York Restaurant Guide

A “great concept, expertly executed” – Josh & Victoria Overington’s “superb” venture provides some of “the best high-end dining in York”. “Josh is rightly lauded for his food” – “unique, experimental, fun, complicated, very intelligent” – and the format is that you get what you are given (which changes between days, and even between tables on the same sitting) from a four-course or eight-course menu. To accompany, there is an “exciting”, “fairly priced wine list with huge number of wines by the glass” presided over by Vicky. “It’s limited by its small space, but they try hard” and the whole experience is “ungimmicky” and shows “remarkable attention to detail”.

A “great little wine bar with exceptional wines, personal service and tasty nibbles” – this three-year-old venture offers simple food (sharing platters, charcuterie, cheeses) to help soak up its vinous offerings. Top Tip: “the ‘Pairing Wine Flights’ matching food with wine are a fab concept and fun to experiment with”.

This “utterly reliable destination in a terrace house just outside the city walls” (towards the racecourse) has been a “local restaurant of choice” for almost 30 years. “Often forgotten amongst the new openings in York, it remains one of the best addresses in the city, with great food and intelligent wines”. Chef-proprietor Michael Hjort trained with the Roux Brothers in the 1980s before returning to his home city; he is now part of the gastronomic establishment as director of York Food Festival and owner of the Walmgate Ale House and, most recently, the Chopping Block above it.

“Everyone who visits York goes to the iconic Betty’s” – so “be prepared to queue” – but everyone also agrees that it’s “always worth the wait”, with its “lovely baked goods and treats to buy in the shop and a fabulous afternoon tea with a good selection of cakes and speciality brews. Highly recommend!” Or “proper leaf tea and a fat rascal completes a memorable brunch”.

Not everyone vibes with the decor, or often, by extension, the overall experience of this ambitious yearling “occupying the premises of the much lamented La Langhe” (RIP). What is “a lovely, very peaceful setting with abstract art on the walls” to some tastes is plain “strange” to others. But “even if it’s bonkers decor, what matters is the food”, and – be if from the à la carte or the tasting menu – “blimey does it deliver (“the styling’s a bit cold, but the cooking’s red hot!”)”… or at least that’s the majority verdict. The downbeat view is that the dishes are “bland” and “don’t stand out”, but even critics concede that the “excellent cheese ‘chariot’ with a unique selection of side, is exceptional” – “described at the table by Chef/Patron Adam Humphrey for whom it is a genuine passion. Save a space for the huge selection of petit fours that Willy Wonka himself would be proud of”.

“Housed in beautiful, old premises with stunning period decor” – this “relaxed” yearling provides “a lovely choice of coffees, breakfast dishes and cakes to die for” plus counter salads and some more interesting options; on Thursday and Friday nights, the menu steps up a further gear.

The “ultra-traditional” wood-panelled dining room of this handsome William & Mary country pile, now owned by the National Trust and operated as a hotel, is the perfect setting for a “civilized lunch”, with “food and service that match the splendid surroundings”. “A must for dining when visiting York”, or just drop in for afternoon tea.