York

Bettys Tea Rooms

World-famous for its nostalgic atmosphere and spectacular Swiss-Yorkshire patisserie-style catering. It is a 1930s-style tea room complete with palm trees, aproned waitresses and live pianist, and is best known for its afternoon teas but also serves breakfast and lunch/dinner. Vegetarian, vegan, and non-gluten menu options. As Bettys is the tea room all the tourists want to visit, be prepared to queue outside at peak times or book well in advance. Alternatively, you can try the Little Bettys at 46 Stonegate, which doesn't get as busy.

Daily 9AM-9PM·Afternoon teas £25–50, breakfast £7–20, lunch/dinner £10–20

Spring Espresso

Snazzy artisan sandwiches and paninis (think York ham, goat's cheese, pastrami, hummus...) for lunch, and a selection of toasts, pancakes, and pastries for all day breakfast or brunch. Excellent fresh coffee, made Seattle-style. Another identical café is at 31 Lendal.

Daily 8AM-5PM·Food items £3-£8; full or vegetarian English breakfast £10.75 · Limited wheelchair access · Takeaway · Vegetarian options

Ambiente

Tapas restaurant with a semi-industrial interior design channelling the modern Madrileño look. On the menu is a cool mix of classic favourites such as albóndigas and patatas bravas, alongside innovative creations like the Yorkshire morcilla. They have a second, much smaller, restaurant at 14 Goodramgate.

Daily 11:30AM-10PM·£4-£8 per tapa · Wheelchair accessible · Vegan options

The Star Inn the City

Dine on seasonal Yorkshire produce beside the Ouse within a warm velvet and tartan décor. Cook has a knack for making trad dishes look like intrepid new creations - or for overworking and needlessly 'cheffing up' old favourites, depending on your perspective. That said, the Star's sister restaurant in Helmsley has a Michelin star, so this is definitely one to watch.

Mon-Thu noon-9PM, Fri-Sun 9:30AM-9PM·Mains £15-32, brunch £9-12 · Outdoor seating · Wheelchair accessible

Double Dutch Pancake House

Dutch pancakes, savoury or sweet, with a variety of creative variations like "Mexican" and "Independence Day". They make a delicious breakfast, lunch, or afternoon snack. Extensive vegan menu and gluten-free options.

Mon Tue Thu Fri Sat 9AM–5PM, Sun 9AM–4PM, closed Wed·£9–13 · Vegan options

The Blue Barbakan

Hearty Eastern European food given Western panache. The resulting roast meats, soups and pies are not a million miles away from English cuisine, but with an intriguing Polish or Hungarian twist.

Mon 9AM-3PM/5:30PM-9PM, Tue-Fri 9AM-3PM/5:30PM-10PM, Sat 9AM-4PM/5PM-10PM, Sun 10AM-9PM·Lunch mains £7-£11, dinner mains £15-£20 · Limited wheelchair access

The Chopping Block at Walmgate Ale House

Formerly known for its quirky modern British cooking, a change of chef has brought a new menu serving French classics such as beef bourguignon and duck confit. Yorkshire ingredients are still key, and the setting is as pubby as ever.

Wed 5PM-10PM, Thu-Sun noon-10PM·Lunch mains £10-£12, dinner mains £14-£22, set menu £7.95 for two courses, £19.95 for three courses · Vegan options

Arras

Despite the name, the French influence on Arras's set menu is not overly pronounced. Instead, focus is on unloved ingredients that most chefs stay away from: offal, Brussels sprouts, eel; this could be a recipe for disaster, but somehow it works. The dishes are refined and flavoursome, and the service knowledgeable and personable. They save the best to last, in the form of a bumper British cheese board introduced by chef himself.

Tue 6-9:30PM; Wed-Sat noon-2PM, 6-9:30PM·Lunch £22.50 for two courses, £27.50 for three courses; dinner £39.50 for two courses, £49.50 for three courses, £60 for five courses, with wine pairing £100

Café No.8 Bistro

Refined food which has Yorkshire in its soul: lamb from the Wolds, fish from the North Sea, cheese from Thirsk, and rhubarb and custard for pudding! The intimate indoor space is complemented by a small dining garden at the rear.

Wed-Sat 5-10PM, Sun noon-5PM·Dinner mains £14-32, Sunday lunch mains £14-18

Melton's

Promoting fine dining without the formalities, and run by the York Food Festival's director, this is yet another place in town proving the worth of modern British gastronomy. Try the East Coast cod, or else the wild garlic gnocchi. Scrummy. Vegetarian and vegan tasting menus available.

Wed-Sat noon-1:45PM, Tue-Sat 5:30-9:30PM·Set menu (dinner only): £42 for two courses, £50 for three courses; both include canapés and bread. Six-course tasting menu (lunch and dinner): £62, with cheese course £70. Add wine pairing for £38

Skosh

You choose a series of small dishes, and the staff are on hand to advise you on what order to eat them. Think of it as a tapas or meze place, but without the constraints of a single cuisine. The dishes themselves are ambitious, imaginative and memorable, with distinctly Japanese flavours and making excellent use of British produce. Reservation recommended. Has held Michelin's bib gourmand since 2018.

Wed-Sat noon-2PM / 5:30PM-10PM, Sun noon-4:30PM·Dishes £4-£18. Count on 6-8 dishes to share between two

The Viceroy

part of small local chain, Jinnah Restaurants

Email via online contact form. Always busy even in early evening, this long-established North Indian (Kashmiri) restaurant is a favourite of York residents who keep returning time after time for its excellent food and friendly atmosphere. As they say - when in Rome.

Daily 5:30PM-midnight·Mains £10-£16

Phranakhon

One of three restaurants (all in Yorkshire). Thai tapas in a historic, low-ceilinged building. Two or three dishes per person should be about right.

£8-£9 per dish

Countess of York

Railfans rejoice! You can get your afternoon tea fix in the NRM's opulently-restored train carriage, the Countess of York. There are a dozen blends of Harrogate tea to choose from, and a seasonal selection of sandwiches and cakes, with the highlight being traditional Yorkshire scones, vanilla cream and homemade jam. As capacity is constrained by the size of the carriage, it is recommended to book weeks in advance. Free parking token for the museum's car park.

Tea served at noon, 2PM, 4PM·Traditional afternoon tea £26, with champagne £36

Ippuku Tea House

Authentic Japanese restaurant with vegan and gluten-free options, and an enormous tea menu to accompany your meal.

Mon-Fri noon-9PM, Sat 11AM-9PM, Sun 11AM-8PM·Mains £7-£13

Mr Chippy

Fish and chips with the usual sides. Offers delicious vegan options (including vegan fish and chips, with the "fish" made from banana blossom) and outdoor seating.

Mon–Thu 11AM–8:30PM, Fri Sat 11AM–10PM, Sun noon–8:30PM·£9–12

Shambles Sausage & Pie Company

Pick up some truly divine pork pies in a plethora of flavours, both traditional and exotic, to munch on outside. The husband-and-wife duo also dry-cure their own bacon on-site, and make a selection of sausages, some of which, in a pleasant surprise, are more French than British.

Tue-Sat 8AM-4PM·£2-£8

The Masons Arms

Email via online contact form. Quality pub grub favourites with daily specials for soup, homemade pie, local bangers and mash, and curry, plus separate steak and risotto menus. Mix things up a bit with a spicy lamb stew or a slow-roasted belly porchetta. Very limited choice for vegetarians.

Mon-Thu noon-11PM, Fri Sat noon-midnight, Sun noon-11PM. Last food orders 8:30PM nightly.·Mains £11-£16, Sunday roast £12.45 for one course, £14.95 for two courses, £15.95 for three courses

The Garden Room

A grand and comfortable lounge with armchairs and sofas, and views across the lawns to the Minster..

Daily noon-4PM·Traditional afternoon tea £23.50, incl. champagne £30.50

The Taylor Made Kitchen

Email via online contact form. Excellent fast food wagon serving burgers, burritos, and dirty fries in epic portions using fresh local ingredients.

Sun-Thu noon-4PM, Fri Sat noon-8PM·Meals £5-£9

The Nook

Specialists of international street food, brought indoors for a cosy, convivial atmosphere. Each of their specialities is from a different culinary tradition: Cambodian beef lok lak, Indian tandoori chicken, Lebanese fattoush, Cajun king prawns.

W-Sa noon-midnight, Su noon-11PM·Mains £7-£9

Le Cochon Aveugle

Closed for half the week, limited sittings when it is open, no children or special diets allowed and a ruthless cancellation policy: "The Blind Pig" is like a parody of a stuffy and inflexible French restaurant. In this regard, the food completely subverts expectations: while based in the Gallic tradition and with an impressive cave à vin to match, it is not afraid to do its own thing and draw from diverse influences. Expect creative, bold and expressive dishes across a 4-course blind tasting menu (with the expectation that you, the diner, fill the role of pig). With room for only 20 covers, reservation is essential.

Dinner service Wed-Sat sitting at 7PM and 8:30PM, lunch Sat sitting at 12:30PM and 1:30PM. Arrive up to 30 minutes ahead of sitting for apéritifs·Four-course lunch £75, with wine pairing £135; four-course dinner £95, with wine pairing £175

The Rattle Owl

Thoughtfully-crafted seasonal menu drawing from what's available locally. Each course has very limited options, so you'd really hope the chef's knowledge of his cooking and attention to detail would be there, and on these counts the Rattle Owl aims high. Full marks, too, for the sympathetic restoration of their 17th century building and bonus points for the Roman archaeological remains in the wine cellar!

Wed-Fri 6PM-9:30PM, Sat noon-2PM / 6PM-9:30PM, Sun noon-6:30PM·Mains £19-£23; Sunday lunch two courses £27, three courses £33; tasting menu six courses £60 + £15 pp deposite

ASK Italian

Come for the setting rather than the food (which is fine for a chain, just nothing special): 18th century marble-columned Palladian assembly rooms with ceilings and plaster cherubs. Extremely busy at weekends and tourist periods.

Sun-Thu 11:30AM-10PM, Fri Sat 11:30AM-11PM·Mains £11-£15

House of the Trembling Madness (Lendal)

Email via online contact form. An ale house which promotes the pairing of good beer with quality food. The menu is bursting with regional produce, from bread baked in the city, to platters of locally-smoked meats and rich, savoury pies. Schnitzel, salchichón, and other continental comfort foods complete the picture. The same company has a much smaller venue on Stonegate.

Daily 10AM-11:30PM·Mains £9-£10

Millers Fish & Chips

Award-winning family-run chippy with takeaway and restaurant. As good a plate's worth as you'll get in York, so it's worth the trip. Gluten free and halal options available.

Tue-Thu 4PM-9PM, Fri Sat 11:30AM-2PM, 4PM-9PM·Haddock and chips £7.20 (takeaway)

Pizza Express

A chain which needs no introduction, but this one is worth a look for the setting – a spectacular 19th century gentlemen's club perched on the bank of the River Ouse. Summer evenings on the terraces are pleasant, and their toilets are marble temples of Victorian excess – it's worth eating there just for the chance to use a solid brass-and-marble urinal.

Daily 11:30AM-11PM·Mains £11-£16

The Grand Hotel

Take a four-course tea in the hotel's swish Rise restaurant, which offers views over the city walls. Vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free menus available. There's also a special menu for kids.

Daily noon-6PM (must be seated by 3:45PM)·Grand afternoon tea £25.50, incl. sparkling wine £30.50, incl. gin and tonic £33.50, incl. champagne £34.50, children £17

The Ivy

A national chain serving modern British and European cuisine. While there are no knock-out unique dishes on the large menu, the cooking is of high quality and there are extensive vegetarian and vegan options. One speciality is their version of an English classic - shepherd's pie with slow-braised shoulder of lamb and cave-matured cheddar.

Mon-Thu 9AM-10:30PM, Fri Sat 9AM-11PM, Sun 9AM-10PM. Set menu Mon-Fri 11:30AM-6:30PM·Mains £14-£25, set menu 2 courses £16.95, 3 courses £21.50

The Judge's Lodging

Fine cuisine in rococo splendour. Actually, most of the main dishes - a range of posh burgers, plus a nice collection of salads, platters, meat and fish dishes - belong firmly in the mid-range bracket, but it's the steak and the shellfish - and the drinks - that will lighten your pockets.

Mon-Thu 9AM-9PM, Fri Sat 9AM-9:30PM, Sun 9AM-8PM·Mains £13-30