The Knowhere Guide

Eating and Drinking in York, North Yorkshire*

York, North Yorkshire Pubs, Cafes, Coffee Shops and Restaurants

Food

• Haci's Front Street, Acomb. It used to be called Jo Jos which was a much better name. Does superb chicken kebabs. But is only open to midnight so therefore cannot serve those being kicked out the Severus at 3 a.m.
• The Go Down opposite the Gallery and York Dungeon is really good. There's a very good Italian just past Micklegate Bar, but I can't remember it's name. Zaf's takeaway on heslington road is legendary among students. The Mason's Arms pub does huge portions of really good food for reasonable prices - you have to get there early on a Sunday though (opens at 12)- it's very popular.
• The Parvin on Beckfield lane is the best Indian take-away I've been to (and thats quite a few!). Its a bit too far for students though, however, they now do delivery, so who knows....
• The Bay of Bengal, on Bishopthorpe Road always has a friendly welcome and serves wonderful Indian food, to eat in our out. They aren't licenced, but you can take your own booze, at no extra charge. Brill. Average bill for four people is around £30. Can't beat it.
• We love you Burger King, we do ...
• Maxis Chinese Restaurant just off the Poppleton roundabout on the Northern part of the outer ring road does excellent Cantonese/Beijing food, though perhaps a tad expensive.
• Indian Restaurants: the one in Lowther Street is called the `York Tandoori'; the food is excellent and very reasonably priced. Try the Chicken Chaat starter.
• York has many excellent places to eat and drink out. Check out www.electronicyork.com, an independent reviewing website that REVIEWS them ALL.
• Best Indian - The Tandoori Nights, Bootham
• Indian Restaurant on Lowther Street is good value, and Ebor Fisheries on Bishopthorpe Rd is the best chippy in my (vast) chip-eating experience.
• MAC'DONALDS
• YorkBoat Summer Nights Afloat Themed Floodlit Evening Cruises with food and entertainment Choose from the following themes ; Caribbean, Irish, 60's and 70's Disco, Greek which include barbecue buffet or Death on the Ouse Murder Mystery Cruise which includes a 3 course dinner. Every Thursday, May - September 1999 (Other days are available for private parties) Call 01904 628324 for details
• The Rubicon- top spot, and the only place where the washerup is paid decent wages.
• eat out fat boys!
• The worlds biggest (& best) chip butties are at the Spread Eagle, Walmgate
• no one serves after 11.30pm which is crap but millers in haxby are excellent for fish and chips
• Recently opened Blue Bicycle in Fossgate (next to the bridge over the Foss) has excellent food French in influence with seafood specialities well worth a visit !!
• The best chippy is the one at the top of Frances Street, (behind the Jacksons on Fulford Road). Frances Street is also the home of the legendary off-licence that only stocks booze, snacks and cans of rice pudding. When open, a major hook-up spot for adolescent strays.
• Melton's had a write up in one of the Sundays a while back as "possibly the best restaurant in the North of England" - it's not cheap but they do throw in a few things (coffee, fizzy water, service, bread, olives) - and, no, I'm not the owner.
• That place on Clifton that sells tasty chicken pies (the gravy at least), and excellent Pork Pies. Praise for the chicken pies is qualified as they are tasty, but lack that all important ingredient... meat... Same can be said for the meat pies, although this criticism isn't restricted to this establishment alone. Where's the meat???? Is it something to do with BSE??
• Delrios, near Micklegate Bar, does excellent Sardinian food. It's a cellar restaurant and has a good atmosphere too. Request an alcove table for a really romantic evening - my husband and I ate there the night we got engaged! Other places that are definitely worth a try: The Go Down Restaurant, Clifford Street (English), Fiesta Mehicana, Clifford Street (Mexican!), The Mogul, Tanner Row (Indian), Little Italy, Goodramgate (Italian!), Old Orleans, Low Ousegate (Cajun/TexMex).
• The absolute best curries can be had at Tandoori Nights, on Bootham right outside the city walls. The owner is great and the Balti dishes are to die for.
• The Rubicon in Little Stonegate, an excellent vegetarian restaurant.
• Taylors Tearooms on Stonegate: classic of its kind. For real Yorkshire food the Yorkshire Kitchen on Goodramgate.
• I would have thought Meltons ought to be regarded as expensive. Better value and just round the corner from Meltons is Casa Alberta in Bishopthorpe Road. This has a good value Table d'hote menu running from Monday to Friday. Also in the moderate price range (About £35 for two including a bottle of wine) is the GoDown Restaurant near Cliffords Tower.
• Large University, Army Barracks and Hospital ensure a good night life.
• Try The Four Season on Goodramgate, The New China Palace in Acomb orMeltons on Scarcroft Road.
• Heaps of quality restaurants, for those who can afford it!
• For those who can afford it: try The New China Palace in Acomb or Meltons on Scarcroft Road.
• Cafe Concerto, 21 High Petergate. - cafe w/ meals served - vegetarian -soup, salads, desserts, main dishes, open till 11 (?) - reasonable prices - atmosphere: music sheets pasted on walls, also live musicians on certain evenings Crumbles Tea room - on Goodramgate - low prices (but closes at 5)
• Foot long sandwiches for only £1.60 at a little shop down the alleyway between Shambles and Whip-ma-whop-ma Gate.
• Plenty of fast food available. McDonalds (several), Burger King (x2), KFC, Pizza Hut (x2) and heaps of others. Home deliveries for Chinese/Indian and pizzas.

Pubs

• The Lowther, Lendal Cellars, Hansom Cab.... oh I could go on forever. If its real ale you're after head to the Tap and Spile down Monkgate.
• The Winning Post pub on Bishopthorpe Road needs a visit just to clock the outrageously dressed landlady Jan and her long suffering husband Craig. To say she dresses like a cross between someone who has had a nasty shock in a hairspray factory, and a PVC nightmare wouldn't be going too far.
• The Lowther - for the freshest faced mixing with the oddest of dress. Usually stuffed with hugely-pretentious students and 6th formers looking far from fresh faced. Over 350 pubs in York and every last one of them is either a dive or on it's way.
• York has great PUBS in plentiful supply. Prospective visitors to York should check out www.electronicyork.com, an independent reviewing website that REVIEWS them ALL, before arriving!!!
• Try the Plonkers Wine Bar, just down from the Dungeons. Not only does it sell great food and beer - the owners are originally from Conisbrough (Where I live)!!
• Check out the York Pub Guide on www.jiy.freeuk.com for the most comprehensive Pub Guide to the City!
• The Maltings is overrated as far as I'm concerned, and they are especially zealous around chucking-out time. Try The Swan or The Golden Ball for a more relaxed version.
• Fibbers is crap, an absolute pile of dog poo. Matt went there and couldnn't get in cause he did not look 16, yes 16. HA, HA, HA.
• Cant beat Henry J. Beans. Its by far the best bar in York Ask for a bitch fight. Its aftershock, sambuca and baileys and is gorgeous. O'Neills and Edwards are good. Get tickets from DJ at Edwards for the clubs.
• Shed Seven frequent the Black Lion. I see them there everytime I go. Too bad I don't really like them.
• For people who want good pubs,good beer and a low arsehole quotient - the following are great. Royal Oak (Goodramgate); Blue Bell (Fossgate);Ackhorne(off Micklegate);Wellington (Alma Terrace);Maltings (Tanners Moat);Tap & Spile (Monkgate);The Minster (Marygate).ENJOY..................
• There is now only one Gay pub in York. A seedy yet nice in a strange kind of way pub, called the Bay Horse on Gilly Gate. Not really a "young" crowed there. Except the "Combat Couple" and the "Air Hostesse". WARNING: beware Alanis Morrisminor, you know who you are ;) I digress. Apparently Edwards on the corner of micklegate is gay if you believe the rhoumors! If you want a decent gay night out then head for leeds or manchester, both are easy to get to by train and not that expensive.
• Lendall Cellars and if you went to St. Peter's, the Exhibition are good
• If the Acorn is still there - off Micklegate - now there's a top pub.
• The Lowther, down by the river is the place to be on a Wednesday night before going to Sliks for the indie night
• The Hansom Cab in Market Street is well worth a visit. Quiz Nights Monday & Wednesday Free to enter. Very friendly atmosphere during the day and Studenty pub on Quiz nights especially. Bay Horse on Gillygate also nice pub.
• The Lowther has cheap nights that are popular when school's out for the summer.
• Used to have the finest pub in Christendom (or anywhere else for that matter) - The John Bull. Now, sadly, just another piece of garage forecourt. RIP.
• Well, our favourite pubs are O'Neill's (an Irish pub) and Old Orleans. The latter is an American theme bar and they serve really cool cocktails. It is happy hour on Wednesday when the cocktails are only £2.
• The Gay and Lesbian pubs are the White Horse on Bootham and the York Arms on Petergate: I wouldn't want any unsuspecting person wandering into these on a Friday night!
  The only gay pub now is the White Horse - and contrary to a previous comment straight people need have no worries about "going in on a Friday night". It is a friendly if loud place and welcomes a mixed crowd.
• The Blue Bell on Fossgate is, officially, according to Camra, the second best pub in the country.
• Brubakers, Blossom Street (top of Micklegate Hill).
  • New, and very swish bar for the trendy with cash on the hip. Another good place for a fight, especially if you happen to be male with long hair.
  • I must correct you about Brubakers. It is the last place to come for a fight. It is full of trendy girls and guys. Not many long hairs here :) [They have email...]
  • Oscars Wine Bar, back of Petergate/Stonegate.
    Small, secluded wine bar which does food and Spanish wines. Gets very busy in Summer and a favourite for foreign tourists. The place to go if you're physically perfect and have THE clothes.
  • Best real ale pub in York is the Maltings on Lendal Bridge. Superb very cheap food. Food at the Spread Eagle is expensive, and it has recently changed hands.
    The Tap & Spile near the Viking Hotel is The Other Tap & Spile. The original Tap & Spile is on the other side of the City.
• Yates Wine Lodge, on Ouse Bridge.
  Big, full of loud dance music and underage shop assistants. Fizzy lager and Woodpecker on tap, lots of scope for getting in a fight.
• The Tap and Spile (near the Viking Hotel / Rougier Street)
  Excellent pub with strong CAMRA presence, so beards and cider much in evidence. Plenty of top ales, and a few odd guest beers with twigs and bits of sheep in. No loud music, so you could maybe have a conversation and stuff. Cool.

• The Three Tuns, Coppergate
  One of the few 'rock' pubs left in York, tends to attract long haired indie girls (wish I did!) and of course students. You will however, rarely get a seat, cos it's only quite a small place.
• The Spread Eagle, Walmgate.
  Hugely popular with the student crowd cos they sell good beers, and provide top quality food, cheaper than anywhere else. Tends to get too full though, due to large newspaper offices nearby (them damn journalist types - bah!).

Cafes and Coffee Shops

• Mowbrays down Stonegate is the best place in the world during non-tourist hours. Everything is homemade including their deliciouis ice cream.
• Everyone has to say Bettys. But only if you're over 50 and arte prepared to wait half an hour to get a seat. And if you have lots of money to spend. Kinky waitresses in french uniform though.
• TRY CAPITINO NEAR MAYHEM/ GREAT
• Mowbrays is cool and has interesting and tasty ice-cream flavours. Lucy's cafe on one of the bridges is good for amusing customers and good service.
• Mowbray's, on Stonegate is really cool, and sells the best carrot cake ever!
• Don't bother with the cafes. Check out any of the Thomas of York bakeries - very cheap and very tasty. Always worth waiting in the queues.

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Last updated: 2007-06-15