Review: Middletons Hotel and 1711 at The Judge's Lodging

As we walked up the pathway to reception, we couldn’t help but notice the beautiful architecture of the property, whose rooms are spread across six different buildings; Lady Anne House, Cromwell House, Chaplin House, Sir Joseph Terry Cottages, No.56 Skeldergate and The Organ Factory.

Having been greeted by a very pleasant receptionist who checked us in quickly and explained we were in Lady Anne House, we decided to drop our bags off and head back down to the bar for a glass of wine.

Middletons Hotel in York

The room we were staying in was immaculately decorated and very spacious, with a plush bathroom.

The hotel had left out quite a large assortment of snacks for us to enjoy, including crisps, biscuits, nuts and chocolate. We headed to the bar area, ordered ourselves two large wines and decided to sit on the terrace to enjoy the sunshine and have a good old chat.

After a couple more glasses we went back to the room to freshen up before heading out for dinner – the hotel had arranged for us to eat at the opulent 1711 restaurant just a short walk away in Lendal.

1711 is part of The Judge's Lodging and serves two AA Rosette award-winning food. You dine in opulent Georgian surroundings and it’s perfect for an intimate meal. It’s located in the upstairs part of the building, with the downstairs being The Cellar Bar which was certainly bustling when we arrived at 7.30pm.

Canapes at 1711

We stepped inside 1711 and immediately knew this was going to be a real treat – our server couldn’t have been lovelier or more accommodating; she showed us to our table in the tranquil dining room and talked us through the culinary feast we were about to enjoy.

What followed was one of the best meals of my life – and I write that with no hyperbole. To start with we were served the requested chilled bottle of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc and were presented with mouth-watering canapes.

Then the starters arrived; my guest, who is a vegetarian, opted for French onion soup and I went for venison carpaccio – both of which were delicious.

Inside 1711 at The Judges Lodgings in York

After a short pause the mains were brought out, five spice Gochujang duck and spinach tagliatelle. Again, both dishes were heavenly. Being greedy, we’d also spied the thick-cut chips so ordered a portion each to boot.

We then asked for a short pause while we had a chat, enjoyed the wine and let our food digest – although we knew we’d have to indulge in dessert having seen the menu.

We both opted for sticky toffee pudding – again, a treat for the tastebuds. But that’s not where it ended, we were then presented with our final dish, exquisite petit fours.

All of the portions were the perfect size (we really didn’t need those chips), served at a perfect temperature and there was no delay in them being brought out for our consumption.

As a dining experience 1711 far exceeded my expectations – you must visit. Feeling full and very happy, we decided to toast the occasion with a glass of champagne before heading back to Middletons.

Although York has so much to offer, we really just wanted to go back to the hotel to continue chatting and enjoy our surroundings.

Inside Middletons Hotel in York

After a few more glasses of wine and having put the world to rights, we went to bed.

There was no noise to be heard from outside and we had a great night’s sleep.

Although we had booked for breakfast in the morning, we were both still stuffed from the night before and decided to just enjoy the complimentary tea and coffee in the room before getting ready.

Our check-out was, like check-in, nice and quick and we both made our respective ways home.

Middletons is a fantastic place to stay in York – the venue is stunning and the staff are simply fantastic.