposed brickwork, attractive arched doorways and traditional terracotta and dark tiled flooring lend the place a certain old-world charm, while solid wooden tables, comfortable seating and warm, muted tones give it a reassuringly established feel.
There’s something rather lovely about a restaurant that isn’t desperately trying to be fashionable. The Tannin Level feels comfortable in its own skin, with a character that has clearly developed over the years rather than been dreamt up by an interior designer chasing the latest trend.
In fact, as we were shown to our table, we both commented on how lovely it felt. It’s traditional without being dated, relaxed without being overly casual, and has that wonderfully welcoming quality that makes you want to settle in and make a proper afternoon of it.
On arrival, we were asked if we’d like our coats hung up, and once comfortably seated, we were promptly offered water and presented with stylish leather-bound menus and a rather inviting wine list.
It’s these little touches that make all the difference, and so far, The Tannin Level was ticking all the right boxes for me.
Sunday Lunch at The Tannin Level
There’s also a reassuring commitment to local produce here. The Tannin Level champions a distinctly Yorkshire-first approach, sourcing its meat from North Yorkshire farmers, fish from the Yorkshire coast and seasonal ingredients from local suppliers wherever possible.
It’s a philosophy I can certainly get behind. Good ingredients, treated with respect, without unnecessary fuss. After more than 40 years in business, it’s clearly an approach that has served them rather well.
On Sundays, The Tannin Level offers a fairly limited menu. That’s absolutely fine by me, although for those who prefer a little more variety, it is worth noting that the choice is rather concise.
That said, after more than four decades in the business, I suspect they’ve worked out exactly what their Sunday diners want, and if a traditional roast is what keeps people coming back, who am I to argue?
To start, I opted for the goat’s cheese brûlée, served with mixed leaves and beetroot chutney.
Now, I have to admit, this one left me somewhat stumped.
Arriving in the obligatory brûlée ramekin, complete with the equally obligatory crisp, caramelised sugar topping, it looked for all the world like a dessert. Cracking through that satisfying sugary lid to reveal the whipped goat’s cheese beneath did absolutely nothing to alleviate my confusion.
I genuinely couldn’t decide whether I liked it or not.
It wasn’t quite savoury enough for my palate, yet I couldn’t entirely get my head around it being sweet either. There was absolutely nothing wrong with the dish itself; it was beautifully presented and clearly well executed. It was simply a case of my taste buds not quite knowing which direction they were supposed to be heading.
In fact, had somebody served it to me at the end of the meal and called it dessert, I might well have been singing its praises.
My husband, on the other hand, thought it was wonderful and took great delight in my culinary confusion, having already polished off his garlic mushrooms, which he declared divine.
Clearly, the goat’s cheese brûlée and I were simply not destined to understand one another.
The Main Event – A Proper Sunday Roast
For mains, we both opted for the Sunday roast. His Lordship chose the roast pork, which arrived with a very generous piece of crackling, while I went for the sirloin of beef.
Now, I do like my beef served pink, but achieving that perfect balance of beautifully blushing meat that is still wonderfully tender and, crucially, piping hot is a feat I have never quite managed at home.
The Tannin Level, however, had absolutely nailed it.
The beef was soft as butter, perfectly pink in the middle and served lovely and hot. No mean feat, I can tell you.
Both plates arrived nicely warmed and laden with gloriously crisp roast potatoes, fluffy in the middle, alongside what I believe was a turnip purée, roasted carrot and an enormous Yorkshire pudding.
On the side came generous dishes of mixed cabbage and cauliflower cheese, served family-style for us to help ourselves.
And frankly, any establishment that understands cauliflower cheese deserves its own place at the Sunday lunch table is already halfway to winning me over.
Everything was beautifully cooked, generously portioned and, perhaps most importantly, served at the temperature it should be. There is something particularly disappointing about a lukewarm Sunday roast, especially when you’ve made the effort to leave your own house for it.
Thankfully, there were no such complaints here.
We had chosen a reasonably priced bottle of Montepulciano to accompany our meal, and a delightful choice it turned out to be.
The Little Things That Make a Big Difference
At this point, I feel I must mention the service.
If you’ve read any of my previous reviews, you’ll know I’m something of a stickler for it. I’m a firm believer that truly good service lies in the little details, those seemingly insignificant touches that elevate the entire dining experience without you necessarily even noticing them.
Well, I always notice. My husband, on the other hand, rarely does until I point them out.
And at The Tannin Level, those little details were very much in evidence.
The wine service, for example, was spot on. We were asked whether we’d like to taste the wine before it was poured, and when we declined, my glass was filled first. A rather old-fashioned touch, perhaps, but one I still appreciate.
Our water glasses were discreetly topped up throughout the meal, and when our dishes arrived, the waiter knew exactly who had ordered what.
No awkward hovering at the table asking, “Who’s having the beef?”
It’s such a simple thing, yet one that so many restaurants seem to overlook.
A check-back was carried out at just the right moment, giving us enough time to actually taste our food before being asked whether everything was to our liking and if we needed anything else.
None of these things is particularly extraordinary in isolation, but collectively, they make a tremendous difference.
Good service should feel effortless, attentive without being intrusive, polished without being stuffy.
And that is precisely what The Tannin Level delivered.
And from such a young team, too. I have to say, I was genuinely impressed. There was a level of confidence and professionalism that you don’t always encounter, even in far more expensive establishments, and it was a pleasure to experience.
The Bill and My Final Thoughts
As usual, we had spectacularly failed to leave any room for dessert, so we reluctantly called it a day and asked for the bill, which came to around £115.
Not cheap, of course, but then again, what is these days?
For two courses each and a decent bottle of red, I would say that’s fairly standard pricing, and given the quality of both the food and service, I was more than happy to pay it.
There’s a reason The Tannin Level is still going strong after all these years, and I suspect it has amassed a rather loyal following along the way. Having now experienced it for myself, I may well be counting myself among them.
It’s certainly somewhere I’d be more than happy to return to, and having had a peek at the à la carte menu, there are more than a few dishes that have piqued my curiosity.
Perhaps next time I’ll venture beyond the Sunday roast. Although, given the quality of those roast potatoes, I make no promises.
So, am I a convert to going out for Sunday lunch?
Well, let’s not get carried away.
I still rather like my gravy by the gallon, mint sauce wherever I please and the luxury of falling asleep on my own sofa without having to organise a taxi home.
But has The Tannin Level made a very convincing case for making an exception?
Absolutely.
I’m more than happy to recommend this Harrogate institution, and if it’s somewhere you’ve been meaning to try but have never quite got around to visiting, I’d suggest moving it straight to the top of your list.
And do tell them I sent you.
The Tannin Level: 5 Raglan Street, Harrogate, North Yorkshire HG1 1LE