The Black Bull

Visited here after a recent local stay. What a find! Food was amazing. We felt so guilty leaving a single bite but was so full!! The drinks were fantastic and the ambience and general atmosphere really did feel special. A simple little dinner for our anniversary really felt special. Staff were attentive and always happy to help. Great prices overall too. We sat on the restaurant side (which felt very romantic and cosy) but the pub side also seemed very cosy and welcoming. Very impressed and hope to visit again one day! :)

Well where do I start! Valentines meal with family. Arrival… quick to be seated, ready and waiting table, staff ..super friendly and engaging ( many restaurants could take a leaf out of this book) table… big and plenty of room, ambiance …. Absolutely lovely in the barn room, then we get to food …. Honestly the best mushroom starter I’ve had , best cheese pie main and best Tiramisu and we eat out often and I choose these regular ! Family also loved their courses too. Talent in that kitchen for sure. And it all arrived timely. Mother in law had starter as main which was plentiful and perfect size, wine….a very tasty Pinot! Music we even commented was nice. Absolutely covered all bases this place. No stone left unturned - you made our Valentines Day! Price I think very competitive for that standard. Itching to go back to try the Sunday roast ! ❤️ Big thanks to all staff who clearly work hard and care !

Today was my first time trying The Black Bull Inn and it won’t be the last. Living over the hill in Yorkshire we’re not too far away from the Ribble Valley and its reputation for excellent establishments. Northcote, The Inn At Whitewell, The Spread Eagle etc etc. having tried all these and enjoyed every one of them we just fancied a change and had heard good things about the Black Bull. The greeting from the friendly staff was all I needed to know it was going to be at least okay but it was far more than that, it was excellent and can hold its own with all the above when judged on merit. I had one of the specials that was superb. Pork loin, belly and black pudding with pickled peach which brought the dish together perfectly, the loin was cooked to perfection with a rich, juicy blush to it. The chips are some of the best if not the best I’ve tasted, definitely an equal to Northcote’s chips and they’re stunning. Onion rings equally as good. The Chicken supreme got an equal appraisal from the Mrs! The pudding were also sublime. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this pub to anybody. I’ve already told my sister she needs to get there and see what she thinks. It’s very dog friendly too but we didn’t have ours with us. Thank you everybody at The Black Bull. I’ll be back.

The meal we had was our post Christmas treat. The food fantastic, great service and a warm friendly atmosphere. Good variety on the menu, the quality of the food evident. A must try if you are in the area it will not disappoint. My husband is still raving about the nunber of great largers on draft. The staff really do maje the whole experience special.

We ate here today for their Monday deal - a meal and a drink for £15. Fantastic value and the food was absolutely incredible! I had the scampi and chips which were 10/10! Proper good chips! Couldn’t resist having dessert too, plum and almond crumble which was just as delicious. It’s so cosy and beautifully decorated inside. The staff were so lovely and friendly. Would 1000% reccommend. My favourite spot in the ribble valley by far!

Another fabulous meal! We came here last year before my oldest played in her LYBB Christmas concert and we had a lovely meal. I decided to book the same place this year and we were not disappointed; the staff were lovely, the food was delicious and the venue is beautiful- what more can you ask for.

One of the best meals I've had for a very long time and the other 3 people in my party all said the same. Great service, superb food, all piping hot and a great atmosphere too. Highly recommend.

Went for a late afternoon lunch today and was extremely happy with everything. The service couldn't have been friendlier, the atmosphere was lovely with lots of cosy corner seating and the food was gorgeous. I had the bubble and squeak, followed by a plum crumble, just the right amount of delicious food!

Really great food and I loved the atmosphere! I had baked camembert and fish and chips as a Sunday two course and both were amazing. Great tartare sauce. Nice prosecco too. Really glad we ended up here as the place we originally had planned to go to was shut. Food was worth the cost, spent £86+tip for two. We were a walk in around 1pm on a Sunday, there were a few tables free, got busier the later it got though.

We arrived without reservation and the staff were very accommodating, warm and friendly. Although it feels like we were lucky to get seated as it’s a popular place and booking would be recommended. The Food was excellent and the presentation was lovely. Not the cheapest pub food but the quality is well worth the price and the service is exceptional. Our waiter Gabriel was a delight and nothing was too much trouble.

One of the best roasts ever had everything cooked to perfection nice to have lamb rather than the usual options. Baileys cheesecake was next level. Fantastic country pub, all staff very welcoming, will be visiting again when next in area.

From start to finish this place did not fail. Tom the waiter made our son's birthday meal extra special, he is a credit to you . Food fantastic, atmosphere relaxed and inviting. Not faults . Thankyou we all loved it

Great place, good food, good service 👌 This is a lovely place that's that bit special

Beautiful pub, decorated nice, staff where welcoming and a lovely big beer garden, we ate our meal inside then went in the garden for drinks and pudding, was a lovely day, food was fab too, definitely be going back. Pictures are fish goujon starter. cheese and onion bomb pie with chips and peas. Seafood linguine. Breaded chicken burger with skin on fries. Battered haddock, chips, peas and tartar sauce. Raspberry and white chocolate cheesecake with Raspberry sorbet and a Dark chocolate pavé with honeycomb on top and vanilla ice cream Everything was perfect 🥰

Really decent ‘gastro pub’ food. I went for the non meat dishes which were excellent. I chose olives and hummus topped with Dukka and Ciabatta, yummy; sea food tagliatelle, piping hot and packed with perfectly cooked fish, mussels and prawns, and thankfully cream free, delicious; and coconut maringue with passion fruit and pineapple sorbet, tasty and refreshing. I thought everything was prepared with care and wth good quality ingredients, the portion sizes are really good too, It’s not a fine dining style restaurant that are typified by more courses and smaller plates ( and I’ve been to a few), its just top notch pub restaurant food. My partner had an excellent meal too and we both agreed it was worth the journey. The table staff were very pleasant and competent, my concern was they were somewhat over stretched which meant we had to sometimes ask for additional drinks ( rather than be asked) and we offered to take our bill to the bar to pay as we’d waited to pay longer than we liked

Break away for a couple.of days, googled where to eat and came across this little gem We didn't book but they still managed to get us seated. The food was amazing. We had pan seared chicken and fillet steak. 10/10....wished it wasn't our last night as we would be going back.

If you want quality service and quality food then this is the place to be! Me and a friend visited last week, the service was exceptional, I had a bad back and was sat outside on the rattan sofa, Jamie put some cushions on it (weather was a bit off so it didn’t have any on just incase it rained) my back was still hurting so he kindly got me another cushion to support my back. Nothing was too much trouble for any of the staff, drinks were perfect and the food… well I’ve been to the ivy in Harrogate and the food here was way better!! Thankyou for a lovely afternoon xx

yesterday was my first time eating here, everything was spectacular. the place the food the staff. and we also enjoyed hearing the complaints of a table next to us. I wonder how people eating microwaved pre-cooked food at home in a restaurant turn into chef Ramsay, and in the end they eat and finish all the food on their plate 🤣

What a find!!! This place is so nice with a huge garden area! The inside is just lovely the staff were so friendly and welcoming, the food well wow!! It was just so nice I wish I’d had room for dessert!!! Yes it’s pricey but the whole place is lovely and I’d pay it agin!!

Had one of the best Sunday roasts here today. The food was perfect, starters were excellent and the sharing roast was everything yoy want from a roast, pink beef, sweet but salty pork, thick uber tasty gravy and all the servings done perfectly. Our waiting on staff Arthur and Kate were superb. Cant speak highly enough. Will be back without a doubt

What a beautiful little hidden gem we found today ❤️ the service was amazing, the food even better 👌Inside the pub is all so tastefully furnished and in keeping with the building. We'll definately be back, thank you!

The Black Bill has always been one of my favorites in Lancashire with consistently serving fantastic food. It's also the finer details which make this place all the better, like spotting your glass is almost empty and offering another drink etc. Unheard of in most restaurants these days, but it was a great to see helpful, personable, and attentive staff. This makes such a huge difference and the dining experience was fantastic. Credit to all the staff.

Really attentive and friendly staff. The food was 11/10 delicious, the tandoori lamb chump starter and the chicken supreme were stand out dishes! Pillowy gnocchi, and a rich garlic butter sauce. Would definitely visit again.

Just celebrated my grand daughter’s 2nd birthday with my family here x Becky the owner is amazing & looked after us as always x eaten here a few times & the service x atmosphere x food is 5* x nothing is too much trouble x a beautiful day x thank you so much to you all ❤️

We arrived to find that parking was quite an issue, but we did find so where close by. Our welcome could not of been warmer, we were shown to our table, and drinks ordered. We found that the exit door, next to our table was very drafty. We asked to move and it was not an issue, we even got a radiator next to our table. The main course was ordered and arrived beautifully prepared and presented. Pan seared Pollock on a bed of chilli Muscles, with skin on boiled new potatoes. Our other dish was equally beautifully prepared and presented, sea salt puree potatoes with a truly delicious Lancashire cheese bomb pie, rich gravy and traditional mushy peas, the whole experience of the mains where brilliant, fish cookery, outstanding. We ordered a crumble of the week, which was rhubarb and apple with custard, what arrived was a fruit puree, with a crumb sprinkled over the top, and simple yellow custard. We were not impressed by this, and quietly asked for it to be taken back, this was not an issue and the staff managed this very well. We were disappointed by the desert, but overall we would recommend eating here and will go back again.

+5

Mixed experiences at this place, the sharing roast board is expensive but worth it, you don't come away hungry, and the sides feel luxurious. However, the sharing boards seem very expensive for what your getting, with items being missed off or reduced on our most recent experience. (Something you wouldn't be aware off if you didn't know what was meant to be on the board). Service always seems a little sparce but the building itself has a lovely cosy feel.

Great Sunday lunch offerings at a very reasonable price for the quality of food provided! Staff were attentive and service was prompt. Would definitely recommend and return!

This is a lovely venue, the outdoor area looks great but the weather wasn’t up to testing it out today. Service was quick this Sunday, we did not wait long for anything apart from 1 glass of wine. The food was quite tasty, particularly the dessert. The Sancerre wine (£15 per medium glass) was overly chilled and initially tasted horrible. When it got to a reasonably cool temperature it was ok. The same for the salmon starter. Having the fridges too cold can sometimes spoil delicate flavours - that might be ok for cheap food but if you are paying for something that’s meant to be good quality then you want to taste it properly! In terms of the beef roast - it was nice, good amount of gravy. I guess for the price I am comparing it to the Freemasons at Wiswell which is just a bit more but is head and shoulders above in terms of quality and presentation. Everything is just a bit dumped on the plate and you can do so much more with veg these days. The background music kept being put on and then suddenly go off, sometimes the same song. Presumably a connection issue but it was just better if it was left off as it made the atmosphere odd.

+2

The location and décor were genuinely fetching, and the staff were warm, attentive, and very pleasant throughout our visit. The whipped soufflé was delicious, though it was disappointing that my first-choice main—the Wellington—was unavailable. Unfortunately, my party of four all experienced issues with their mains, which took away from what could have been a great dining experience. That said, the presentation of every dish was spectacular, and I would happily return for drinks and the atmosphere alone. However, based on this visit, I wouldn’t return specifically for the food.

+2

Lovely atmosphere and service but unfortunately the food was incredibly disappointing. I’ve rated the Sunday toast there before and it was incredible so I was really looking forward to it but none of it was nice this time. The beef was fatty and tough, the potatoes were sour, the leeks were an inedible texture and the gravy was tasteless. Regrettably we won’t be rushing back for Sunday lunch.

Food is fairly decent every time we have been, nothing to shout home about but would always recommend it if anyone wanted an easy dinner out. Personally think there is better food around the RValley, that is higher quality and better priced. However it does have potential here. Staff and service is great. Staff are v attentive and never fail to provide good service. Only issue I have is every time we have been it feels like a children’s crèche. Last few times we have been we’ve ended up on tables next to screaming children , that I appreciate isn’t the staffs fault, but it does impact the dinner/over all experience. Feel more could be done about this, as it does put me off eating here more regularly.

My M/F fish was a small piece of Hake. It was very overcooked , and the potatoes were cold. On the whole, it wasn't a great dish. The beef was ok, and the yorkshire pudding was exceptional. Again, the vegetables served with it were a little underwhelming. On the whole we were disappointed with our visit. As we travelled some distance to eat here, we won't be coming back.

We had a lovely meal at The Black Bull Inn to celebrate my partner’s 40th birthday at the start of July. It was a surprise gathering with over 30 guests, and Rebecca, the owner, was incredibly accommodating—helping us organise and pre-book the food in advance. The food was excellent, with generous portion sizes. The staff were friendly and the service throughout the afternoon was great. Unfortunately, the experience was let down when it came to settling the bill. We had planned for each guest to pay individually for their food and drinks. While two members of our party were able to do this at the bar, we were then told it wouldn’t be possible for the rest of the group. I ended up having to cover the remaining balance myself—over £700—and then request repayments from everyone afterward. The final receipt was also unclear and difficult to reconcile. It still included items that had already been paid for, and while I was told those had been deducted, there was no visible breakdown showing the adjustments. What made things even more frustrating was that it took two more weeks of emails with Rebecca to try and resolve the issue. I still feel I was overcharged, and it appears one of the meals paid for separately remains on the final bill. It would have been much easier—and saved a lot of time and stress—if individual payments had been allowed for everyone. I also felt we were rushed out of the room a bit towards the end of the meal, as the staff were preparing for another group. I suspect this was part of the reason one consolidated bill was brought out—to speed things up. It's a shame, it spoilt a lovey meal and time for everyone. If you are booking for a large party, check your final bill carefully.

Gutted to say the least… we booked for the “magical” breakfast with Santa and I can’t say there was anything particularly special about it. The breakfast was nice overall but it was not hot and the toast was hard and cold. We have been to the black bull multiple times over the years and had some amazing times and some not so amazing over the past year. Recently it seems as though prices are heavily inflated and when the food and atmosphere isn’t on point, it feels like a waste of money. The “experience” was around £16 per head and almost £13 for a child which included only the breakfast and a small gift off Santa for the children, no drinks. We had to ask for Santa to come over to the table and we was squashed into the corner of the restaurant. When it came to the final bill they had tried to charge us for two babies under 1 and their justification was that it was for the “experience”, an extra almost £28 for the babies to sit unaware of what’s going on who also didn’t have any food, one is 7 weeks old! There was no activities on the tables for the children, hardly any interaction off Santa, he asked the same question to almost every child and didn’t listen to the answer. It was far from magical, we have had better Santa experiences and better, warmer breakfasts elsewhere. We wouldn’t mind spending the money at all, but as I say when the food isn’t the best, or the atmosphere that you are charging a premium for, it’s a complete waste. Luckily the children were non the wiser, but a very mediocre experience on the whole which is very disappointing for The Black Bull which has such a good reputation.

Have lived in the area all my life and been coming to the Bull in its varying lives all that time. We came in for a lunch on Saturday and sadly was hugely disappointed in the food - made worse by the extortionate prices. We had a cheese burger and chips and a chicken burger and chips. At £18 and £19 respectively you’d think it would be above and beyond. Sadly not. Both poor quality and basically burnt. The chips were not fresh and no better than value oven chips. And it’s a real shame because the pub is beautifully done. But it’s now a place that is purely set for food and not just a walk in, have a pint and some simple food. I want this place to succeed as it’s part of the fabric of the area but make the bar area just a bar area with pub grub food. Sit down in the barn for those who want it. Know there are cost pressures across the industry but there is no way this was a £40 plus drinks job.

Extremely expensive FROZEN MICROWAVED food. Unfortunately the food in this lovely looking restaurant was shocking. My partner and I started by having the sausage roll. When it came out as soon as my knife touched it I knew it was microwaved as the pastry was very soft- this was further proven by the middle of it being cold. I complained and we were given a new one. This new one was again soft on the outside and now had oil dripping out of it as it was microwaved for longer. It was also gristly. Very disappointing start but I had ordered a burger with blue cheese and streaky bacon and was looking forward to that. Unfortunately as soon as I bit into the burger I could taste the typical disgusting frozen highly processed burger patty. I really don’t know how you can charge £19.95 for a frozen processed burger… are you not embarrassed? I complained about the burger and was told “We don’t make the burgers in house because of the bacteria risk.” What kind of excuse is that? How can you charge an extreme premium on a processed frozen burger? Shocking. On top of that there was no streaky bacon it was back bacon- misleading sales. Total bill was £105 for two people. They reduced it by 10% to say sorry but we added it back on to pay service charge. It is nothing but a scam to be charging that much for a burger of such low quality. EDIT: I contacted the email they left below 5 days ago and they’ve chosen to ignore me. It is a complete lie that their food is not microwaved, I’m completely positive that it is. Additionally there isn’t a chance the burgers a locally sourced as I’ve had the same burger from another restaurant far away and it’s the same disgusting taste. In my opinion, I would never recommend anyone to go here.

The food was appalling and completely unacceptable. Several dishes were served cold and had to be sent back three times, which is beyond reasonable and shows a serious lack of care in the kitchen. Despite this, the problems were never properly resolved. When we asked whether the chef had been changed, we were told no, only to later discover that this was not true. Being misled in this way was completely unacceptable. The service was extremely poor, and the manager was rude, dismissive, and unprofessional throughout. Instead of taking responsibility, the situation was handled badly and left us feeling uncomfortable and frustrated. Overall, this was an awful experience from start to finish, with poor food, poor service, and dishonesty from management. I would strongly advise others to avoid this restaurant.

Disappointing Sunday Lunch – Would Not Recommend I’m rating The Black Bull a 1 out of 10 after an extremely disappointing family lunch. Unfortunately, our experience was far from pleasant. First, the food arrived cold and had to be sent back multiple times. The beef was poorly cooked and the steak we ordered was so badly done that we had to ask for a replacement, which wasn’t much better. On top of that, the manager was dismissive and rude when we raised our concerns about both the food and the service. In short, this was one of the worst dining experiences we’ve had in a long time. I definitely wouldn’t recommend The Black Bull for a Sunday lunch or any other meal.

Booked a table after reading rave reviews. We were met by the waitress who greeted us with a smile and asked if we would like to have a drink in the bar, which we accepted as we were early. Lovely interior, done really nice. My wife sat down, and I went to the bar, which was busy, the barmaid, who most likely exceeded her chosen career path, looked straight through me, and served later arrivals first. At first I thought, this isn't meant to be rude, she had early signs of some form of memory loss, and I was a little concerned that someone in her early sixties had to keep asking "whose next" whenever she had finished serving someone. I then realised she was just rude, and once again, she asked "who's next," so I politely requested a pint of Timothy Taylor and an Aperol spritz. This is no joke when I say my wife creates the best spritz and has done for over 20 years before anyone had even heard of it in the UK!! The only thing I can say is not enough aperol, too much soda, disappointing, to say the least. We sat until our booking time then went to the restaurant and waited to be greeted which was none existent, eventually a waitress walked towards us, totally ignored us and led a couple who arrived after us, who hadn't booked, to a table. It totally baffles me in this day and age of the Internet that customer service can be so shocking. We drove back to our home in Knott End and had a fabulous meal at the Bull, where we were greeted like royalty. I do hope the mature barmaid gets some sort of treatment to reverse the signs of rudeness!

Visited with 3 clients, ordered surf n turf steak cooked perfect - medium 👌🏻 unfortunately it was not tender, very firm, chewy and gristly. Waiter asked why I had not eaten it, politely explained…watched him show plate to a manager…15 mins later, no feedback, no apology. Paid in full. £254. Award Winning