York, British, Modern Restaurant Guide

“Breakfast never disappoints” at this artisanal deli and café in a former greengrocer’s where you’ll find “consistently good” snacks and brunch fare spanning sarnies and quirkier options (“like in New Zealand”). “Be prepared to table share” and don't miss the walled garden out back. The “charming” four-year-old Hemlsley spin-off is also a hit.

“A must-visit experience” – brave the queues which “move surprisingly fast” at this iconic tearoom, which turns out “great breakfast and brunch”, but really “stands head and shoulders above others when it comes to afternoon tea”. The latter features “traditionally clad waitresses and a range of old favourites (you “cannot beat a fat rascal”) in surroundings that seem dated but somehow are just what you want”.

“Never had a bad meal”, say fans of this “favourite” tiny bistro, off the Gillygate, serving “excellent ingredients prepared with some imagination”. It can feel “rather cramped inside”, though. Top Tip: “go for the garden room in summer, under the medieval city wall”.

To a striking extent, this recent addition to Richard Caring’s billion-dollar Caprice Holdings empire has generated very little enthusiasm and feedback last year – York seems to have yawned loudly, where in other towns folks have flocked in droves.

Andrew Pern’s gastropub offshoot from the Star Inn at Harome continues to inspire unusually mediocre feedback, with a majority of reports finding it severely “overrated” and with “OTT prices for the quality of the food”. Why, then, is it “very busy”? – it has a “lovely setting over the river” with “the best waterside terrace in the city (worth a visit for a drink if nothing else!)”

“A magnificent addition to York's burgeoning food scene” – “Tommy Banks does amazing things with the most simple of ingredients” (“how can anyone make a humble brassica such as kale so bloody tasty that we were all fighting over it?!”), at his family’s “converted pub, close to York city-centre”, which – in one short year – became the survey’s most-mentioned destination in this increasingly foodie town. “The intense flavours and imaginative combination of sometimes-unlikely ingredients are a delight” and “the wine to match is excellent, and very well thought out”. “Young, friendly, helpful and enthusiastic service” contributes to a highly impressive debut. “Get in quick, before the prices match those at his Black Swan in Oldstead!”. Top Menu Tip – “his best-known dish is the epic crapaudine beetroot, the beetroot cooked in beef fat”.

“The food is exceptional and the choice is not so large that you are left bewildered” at Adam & Lovaine Humphrey’s “little” 18-seater, where you choose either a conventional two-course or three-course meal, or go for a five-course taster selection. “The excellent short menu is happily low on cheffy tricks but very long on accomplished and flavoursome cooking, and with well-suited wine matches”. The end of the meal is a highlight: an “outstanding cheese board” and “an amazingly generous selection of treats (ice cream cones, Turkish delight, jellies, donuts, chocolates…)”. “The ambience can be a little underwhelming” but it’s enlivened by the “lovely” service.

2019 Review: 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”.

“Part of York’s culinary renaissance, in the heart of the town, on Walmgate” – Josh & Victoria Overington’s “intimate”, “small” venture again put in one of the strongest performances in this culinarily up-and-coming town. “Josh has his eye on the ball and continues to excel” with his “properly impressive” tasting menu: “full of invention with truly gorgeous flavours” using “hyper-seasonal ingredients”; and “at a decent price, too”. “The knowledge of the front of house team compliments all that is done in the kitchen, they know exactly what they are serving you; and the choice of wines is extraordinary – if you decide to take the wine flight then rest assured you will have an elevated dining experience”. Top Menu Tip – “The boudin noir macron is a thing of joy”.

“Very reliable” through three decades, Michael & Lucy Hjort’s modern British venue near the city walls has a “fantastic menu” – including a “lovely selection of experimental hors d’oeuvres”. “More flashy and fashionable restaurants come and go in York, but Melton’s consistency, excellent locally sourced food and fabulous wine list make it a favourite.” Local lad Michael trained under the Roux brothers before heading home. He also owns the Walmgate Ale House and is the long-time artistic director of the York Food Festival.

With its “lovely, old, grandiose atmosphere”, the NT’s William & Mary country pile is a “beautiful place to eat in high-ceilinged dining rooms” and its cooking is consistently well-rated, if seldom plugged as being terrifically exciting. Top Tip – “lovely surroundings for an excellent afternoon tea: really spoiling”.