A true contender to the area’s culinary crown

When writing a review, i t’s really easy to resort to clichés.

Restaurant reviews in particular are often a magnet for lazy writing, for the scribe to simply turn up, eat, then jot down something about “decadent desserts” and “cosy interiors”.

It’s also really easy to overexaggerate, and try to turn average fare into something Heston Blumenthal would be proud to have concocted.

But at The Anvil, the ultimate cliché of “a feast fit for a king” is for once appropriate.

And it’s not hyperbole to say that The Anvil is comfortably the best restaurant I’ve visited in the Scarborough area.

Located just off the beaten track in Sawdon, the former working forge is a fair drive out, but for foodies, it’s one worth making.

What I loved about it is how unpretentious it is.

As someone who actively loathes the arty side of cuisine, The Anvil is a culinary paradise.

Absent from the not-overly extensive menus are snows and foams.

Instead you have more-than-generous hunks of British meat, such as our group’s main cours- es, which included pan roasted chicken, as well as mine and my carnivorous colleague’s daube of beef.

The latter dish was lovingly cooked, and drenched in a heavenly caramelised red onion braising juices, with a dollop of buttery, fluffy mash on the side.

That course for me epitomises The Anvil. Nothing on that plate was trying to re-invent the wheel.

It was merely a dish of good, honest food, made with first rate ingredients – with every mouthful cooked to near perfection.

And it’s not hyperbole to suggest that, as The Anvil truly is a magnificent place to eat.

It’s so magnificent that for someone who enjoys picking faults with almost everything, it’s almost frustrating not to be able to find more flaws to give this write-up more balance.

A few members of the party commented that the decor wasn’t to their taste, but to revert to a previous cliché, I felt the interior really was cosy.

Upon arrival, we were seated in a beautifully old fashioned plush parlour. It felt like it had been airlifted in from a remote Scottish lodge. Warm and very snug, it ticked every box for me – much like my starter did.

After mulling over the cheese and onion souffle, I opted for the aromatic crispy duck.

It was gigantic. I honestly don’t think I’ve eaten a bigger starter, and I’d be surprised if I ever did again.

Garnished with Asian veg, pancakes and plum sauce, again there’s nothing groundbreaking about it but, boy, does it satisfy.

And the same has to be said for pudding. We selected a range of sweets, including the orange cake, a dish perhaps more likely to be served by your granny for Sunday tea, although I doubt even the most adventurous OAP would complement it with scrumptious cinnamon brown bread ice cream and an almond Florentine.

I scoffed down a moreish passion f ruit baked Alaska, which came with a tasty coconut shortbread and a zesty sauce which was perhaps just a tad too sweet.

For around £30 per head for three courses, the food – served impeccably with a smile – really does lay a genuine claim to being the best in the borough. And that’s not hyperbole.

Overall Rating 9