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Globally Inspired Modern Small Plates & Boards - Forde Ilkley, Ilkley, West Yorkshire

Forde Ilkley

4.6
4.6
50 Reviews
£26 to £40
British

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 p.m.
Booked 10 times today
  • Neighbourhood gem
  • Good for special occasions
  • Good for groups
Horsforth-born Matt Healy, known from MasterChef: The Professionals, is excited to announce he’s expanding with a new restaurant in Ilkley while continuing his work in Horsforth.

Matt’s ‘food to swear by’ brand has become a favourite in the Leeds dining scene, earning recognition with a 2024Michelin Plate for the 3rd consecutive year and a mention in The Good Food Guide. Now, he's bringing the same style of modern British cooking to Ilkley.

MasterChef judge Marcus Wareing once described Matt’s sauces as “some of the best he had ever tasted,” and Jay Rayner’s review in The Guardian simply stated, “Bloody hell, that’s good” (though not in those exact words).

With this new Ilkley opening, Matt and his experienced team are looking forward to serving up great food and service, both in Ilkley and back home in Horsforth.

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    £26 to £40
  • Cuisines
    British, Bar / Lounge / Bottle Service, Cocktail Bar
  • Hours of Operation
    Mon–Sat 12:00 pm–11:00 pm Lunch Sun 12:00 pm–8:00 pm
  • Phone number
    0113 210 0659
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Smart Casual
  • Executive Chef
    Matt Healy
  • Neighbourhood
    Ilkley
  • Cross Street
    South Hawksworth St
  • Parking details
    Public Lot
  • Public transit
    Train and Bus stops within short walking distance
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Beer Garden, Cafe, Chef's Table, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Counter Seating, Dog Friendly, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Gluten-free Options, Late Night, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Vegan, Wheelchair Access, Wine

What 50 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.6
4.6 based on recent ratings
  • 4.6Food
  • 4.7Service
  • 4.4Ambience
  • 4.4Value

NoiseEnergetic

Loved For

  • Yorkshire

    Innovative

  • Yorkshire

    British

  • West Yorkshire

    Innovative

  • West Yorkshire

    Neighbourhood gem

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Forde Ilkley offers a delightful dining experience with "excellent food" and a "relaxed atmosphere." Guests appreciate the "friendly staff" and "great service," though some desire more vegetarian options. The small plates are "perfect for sharing" and "delicious," with standout dishes like "duck and onion" and "Paprika pork." A "great addition to Ilkley!"

50 Reviews
  1. Lynn

    London

    3 reviews

    4.0

    3 reviews

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Lovely food and atmosphere. Great service. The menu just really needs more vegetable and plant based dishes to choose from. I’m not vegetarian or vegan but felt the menu choice of small plates lacked balance - so much protein that ultimately feels too heavy. Couldn’t take a vegetarian or a vegan for dinner here either as the options are so limited for them. Everything else about this restaurant is just perfect but more vegetables please as I like them and I’d then actually have some room for dessert!

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  2. OpenTable Diner

    Yorkshire

    1 review

    3.0

    1 review

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 2
    Disappointing. Tables too close together, no privacy. Couple on the next table had a dog which kept jumping up at our table. Hygiene standards poor, table not even wiped where the dog was . Not great

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  3. Paul

    Yorkshire

    6 reviews

    5.0

    6 reviews

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    First time here and it really didn't disappoint. We'll be back.

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  4. Tim

    Yorkshire

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined 7 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Excellent food, all prepared within sight in the most open kitchen. Small explained well, food came out at a good pace (not rushed) and excellent wine. All in all a fab meal for two

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  5. Steph

    Newcastle

    5 reviews

    5.0

    5 reviews

    Dined on February 16, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Fabulous vegetarian Sunday roast ( love the holly flower cheese) gorgeous wine, nice warm, modern, relaxed environment and attentive staff. Will be back soon - highly recommend

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  6. Lucy

    London

    1 review

    3.0

    1 review

    Dined on February 15, 2025

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 4
    Lovely ambience and service was ok but not given much guidance on how much to order and we had way too much and had to cancel a few dishes which they did let us do. Food was ok but lots of similar dishes, and not enough vegetable dishes so felt very heavy.

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  7. Philip

    Yorkshire

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on February 15, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Service was fantastic, staff very helpfull and pleasant , the menu was varied with good choices of dishes, service and food was excellent. Looking forward to our next visit. Phil and Julie

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  8. Robert

    Yorkshire

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on February 15, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Wanted to try out the new venue in ilkley and compare to Horsforth where we have been many times. Both as good as each other, should be a good addition to ilkley.

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  9. Alan

    Yorkshire

    4 reviews

    4.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on February 12, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We thoroughly enjoyed our evening at Forde. The welcome and service was first class, friendly, helpful and efficient. The atmosphere was lively, not over noisy and the layout is well thought out with everything centering around the bar / kitchen. We chose five dishes and all were good or better. We especially enjoyed the chicken; poached pear and blue cheese; and braised cabbage special. The chopped tomato on bread was good but not quite the Pan con Tomate in Spain and the Salmon was a bit overdone for our taste. Desserts of Creme Brulee and Affogato were very nice. Next time, we will probably settle for 4 dishes as although the portions are small plates, they vary in size. Best bet is to ask advice from the front of house manager who was excellent. Cocktails and wine went well with the food and the fact it was full on a Wednesday evening says a lot about how well it is viewed by locals. It's not cheap but good value for money. It was our first visit but we will certainly return.

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  10. Ian

    VIP

    Yorkshire

    15 reviews

    5.0

    15 reviews

    Dined on February 9, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Delicious Sunday lunch with great service. Forde never disappoints!

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FAQs

Forde Ilkley is rated 4.6 stars by 50 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 p.m.
Booked 10 times today
Google Map for Forde Ilkley

S Hawksworth St, Ilkley, West Yorkshire LS29 9LB

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Cross Street
    South Hawksworth St
  • Neighbourhood
    Ilkley
  • Hours of Operation
    Mon–Sat 12:00 pm–11:00 pm Lunch Sun 12:00 pm–8:00 pm
  • Price
    £26 to £40
  • Cuisines
    British, Bar / Lounge / Bottle Service, Cocktail Bar
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress code
    Smart Casual
  • Parking details
    Public Lot
  • Public transit
    Train and Bus stops within short walking distance
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive Chef
    Matt Healy
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Beer Garden, Cafe, Chef's Table, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Counter Seating, Dog Friendly, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Gluten-free Options, Late Night, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Vegan, Wheelchair Access, Wine
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