I ate lunch at a small market town restaurant near Leeds that changes its menu monthly

Stepping inside Maybe Later feels like stepping inside a Disney film. By this I mean there is a touch of magic in the walls. Every scene setting detail feels carefully considered from the vintage style decor to the gentle jazz music. It seems like it’s designed by an animator who has spent hours on their craft to create an intimate and comforting atmosphere. The lovely staff add to this too - they’re attentive and kind and know their script like the back of their hand. There’s certainly something enchanting about this place.

On Thursdays to Saturdays, Maybe Later offers a lunch deal where you can buy two courses for £20 or three courses for £25. With a menu filled with exciting dishes inspired by French and Italian cuisine, you’re likely to be tempted to indulge in starters, mains, and desserts. However, there is no issue if you have a tighter budget and a lighter stomach and therefore choose to share courses.

For a starter, we opted to try the melanzane fritte because we had no idea what it actually was. What arrived to the table was a bowl full of bite-zed fried aubergine pieces doused in basil, tomato, and garlic mayo. I’d never had anything like this before so was skeptical, fearful that I’d ordered a starter that I wouldn’t be able to finish. However, as soon as I took the first bite, every fear subsided. It was absolutely delicious. Each mouthful, though difficult to get onto a fork as the pieces are so small, had a gentle yet delightful crunch and the flavours blended fantastically together.

The melanzane fritte was the perfect warm up for the main course. Yet what to pick for mains was a difficult choice because there are so many interesting options to choose from. What is exciting about the Maybe Later menu is that dishes are often familiar but the flavouring is out of the ordinary. Why not try pistachio on your pizza? Crab in your risotto? The choices are far from mundane.

We decided to try the bavette steak with a tomato salad and fries and the gnocchi with cheddar leaks and crispy onions. The bavette steak, served medium rare, particularly was laid out so beautiful on the plate that you feel somewhat wrong for tucking in. However, any guilt disappears when you realise how tasty it is. It was tender and warm and cooked to perfection. The chips on the side were soft and salty and the ideal extra to counter the steak.

The trouble was that though my dish tasted good, so did my plus one’s. The cheddar leeks and onion flavouring meant the gnocchi tasted like an ideal comfort dish - the exact meal you want when the seasons change and it starts to get cold outside. Myself and my plus one ended up doing the classic restaurant bargain trading chips for pasta pieces and steak slices for sauce.

Though the first two courses were fantastic, I would definitely recommend saving room for dessert. We chose to try a black forest brownie, rich in flavour yet soft in the middle. The black forest sauce added a sharp fruity flavour to this classic pudding and made it exciting while ice cream on top ensured it wasn’t too hot. The brownie itself was firm outside but melted in the middle, exactly how any great brownie should be.

Maybe Later choose to change their menu every single month so that they can use seasonal ingredients and challenge their kitchen to try new things. It is a shame to know that if I return to Maybe Later, I may be unable to have the exact same dishes I fell in love with. However, I love the ever-growing innovation where a familiar local restaurant can continue to surprise you. I trust whatever will be on offer next month will taste as equally as great.

The name Maybe Later suggests a laissez faire style of dining, come and go when you can. However, I wouldn’t wait long to book a table at this must-go destination.

If you’re a local to Wetherby and looking for a fantastic lunch for two or three or four, my advice is this: head to Maybe Later as soon as you can.