The result is a tasting menu that feels ambitious but, importantly, personal.

The Box Tree has been part of Ilkley’s culinary story since 1962, and it has quite a history to live up to.

In 1977, it became one of the first restaurants outside London to be awarded two Michelin stars, later holding a single star for many years under Simon and Rena Gueller before losing it in 2019.

Now, following a £500,000-plus refurbishment, the Yorkshire institution has reopened with a brand-new tasting menu and a new chapter to write.

And it is clear the Box Tree has managed to move forward without losing what made it special in the first place.

There is plenty of money evident in the refurbishment, but little of it feels ostentatious. It’s polished and undeniably upmarket, yet still cosy and inviting, with something distinctly Yorkshire about it. For all the change, the Box Tree still feels like itself.

The Box Tree, Ilkley. | Jonathan Gawthorpe

placeholder image — The Box Tree, Ilkley. | Jonathan Gawthorpe

At the centre of the new chapter is chef patron Brayden Davies, who, at just 28, is bringing his own perspective to one of the region’s most established restaurant names.

Originally from Western Australia, Davies has worked in some serious kitchens, including The Raby Hunt and Northcote, as well as alongside Shaun Rankin at Grantley Hall.

His cooking brings together his Australian roots with modern European techniques and a strong focus on Yorkshire produce. There are influences from further afield too, but they never feel forced - they simply add another layer.

The result is a tasting menu that feels ambitious but, importantly, personal.

At £95 a head for the nine-course menu, this is firmly in special-occasion territory. But from the moment we sat down, there was a sense that this wasn't simply food designed to look impressive on a menu. The details had been thought through.

The £80 sommelier’s selection was another highlight, beginning with a 2017 Nyetimber Blanc de Blancs from West Sussex - crisp and fresh - and moving through New Zealand Pinot Noir, Italian Vermentino and Chianti Classico before finishing with a Californian Black Muscat.

We started with the Box Tree Phoenix, a cocktail built around Yorkshire Heather Honey and Papa Salt Coastal Gin, with a kick of pepper. It taps neatly into the hot honey trend, balancing a gentle heat with a refreshing sweetness. The result was just the right amount of fiery without overpowering the drink - warming on the finish, but still crisp and incredibly easy to drink.

For my partner, who doesn’t drink, there was just as much thought given to what was in his glass.

He was served a non-alcoholic Negroni, espresso martini and Aperol Spritz, followed by a Danish sparkling tea. It was a far cry from being handed a couple of bottles of sparkling water and left to fend for himself. The alternatives felt like part of the experience rather than an afterthought, giving him something interesting to enjoy alongside each course.

The meal began with three immaculately presented courses arriving together: the Arbroath smokie brandade, chicken liver parfait with Yorkshire raspberry and crispy skin, and raw Westholme Wagyu with blue masa taco and beetroot.

The Arbroath smokie brandade, chicken liver parfait with Yorkshire raspberry and crispy skin, and raw Westholme Wagyu with blue masa taco and beetroot. | Nina Swift

Together, they were a real highlight - three very different dishes, flavours and textures, each looking more like a work of art than something you were about to eat. The sharpness of the Yorkshire raspberry cut through the rich, silky liver perfectly, adding a bright, fruity contrast to the delicate parfait.

The BBQ damper bread was my partner’s favourite, and probably the clearest expression yet of the Australian influence running through the menu.

It felt like a fun, nostalgic taste of home: warm damper bread served with a miniature pot of Vegemite, ready to be spread over the warm bread where it melted into the surface. Watching it happen was, quite simply, absolute cinema.

Even the bread course felt carefully considered and expertly executed, a small detail, but one that set the tone for the meal.

The Isle of Wight tomato was astonishingly fresh, with a wonderfully green, just-picked quality, the kind of flavour that transported you straight to a warm greenhouse. Paired with local goat’s curd and roasted sesame, it was clean, bright and elegantly simple.

Then came one of my favourite courses of the evening: the hand-dived scallop.

Beautifully rich and luxurious, the sweetness of the English corn was balanced by the smoky depth of the Alsace bacon. The shrimp added another layer of flavour, making it an indulgent little mouthful that felt both delicate and deeply satisfying.

The local Mangalitza pork was another carefully composed dish, with a wonderful range of textures and flavours in every mouthful. The pork itself was incredibly tender and almost melted, while the kohlrabi and girolles brought earthy, autumnal flavours to the dish.

As with everything else, it looked almost too beautiful to disturb.

I love cheese, so when a cheese course is more than a few chunky slabs and claggy, dry biscuits, it’s always a joy.

Here, the Yarlington was rich, soft and velvety, with the Jarrah honey bringing a beautiful hit of sweetness. The sweet, oaty Anzac biscuit was another cheeky nod to the chef’s Australian roots, adding a little taste of home to a much more thought-out cheese course.

And then came dessert - and I’m a pudding girl, so this was always going to be important.

It didn't disappoint.

The Scottish blackberry, fig leaf and single plantation chocolate was rich, decadent and luxurious, bringing the meal to a suitably indulgent finish.

It was followed by a selection of petit fours, including a homemade passion fruit chocolate shaped like a pair of lips, a playful final flourish to round things off.

The service deserves a mention, too. The staff were attentive without ever being overbearing, and impressively knowledgeable about both the food and the drinks. There was a real confidence in the way each course was explained, which added to the feeling that every detail had a purpose.

And then there is Davies himself. At just 28, his level of cooking is remarkable. He clearly knows his stuff, but more than that, you can see how passionate he is about what he is creating. There is a real sense of pride in the food and a confidence in his own style.

That passion comes through on the plate. The cooking is technically accomplished, but it never feels like technique for technique’s sake - there is always a reason behind it. For a young chef to be producing food at this level, in a restaurant with this much history behind it, is seriously impressive.

What stayed with me was how successfully the new menu manages to give the Box Tree a sense of its own identity without losing sight of what came before.

There are clear Australian influences, Yorkshire ingredients, modern European techniques and plenty of luxurious produce, but the menu doesn't feel like a collection of ideas competing for attention. There is a thread running through it.

And perhaps that is the biggest test of a reopening like this: can you move a restaurant forward without losing its soul?

The Box Tree seems to have done exactly that.

The refurbishment has brought the dining room into a new era, while retaining the character that has made the restaurant special for generations. And with Davies bringing his own ideas to a kitchen with this much history, there is a sense that this isn't simply a revival, it is the beginning of something new.