Laurissa Heywood, in partnership with her husband Tom Heywood (former head chef of The Rattle Owl), is a co-owner and sommelier at Pignut, a new restaurant in Helmsley.
Insights
Highlights
Insights are still being generated for this restaurant. In the meantime, check the latest reviews below.
My partner booked The Pignut & Hare for my birthday so we could stay over and enjoy the tasting menu, and it was a really special experience from start to finish.
We had the six course tasting menu and although we briefly considered adding more, there honestly wasn’t any need. It was the perfect amount and every course was wonderful.
The attention to detail really stood out. Even the dishes the food was served on felt handmade and thoughtfully chosen, and each course was explained beautifully. You can tell a lot of care has gone into every element of the experience.
It’s a small place with only four rooms and around ten tables, which makes it feel intimate and cosy. The whole place feels like a warm hug. The owners are very present and clearly passionate about what they’re building, which adds to the atmosphere.
They only took the place over mid last year but are already making a real mark. It will be exciting to see how things develop from here.
Larissa was particularly warm and friendly and struck exactly the right balance of attentiveness without ever feeling over the top.
The room was also lovely, with a very comfortable bed and a fabulous bath which made the stay even better.
I don’t usually leave reviews, but this felt like a place worth supporting. Good luck with everything you’re building, although we have a feeling you won’t need it.
Outstanding! We decided to stay overnight aswell as have the tasting menu and the full experience was superb. The staff/ quality of the food and comfort of the room was amazing and a gem. Well worth the visit. Oh and the breakfast on a morning is beautiful!
5
We had a beautiful stay here and enjoyed dinner as well. The room was cosy and classy.
Dinner was absolutely amazing, each course is full of flavour and so well put together. Breakfast was also delicious. Will certainly return.
5
We had the great pleasure in staying for the night at this superb new(ish) restaurant with rooms. We hadn’t been before and thought it looked really interesting; but we didn’t expect that it would turn out to be one of the best dining experiences either of us can remember. The imaginative and unique menu is executed with tremendous skill, with this being showcased perfectly by the warm and friendly front of house team (with a log fire to boot). A couple of courses in, we were saying this definitely deserves a star. By the end we were convinced it’s already one of the best restaurants in the north of England. The room was lovely (with a bath described by my better half as a huge hug). The wine list was really interesting and unique, being focused on sustainability. Overall a 10 out of 10 and we would not hesitate to recommend. It’s way better than “a restaurant without distinction” and definitely, definitely deserves a star. We’re already planning to go back with others. Will keep my fingers crossed for them in February. A wonderful treat to start the year.
A quick update. It was so good that we succumbed to temptation and took the rest of our family back for lunch (that was our excuse anyway). Even though we’d been just a few weeks before, the menu was quite different and had changed with the seasons (eg forced rhubarb as well as various other delightful surprises). I can’t do it justice but it’s outstanding all round: the vision, the ethos, the atmosphere, the attention to detail, the warmth of the hospitality and (definitely) the food. Fabulous.
5
Wonderfully charming small restaurant with rooms. Delicious and innovative cooking and top quality service from a husband and wife team. The accommodation is really high quality too. Must visit!
