Gimbals

A mesmerising neighbourhood bistro in Sowerby Bridge. Run by talented husband and wife team, Simon and Janet Baker, this playfully eclectic restaurant has a Spanish bent – think fig, Serrano ham and melted taleggio bon bons with a Pedro Ximenez dressing – but you’ll also find Persian and North African influence in dishes such as spiced lamb kofta with a cashew nut pesto. True, it doesn’t hang together on the page, but in real life there’s a sense of a chef having fun. Dishes are nothing but surprising and generous; a trio of (not so) Petites Desserts, for example, could include apple and Pedro Ximenez raisin turnover, a sharp lemon tart and fragrant mango sorbet. Décor soars beyond quirky (gilt mirrors, flags, disco balls) and ceramic birds flutter among gaggles of regulars. To drink, hand-harvested Hebridean kelp is signature botanical in the Isle of Harris gin; take the opportunity to sprinkling extra ‘sugar kelp’ water into your G&T for an out of body (and out of Sowerby Bridge) experience at this one-off in the Calder Valley.