You’ll be hard pushed to find a finer looking pub in a more gorgeous village. The National Trust’s Malham is a favourite with potholers (this part of Yorkshire is rich with caverns) but there are many surface pleasures to be had too. Sitting on the edge of the village green, the 17th-century coaching inn was once home to the first Lord of Ribblesdale and very grand it looks too. Don’t stand on ceremony: inside are flagged floors, wood-burning stoves and well-kept local ales. Darren also puts an interesting menu together using mostly local produce. You could start with game galantine, and move onto blackened prawn and salmon stroganoff; if you have room, finish with rum soaked apple and sultana crumble. Staying the night? Choose a contemporary new room in the cottage, or head upstairs to one of the comfy bedrooms with calm colours, lovely linen and pristine bathrooms; many have views over the village green to the hills beyond. The barn has beautiful bedrooms, a shared lounge with a wood burner, and a warm welcome for families and dogs.
The Lister Arms has all the charm that one expects from an old inn in a Yorkshire Dales village. An atmospheric pub and suitably creaky floors in the spacious rooms. This is serious walker country and the Arms welcomes muddy boots. What made it extra special were the friendly, professional and attentive staff that easily managed a hungry and thirsty crowd in both the pub and the restaurant.