Celebrated table

The Dawnay Arms

Name: The Dawnay Arms
Address: Moor Lane, Newton-on-Ouse, North Yorkshire, YO30 2BR, York, GB
Telephone: 01347 848345

Martel Smith transformed this 1779 riverside pub into a Good Food Guide favourite, serving reliable modern British dishes like Whitby crab tian and game burgers in Newton-on-Ouse.

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The story

The Dawnay Arms York: Good Food Guide Pub Serving Modern British Classics by the Ouse

The Dawnay Arms in York serves modern British cooking on the banks of the river Ouse. Martel Smith stepped away from a career serving caviar and foie gras in Leeds to restore this village pub in 2007, choosing a casual approach over fine dining precision. His focus on honest flavours has earned the venue a Good Food Guide recognition and praise for offering "quality of food or classy informality" according to the Yorkshire Post.

The chef and the kitchen

Martel and Kerry Smith purchased the 1779 building in May 2007, taking on a property that had been closed for eighteen months. They refurbished the site with family assistance and reopened in September, applying Martel's high-kitchen experience to a modern British menu built on robust simplicity. He avoids culinary fireworks, concentrating on dishes that satisfy reliably. This steady hand keeps the kitchen standards high across seasonal shifts and daily specials added from the blackboard.

Standout dishes

A cohesive modern British selection starts with local catches, including a Whitby crab tian accompanied by avocado and pink grapefruit, and potted sea trout served with pickled lemon mayo. Mains feature rich textures such as a confit duck leg terrine with hoisin sauce, alongside herb roast chicken breast prepared with wild mushroom orzo. Game options highlight the region, with a local roe deer burger topped with Yorkshire blue cheese and onion marmalade. Desserts close the meal with a classic Bakewell tart poured with crème anglaise and a hot chocolate fondant alongside pistachio ice cream.

Room and atmosphere

Located in Newton-on-Ouse at the gates to Beningbrough Hall, the pub offers moorings where diners can arrive by boat and stay overnight. A large garden extends down to the river, providing picnic tables on the greensward for outdoor meals when the weather permits. The interior combines a snug bar heated by a log fire with a sunny restaurant space. The room shifts to a moodier tone at night, with candles and lamps illuminating chunky oak tables to preserve the warmth of the setting.

Recognition

Awards & accolades

2026

The Good Food Guide

Good

Details

At a glance

The Good Food Guide 2026 — Good

Cuisines Modern British

Services Bar, Dinner, Gastropub, Molecular Gastronomy, Outdoor Seating, Pets Allowed, Private Parties, Table Service, Wi-Fi

History

On the record

2026

The Good Food Guide — Good

Martel Smith spent his early career serving caviar and foie gras to the prosperous diners of Leeds before throwing in the tea towel to pursue his own venture in a village pub near York. In 2007, he and his wife Kerry restored the struggling Dawnay Arms on the banks of the river Ouse, turning his back on fine dining in favour of casual pub classics such as like steak and chips, pork belly and venison burgers – and he has been doing it successfully ever since. The pub is well placed in pretty Newton-on-Ouse, close to the entrance to the National Trust’s Beningbrough Hall. Picnic tables placed on the greensward overlooking the river, make for pleasant alfresco dining on temperate days. Indoors, the snug bar is warmed by a log fire, while the sunny restaurant has views (beyond the car park) to the river. At night it is moodily lit with candles and lamps on the chunky oak tables. A crowd-pleasing menu comes with additions from the blackboard. A spring dinner brought a liberal plate of thick-cut gravadlax served with a gently spiced mustard mayonnaise and a delightful, dark, seeded, beer bread. Smith bakes a good chicken, bacon and leek pie – in this case served with seasonal wild garlic mash, hispi cabbage and a welcome jug of gravy. Desserts take on the pub classics of sticky toffee pudding with vanilla ice cream, hot chocolate fondant and pistachio ice cream and a pitch-perfect Bakewell tart with crème anglaise. Don’t come here looking for fireworks. Smith provides reliable and pleasing dishes, and his cooking is all the better for it. Don’t tamper with a winning formula.

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Established

Location

Find us

Moor Lane, Newton-on-Ouse, North Yorkshire, YO30 2BR
York, United Kingdom
01347 848345
dine@thedawnay.co.uk
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