A Georgian gentleman’s residence and next-door Carolean town house combine as one hotel on cobbled Frenchgate. It enters the Guide this year on the recommendation of a Guide stalwart who received a ‘friendly greeting from a young receptionist’. A comfortable single room had a ‘small, modern en suite’ with Swedish power shower. Other refurbished rooms have, variously, a bath, or bath and walk-in shower, a solid oak four-poster, views to the River Swale. Downstairs, there is ‘a smallish lounge and bar area, a Georgian dining room with 18 covers at candlelit tables’. Owners David and Luiza Todd ensure ‘it’s a place which cares passionately about the quality of its food’, and chef Lisa Miller clearly ‘knows her craft’. A ‘superb’ dinner was ‘original but not pretentious, not too pricey’. There were ‘good olives, an amuse-bouche of thick tomato soup with basil oil, plus a pre-dessert of lemon posset with pine-nut crumble’. Main courses include roast loin of Swaledale lamb, potato dauphinoise, peas, broad beans, girolles, Iberico ham. Service is ‘attentive and friendly’. Breakfast delivers ‘freshly squeezed juice’, smoked haddock, home-baked bread. (Robert Gower, A and CR)