The story
In the heart of Ilkley, a 1720 Yorkshire stone farmhouse holds one of the region’s most celebrated dining rooms. The Box Tree has been a destination for fine food since 1962, and its current incarnation—under Head Chef Brayden Davies—continues that legacy with a refined, modern approach.
The setting remains unmistakably grand: two plush dining rooms and a lounge furnished with antiques and art, all within a charming sandstone cottage. The kitchen, by contrast, is thoroughly contemporary, producing a tasting menu that changes daily with the seasons.
Davies arrived in early 2024, bringing experience from Michelin-starred kitchens including The Raby Hunt and Northcote Manor. His cooking blends his Australian heritage with a deep respect for Yorkshire’s local, foraged ingredients. The result is a creative, evolving tasting menu that marries contemporary techniques with the classical French foundations that made The Box Tree famous. Lunch and Sunday lunch menus offer a more accessible entry point, while the vegetarian tasting menu runs alongside the main offering.
The restaurant’s recognition is broad and current. It holds a place in the Michelin Guide for 2025, three AA Rosettes, and was ranked number 88 in SquareMeal’s UK Top 100 Restaurants in 2025. The Oliver Awards named it Best Fine Dining Experience in the same year. These accolades speak to a kitchen that respects its history while pushing forward.
Brayden Davies describes his work simply: “The Box Tree has such a rich history, and it’s been a privilege to bring my own style to its kitchen. I’m excited to keep evolving the menu and creating memorable dining experiences for our guests.” With a team that includes Yorkshire-born Sous Chef Nick Dixon and General Manager Chris Stapleton, the restaurant delivers a polished, personal service that matches the ambition of the cooking.
The Box Tree is a place where a 300-year-old building and a 21st-century kitchen meet—and the result is one of Yorkshire’s most assured Modern British dining experiences.
Recognition
Ambience
Details
History
When Malcolm Reid and Colin Long opened the Box Tree back in 1962, their avowed aim was to present Yorkshire’s affluent diners with a glorious cavalcade of French-accented haute cuisine in strikingly idiosyncratic surrounds. The restaurant’s towering reputation may have waned in recent years, although it is now on the up once again following its acquisition by local businessman Adam Frontal. Porcelain dogs still stand sentry at the door and the carpeting, curtains and ancient fireplaces hard back to the old days, but change is in the air. The arrival of Australian-born chef Brayden Davies (ex-Grantley Hall, Northcote et al) at the beginning of 2024 coincided with a full-scale overhaul of the kitchen and a move towards modernity on the plate. Old-school niceties such as white-gloved service have been consigned to history, although eating here is still a special occasion worth dressing up for – so expect a grand welcome from the long-serving GM and plenty of tableside saucing amping up the no-choice tasting menu into an ‘experience’. Our autumn reconnaissance began with a deeply comforting, savoury chawanmushi (made with 24-month aged Parmesan) partnered by onion consommé, though a rudimentary snack of Brin d’Amour and tomatoes on crusty focaccia was little more than a decent bite of cheese on toast. Agnolotti stuffed with Yorkshire ricotta and Amalfi lemon in a whey sauce tasted admirably of the Sorrentine Peninsula but a dish of Irish langoustine with cubes of Yorkshire chorizo, pepper purée and Australian finger lime on Spanish black rice was overly rich and thick. To conclude, the local larder shone through with a mini île flottante of raw milk ice cream, aromatic Ilkley Moor heather honey, bee pollen and clarified milk tea (poured tableside). Wine pairings are dutifully overseen by the sommelier, although a truncated by-the-glass selection doesn’t do justice to the kitchen’s ambitions. Cocktails, however, are expertly mixed and a fitting way to kick off the occasion.
3 Rosette Award for Culinary Excellence
Location
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