Restaurant review: A taste of heaven at The Glen View Inn at Todmorden

Well I believe I may have found it, tucked away in a little corner of the Yorkshire town of Todmorden.

Just a stone’s throw from the border with Cliviger as you leave the borough of Burnley, the Glen View Inn is situated in the hamlet of Portsmouth on the main road before you head into the centre of Tod.This unassuming little pub has been renowned for its excellent home cooked food for decades. Family owned and run the Glen View is a traditional pub with two individual dining rooms and a cosy bar where regulars give you a warm welcome. It attracts diners from across all over and its name is well known in Burnley.

I first dined at his pub several years ago on a trip home from Eureka in Halifax and since then I have become a regular. For our latest visit I was joined by my partner Ian and my son Robbie as a treat for his upcoming 17th birthday. I usually opt for the cheese and onion pie so this time I decided to go for something different and chose a traditional roast beef and Yorkshire pudding from the specials board. And I was not disappointed. I was served with three very generous slices of tender beef accompanied by the Yorkshire, roast and mashed potatoes and a generous helping of vegetables including carrots, broccoli, mixed cabbage and garden peas. The veg was served separately rather than all being piled on the plate, which often puts me off.

As a burger lover there was only one choice for Robbie and that was the Glen View rump burger which he devoured. As he is used to take-away burgers this was a real revelation for him! Accompanied by thick cut chips and onion rings he cleared the plate. Ian opted for the 80z Sirloin steak served with egg, mushrooms, chips and onion rings. It was quite a plateful but he managed it and declared the steak was cooked exactly as requested. Tempted by the desserts I chose apple crumble and custard and both Ian and Robbie went for the sticky toffee pudding with ice cream. Traditional puds don’t come much better than this. The meal was rounded off with a coffee for me. Although the menu is heavily meat based at the Glen View there is a good selection of vegetarian meals and also a children’s menu.

A diner on another table was tucking into the famous Glen View Grill, served on a silver platter with rump steak, Cumberland sausage, gammon, black pudding, mushrooms, two eggs, onion rings and chips. I’m sure he received a little round of applause when he polished off the lot.

Other favourites on the menu include mince and onion pie, steak pie, lamb and mint pudding and a variety of gammon and fish dishes. Braised steak and onions is also a popular dish along with braised Lamb Henry. And of course there is always a specials board and a good selection of starters.

Gaynor, the owner, runs a tight ship at the Glen View and staff are friendly and work hard. We didn’t have to wait long for our food and it was all served piping hot. And of course one of the most important things to ask, is the meal value for money? Most definitely yes. The bill came in at just under £60 and we all agreed it was worth every penny.