10 Great Restaurants in York

Ate O’Clock is a family-run restaurant in the heart of York, where all the clocks are set to eight. It’s tucked away down an alleyway, with flagstone floors under your feet and fairy lights overhead. This dog-friendly eatery has a contemporary vibe with plenty of exposed brick, banquette seating and a cosy courtyard.

The extensive menu’s packed with crowd-pleasing dishes such as slow-cooked pork belly, braised lamb shank, sticky toffee pudding and crème brûlée. Dedicated menus cater for vegans, vegetarians and those requiring a gluten-free diet.

Guy Fawkes Inn, located close to York Minster, is a candlelit restaurant with wooden floors and bags of character. The menu changes with the seasons but you can expect pub grub elevated by fine-dining flair.

The building housing this restaurant was the birthplace of Fawkes, who headed up the plot to blow up the English parliament in 1605. More than 4 centuries later, there’s a knowing nod to the past in menu classifications such as Light the Fuse, Start the Fire and Let it Burn.

The Blue Barbakan showcases predominantly Polish food with a nod to other Eastern European cuisines. This comfortable, rustic restaurant is the place to come if you’re longing for pan-fried pierogi (dumplings) or you want to fill up on a hearty bowl of bigos (hunter’s stew). 

But you’ll also find dishes from beyond Poland’s borders such as borscht, Wiener schnitzel or potato pancakes accompanied by Hungarian beef goulash. The emphasis is on fresh, tasty food. All dishes are prepared from scratch and cooked on the premises.

The Whippet Inn is a successful steak and alehouse renowned for its Yorkshire hospitality. Beef shines on the menu, as evidenced by the aged ribeye, fillet and T-bone steaks or the perennially popular Sunday roasts. However, it’s not the sole protagonist – try a flavourful ham hock starter or a main of roasted monkfish.

Round off your meal with panna cotta, chocolate delice, or a board filled with local varieties of cheese. If you’re too full to squeeze in a 3rd course, you might opt for the chefs’ happy ending and show your appreciation for the kitchen with a dedicated tip.

Le Cochon Aveugle specialises in French cuisine. The name translates as “the blind pig”, which provides a clue to the menu. Chef Josh Overington oversees a single blind tasting menu and permits no substitution.

Overington’s wife, Victoria, is the sommelier responsible for pairing some of the world’s finest wines, which you’ll also find at the couple’s nearby wine bar, Cave du Cochon.

Skosh serves modern British cuisine with Asian and Middle Eastern influences in a Grade II-listed city centre property. The vibe is informal and eclectic. There’s an emphasis on small portions and shareability, encouraging choice and variety.

The menu changes frequently, but among the inventive plates on the table, you might find lovage flatbread with Yorkshire pecorino fresco and pickled lemon, Lindisfarne oysters served with a piquant cucumber and jalapeño granita, or mackerel and smoked eel with kohlrabi, oyster cream, lime and vanilla.

Fancy Hank’s Bar and Kitchen nails both the food and hospitality of the Southern United States. The flavours are as bold as the canary yellow paint of the restaurant’s façade – this is certainly no shrinking violet. Rock up hungry so you can fill up on buttermilk fried shrimp, BBQ pulled pork, or blackened Cajun chicken burgers.

Also on the menu are tasty classics like mac ‘n’ cheese, jambalaya and gumbo, and quintessentially American desserts like key lime pie and New Orleans’ iconic beignets dusted with icing sugar.

El Gaucho first opened its doors in 2004 and has been serving up exquisite Argentinian food to a loyal Yorkshire clientele ever since. Discover the true taste of Latin America as you devour chorizo criollo, ribs smothered in chimichurri sauce and crispy empanadas filled with minced beef.

If you’re struggling to choose the cut of their grass-fed steaks, opt for the mixed grill instead. Save room, though, to try alfajores, which are sweet dulce de leche sandwiched between buttery cookies.

Melton’s is a fine-dining establishment that has been a York fixture since 1990. Owner Michael Hjort trained with Roux. Though he has since handed over the chef reins to the equally talented Calvin Miller, Melton’s remains a family business with his wife Lucy as the front-of-house manager.

The dishes are modern British, taking ingredients such as locally-reared lamb and freshly-caught trout and elevating them to something truly memorable. Splash out on the tasting menu (a vegetarian option is available) if you deserve a special treat.

The Rattle Owl is an intimate, relaxed restaurant focusing on seasonal British fare. Owner Clarrie O’Callaghan had an imaginative vision to transform a neglected retail unit and gave it a new lease of life as a trendy eatery.

The Rattle Owl offers both an 8-course and a 4-course tasting menu. The kitchen team works wonders with traditional staples such as mutton, chicken, trout and crab to create dishes that are bursting with flavour. Tables are limited in this small space so book ahead.