The Cow and Calf

Absolutely amazing location and perfect for sunday lunch with a nice long walk across the dales! I really recommend the cookie and ice cream dessert, was lovely!

This place is always bustling with customers, you just can’t beat the location! Simply a great spot to start or finish you walk on the Ilkley Moor! Solid food, standard pub, great outdoor seating, killer location!

Came here with some friends before a walk across the moor opposite. Stunning views, lovely staff and a great pint. Walkers and ramblers are welcome — there’s a great patio/​beer garden set infront of the pub with plenty of spaces to sit in the sun (although when the breeze picks up it is bracing)!
Busy across sunny weekends and bank holidays I expect.

I heard great things about this place so was super excited to try it. The food is mid-​to-​mediocre and the service was rubbish!
Feels very chain pub.

My wife and I stayed here for a long weekend. As others have commented, the food is great. Good potions, excellent selection and well presented — and above all tasty! The menu feels like it has had some thought put in to it and the offers provide something for everyone. The ‘Peanut Butter and Chocolate Cheesecake’ is a MUST!
The service is hit and miss. During busier times we found that the waiting staff seemed over stretched. At one point we were moved away from a table and asked to stand at the bar only to be moved back to the same table!

Mmmm… yum… Just thinking of this place makes me hungry!
I have been lots of times before, but my most recent visit was on Saturday. Me and my boyfriend took a casual jaunt to the countryside for a spot of lunch. I had steak, he had Moroccan nut roast. For dessert (oo– naughty!!) I had crème brûlée and he had apple pie. Could not fault the food or service. Staff were friendly and efficient to say it was so busy, and the seating is cosy and warm.
Also good for drinks, with lots to choose from including some interesting looking ales. The Cow and Calf is especially nice on a summers day when you can sit outside, but be warned, it does get busy, so pre book if you can.
All in all a good experience and I will be back!

Went for Sunday lunch a few weeks ago and it was ok but I have been to far better places in the Ilkley area and it is definitely not cheap. It does have one of the best views in the Wharfe Valley though.
Won’t be rushing back any time soon.

I revisited the Cow and Calf today, under more chillier climates, and again I am pleased to say I wasn’t disappointed. Normally as I previously stated I prefer to be outside, gawping out over the Cow and Calf rocks or at the very least looking out over some sort of greenery, but when it’s all foggy and grim there’s not much to look at except my own goosebumps brrr.
Stepping inside the doors of the Cow and Calf was like being given a right big cuddle by your mum. It was lovely. It was so warm and welcoming. Like the physical representation of those Ready Brek adverts from years ago.
We hit the bar and opted for a low level sloppy leather sofa, stripped ourselves down of our cold weather gear, and got all red faced and dopey eyed in the lovely warmth of the fab little pub. Being a Saturday night was something of a novelty too, there was a strange mix of regulars, trendy young couples, and families, all in harmony enjoying a drink and a meal, or one or the other, there was even one man and his dog, classic.
The winter warmer menu was just as tasty as the summer offering, and I’m happy to report that in all climates Cow and Calf delivers.

Out in what I would call ‘the sticks’ (being a city girl), lies the Cow and Calf Hotel. It is next to the Cow and Calf Rocks, a popular walking spot in Ilkley and so often plays host to hungry people looking for shelter, food and booze after a trek. Or people looking to stay in the beautiful country area for a few days or so.
The Cow and Calf is not just a hotel but also a pub restaurant. They have an open fire and some gorgeous lunch time specials to warm you up in the cold winter months, including vegetarian options. It’s traditional outside and interior décor, with lovely country views of the moors, makes you feel like you’re playing in a remake of a Bronte novel.
If you are just stopping for lunch, a meal and a pint will set you back around £10 which is really good value for money. If you are after a longer visit prices start from £59.95 pppn. Or they have a 3 nights for the price of 2 offer.