The Fox

Firstly, let me emphasise that this is NOT a Beefeater now, so title should just be The Fox.
Called 6pm when it was fairly quiet. Greeted by a pleasant young lady, who spoilt the initial delight by saying ‘Are you alright ?’ ‘Good evening Sir’ would be much better, or even just ‘Hello’. But she was a friendly and pleasant host, so I will forgive the discretion. I ordered a pint of Leeds Pale, as I prefer to drink standard bitter if I’m driving, but for connoisseurs there was the ubiquitous Taylor’s Landlord. Indeed the pub will shortly host a Taylor tasting evening with a brewer from the brewery (in nearby Keighley) attending. (I was brought up just 200yds form this brewery).
anyway on to the food. A good choice of starters and mains on the menu, supplemented by several specials. Kellie reeled of the specials to me, though she had them written down.
I decided to start with Cornish sardines, which were served on a toasted baguette which have first been adorned with grilled tomato, red pepper and onions. Very tasty.
For main I had ‘Four hour roasted shoulder of lamb’ though I ascertained I would not have to wait four hours for it to arrive. The lamb was also excellent and came with choice of mash or new potatoes, a side dish of seasonal vegetables, neither too hard or too soft, and a rich gravy with a hint of tomato and garlic. One small slip up was no mint sauce, only an inferior mint jelly that to me had seen little mint! Cost, with the beer £22.90.
But the whole was a pleasant experience, and I will return.
Edit 9^th November 2011. Well I said Id be back. Place was packed at 7pm and they struggled to find me a table without pre booking, but did so. Had a pint of Landlord (Unfortunately served in a Leeds Brewery Glass), and just a main course £3.40, two really nice Sea Bass fillets on a bed of New Potatoes, Peas, Beans, Fennel (a touch hard), the whole in a cream sauce, the whole very enjoyable (£16.50). Maybe a bit expensive but still 4 stars.

On a perfect weekend to go exploring ont moors lass, I headed like an intrepid explorer to the quite lush village of Menston. The ducks wear wellies here you know, good job with the rain we get.
As a stop off, and a regular one too, it’s the turn of the Fox.
This is a great pub. Simple as that. It’s an impressive stone building and equally beautiful inside. With the feel of a big roaming farm house or even small stately home (at a push), it’s got a big fire and lots of wood. I’m a fan of lots of wood, it screams importance to me. Maybe I’ve watched Anchorman too many times though.
You’ll also get real ales, just the way you like them. You’ll also get some excellent wines too and it’s a real all rounder.
As for the food, excellent. This is better than your usual pub affair. We’re talking high end, good quality meats, fish and vegetarian dishes. It’s not cheap but it’s a class act and worth the extra.
If you’re looking to impress, the Fox will deliver.

The Fox (no hounds) is an upmarket yet unpretentious pub in Menston that does what it should without any fuss.
The interior is lowly-​lit and intimate with an understated modern design which gives the place a hushed atmosphere without detracting from its social qualities.
I visited on a weekday evening for food (they serve until 10PM) rather than booze, but I was impressed by the eclectic range of beers I noticed (Black Sheep, Peroni, Staropramen etc). Even more impressive was the food I was served (rump steak with peppercorn) — it was uncomplicated, like the rest of the pub, but it was downright delicious. In short, it felt cooked, rather than microwaved, something you don’t always find in pubs nowadays.
They offer the pub classics you’d expect, but also more classier, expensive options, meaning that the Fox succeeds in being both a pub and a restaurant at the same time. And the beer garden is great.