If there’s one thing York has, it’s plenty of good places to eat. York hotels, pubs and restaurants will tantalise your taste buds whether your preference is for traditional British pub food or something a little more exotic and far flung, such as Thai or Turkish cuisine.
Pubs
For a quick snack or a full meal you can’t beat good British pub food and Stonegate Yard Bar and Brasserie has it all with snacks like potato wedges with salsa and sour cream dip or the full Stonegate Platter with barbecue ribs and breaded chicken. Traditional pub dining doesn’t get any better than that offered at the Royal Oak on Goodramgate where you’ll find starters of Pan Fried Black Pudding or Ballantine of Rabbit and Streaky Bacon. The Royal Oak is open for both lunch and evening diners.
Cafes and Tea Rooms
Quick stops and rapid refreshments make shopping trips go with a swing and York offers intrepid bargain hunters many such resting places. Betty’s Cafe and Tea Rooms in St. Helen’s Square is renowned for its delicious cakes and friendly service whilst Cafe Harlequin on King’s Square prides itself on its first class coffee and locally sourced produce. For those who like to keep in touch on the move, the Blue Fly Cafe Bar and Internet Lounge serves food, tea and coffee in its two bars and sheltered outside area on New Street.
English Restaurants
Theatre lovers will enjoy dining on modern British classics such as salmon fishcakes or a Yorkshire roast whilst sitting amongst the theatre memorabilia that is the decor of the Tanglewood Restaurant on Malton Road. The Piano Bar and Restaurant, with its elegant and original architecture, specialises in seafood and game, whilst Nineteen Restaurant, housed in one of the oldest buildings in York that dates back to the fifteenth century, offers a selection of vegetarian dishes along with fish, poultry and meat dishes.
Thai Restaurants
Delicious, real Thai food prepared by Thai chefs is the proud boast of the Sangthai restaurant at Escrick in York, using the finest imported ingredients for the real taste of Thailand. Alternatively, Siam House on Goodramgate offers a Thai inspired decor where visitors have enjoyed Thai cuisine for ten years. For curries, rice and noodles served in the Thai tradition, a visit to Thida Thai Cuisine on George Hudson Street also offers Thai beers and wines.
European Restaurants
Fish lovers will enjoy a meal at the Blue Bicycle Restaurant, overlooking the River Foss and on the site of a turn-of-the-century house of ill repute. This unique restaurant tempts the palette with such delicacies as marinated fillet of salmon with ginger and lime, or pan-fried fillet of halibut. Alternatively, try Kapadokya on George Hudson Street, an authentic Turkish restaurant specialising in open charcoal cooking of grills and kebabs. Lovers of French or Italian cuisine will enjoy the dining experience in The Olive Tree restaurant on Tower Street, where locally sourced ingredients such as lamb, beef and game are turned into classic interpretations of first class European dishes.
Whatever the occasion when you’re looking to eat out in York, whether it’s a quick bite to eat on a shopping trip, a night out for a big celebration or a romantic dinner for two, York has just the atmosphere and menu to make dining out an often-repeated pleasure.
