We try out the country’s only meatball restaurant – The Yorkshire Meatball Company
Do you think that we’re all a little quick to judge a restaurant the minute we walk in, before we’ve even clapped eyes on a plate of food? We’re all guilty of it, I suppose.
But if I think back to the most memorable places I’ve ever eaten Spanish food – the Mayors Restaurant in the village of Comares, high in the mountains above Malaga – or Italian food – a back street restaurant in the heart of Bologna – I still rave about them despite their poor, outdated decor. The locals certainly didn’t care, and neither did I.
It’s a thought I stumbled upon when I visited the country’s only meatball restaurant, The Yorkshire Meatball Company in Harrogate.
Located a hop, skip and jump away from the town’s central rail station, The Yorkshire Meatball Company is a dainty eatery with a quirky style. It’s trendy and modern but comfortable at the same time, a typical your-menu-is-your-placemat kind of place. Somewhere I’d classify as an ideal place to pick up some lunch while out shopping or having dinner before going to the cinema: great to grab a bite to eat but you maybe wouldn’t book a table of 10 for a family get-together.
Both my dining partner and I head straight for Original Standard Balls – three meatballs which I choose to 
come with mash, gravy and a Yorkshire Pudding. My dining partner opts for the couscous and mushroom pesto.
Priced a just £10, the Standard Balls represent great value for money. Both our lunches are good, but I can’t help feel that a little refining could take them to the next level. The mash is just a touch dry, the meatballs are slightly over-herbed, leaving the flavours of the meat to take a backseat, and the gravy lacks depth of flavour.
Is this a bit of style over substance? At the moment yes, but they are so so close, and I reiterate at £10 for lunch this is great value.
The Yorkshire Meat Ball Company is located on Station Bridge Harrogate and is open seven days a week from noon.
