Joe and Elizabeth McDermott have breathed new life into what was a run-down boozer in the heart of Ilkley. The original stone-flagged floors, big open fires and beams remain, but the interior now comes with flashes of kitsch – standard lamps with frilly shades, for example. There’s also a whiff of nostalgia about the menu, although old faithfuls are given an enterprising twist. A smokehouse out back does its job and the kitchen garden is in good shape: taste the results in a cracking platter of home-cured charcuterie (smoked sausage, rillettes etc) with pickles and delicious home-baked sourdough bread. To follow, Spanish pork, chicken and chickpea stew is an earthy, wholesome plateful, but leave room for the chocolate and hazelnut truffle cake or sticky toffee pudding. ‘The Taps’ also serves up pints of well-kept Timothy Taylor Landlord, and there’s an affordable choice of wines too