Star Inn at Harome

The story

Star Inn at Harome, Helmsley: Modern British Michelin Star Dining in a Thatched Inn

The Star Inn at Harome

Deep in the North Yorkshire countryside, in the small village of Harome, sits one of the county’s most cherished dining destinations. The Star Inn at Harome is a 14th-century thatched inn, a rare sight in Yorkshire, that has held a Michelin star for its refined, seasonal Modern British cooking. Chef/Patron Andrew Pern bought the pub in 1996 when it had closed its doors, and quickly established it as one of the country’s first ‘gastropubs’. The Star first earned its Michelin star in 2002 and has held it consistently since, a testament to the kitchen’s unwavering standards.

The restaurant’s cooking is defined by a strong sense of terroir, a philosophy that Andrew Pern and Chef/Director Stephen Smith apply to every dish. Stephen, who joined the team in 2008, shares Andrew’s commitment to sourcing the best seasonal ingredients from the surrounding region. The menus change with the seasons: Spring brings wild garlic, rhubarb, white asparagus and morels, while the kitchen’s approach remains rooted in the Yorkshire landscape. The result is a menu that feels both contemporary and deeply connected to its place.

The building itself has a history that reaches back centuries. Its Grade II listing describes a cruck-framed structure with a thatched roof, and local legend holds it was once a hostelry for monks travelling to nearby abbeys. The pub was badly damaged by a fire in November 2021, which destroyed the old dining room and thatched section. After a year-long closure, The Star was rebuilt, with the original Mouseman bar and furnishings restored by the craftsmen’s descendants in Kilburn. The new dining room now features their carved oak tables, a continuation of a local tradition that began in the 1930s.

The atmosphere here is warm and unhurried, the kind of place where the bar still feels like a proper village pub and the restaurant offers a more polished setting for a tasting menu. Guests can also stay at Cross House Lodge, a converted farm building across the road with thirteen bedrooms, making it easy to linger over a long dinner. The Star has long been a favourite for celebrations, from birthdays to intimate weddings in the Wheelhouse at the Lodge. It is a restaurant that wears its history lightly, letting the cooking and the setting speak for themselves.