Best Restaurants In York

York, a historic city located in the North of England, is known for its stunning architecture and rich cultural heritage. It’s less known for its food but that needs to change. What food is famous in York? Well, let's just say there’s so much more to the dining scene in York than York ham, my friend. Yes, that pink and lightly smoked meat is objectively tasty (and great with a duo of lacy fried eggs) but it doesn’t really do justice to the sheer depth and breadth of the York restaurant scene. As one of the largest cities in the UK, York is right up there with the likes of Manchester, Bristol, and Liverpool when it comes to food. It’s a city heaving with quality places to eat.

Whether you're a local or a tourist, you'll find a variety of restaurants in York to suit every taste and budget. From traditional bistros to fancy-pants fine-dining restaurants, York has got something to offer for just about everyone. Especially you, reading this right now. In this article, we've researched and curated a list of the top-rated eateries in the city, so you can make the most of your time in York and enjoy the best food it has to offer. So, whether you're looking for a quick bite or a special night out, read on to discover the best restaurants in York. They’re not the only good places for a decent dinner but we’re pretty sure that a hot meal at any of these places will hit the spot. Fill your boots.

This is the kind of restaurant where you should walk in with swagger and tell them to play the hits. Chances are they'll know exactly what dishes you’re after, and they’ll do them bloody well. Rustique specialises in classic French bistro fare – solid renditions of steak frites, confit duck, and crème brûlée litter the menu – and it’s been filling locals with good food for almost twenty years now. The ambience is lively and you’ll leave happy. What more could you ask for?

28 Castlegate, YO1 9RP

Taas is where you should go to get a taste of the best Nepalese and Indian food in York. Plump momos come stuffed with a fragrant, juicy mixture of chicken or lamb and served next to a super addictive tomato dip. They’re as good as that sounds. Those pliant dumplings are reason enough to make a booking but other big hitters like the Annapurna thali and Langtang kerau paneer shouldn’t be ignored. Taas is super reliable and it’s hard to go wrong with a meal here.

2A, 4 Bootham, YO30 7BL

A slice of serenity on Blake Street, Ippuku Tea House is a simple spot that’s perfectly suited for a quick and capable lunch. Whether you’re after a steaming donburi or tamago don omelette, Ippuku will be able to sort you out without charging you an arm and a leg for your troubles. Not many restaurants in the UK are able to properly capture the simple beauty of Japanese cooking. Ippuku Tea House is one of them that is. You should go here.

15 Blake St, York YO1 8QJ

As its name would suggest, Fish & Forest does a bang-up job at cooking up dishes comprised of ingredients foraged from the forest, the sea, and the bucolic Yorkshire countryside. Nothing less, nothing more. It’s a small restaurant but it punches well above its weight when it comes to quality. The chalkboard menu shifts according to the seasons but the sharp wine programme is consistently well-priced and stocked with tasty bottles. This is undoubtedly one of the best restaurants in York right now.

110 Micklegate, YO1 6JX

Every city worth its salt needs a neighbourhood pizzeria where the pies are cheap, the drinks are cold, and the staff knows your order off by heart. Dough Eyed is York’s. The puffy-crusted Neapolitan-style pizzas here don’t disappoint and the dough is always made from quality stuff. You know you’re eating a good pizza when you feel like you can feasibly eat two in one sitting without getting that horrible heavy feeling in the pit of your stomach. Dough Eyed is a vibe.

7 Jubbergate, YO1 8RT

Los Moros is a North African restaurant on Grape Lane that’s got a lovely little courtyard garden. In the summer, you can expect the garden to be flooded with customers getting stuck into fluffy hummus and gorgeous mezze under nature’s heat lamp (aka the sun). Chef-owner Tarik Abdeladim is Algerian and his restaurant is an enticing showcase of the food of the Maghreb, given a playful York twist. Not only does the team at Los Moros make all of its merguez sausages in-house but even the Halloum is made in Huddersfield. That’s ace.

15-17 Grape Lane, YO1 7HU

Although it’s technically not one of the best restaurants in York, Flori Bakery is one of the city’s very best bakeries and I couldn’t not include it on this list of local heroes. Laminated croissants, warm cinnamon buns, and handsome handmade sourdough loaves are just a few of the delicious goods on offer at this sweet Nunnery Lane hotspot. Make sure to get there early before they sell out.

113 Nunnery Lane, YO23 1AH

Micklegate is home to some fairly trendy restaurants and cafés. Partisan is – according to its website – an “independent coffee shop, licensed restaurant and arts space”. Which I’m pretty sure makes it the trendiest of them all. The breakfast/brunch menu is superb and a nigh-unbeatable way to start your day. Scallop and bacon roll? Go on then.

112 Micklegate, YO1 6JX

Italian food is one of Italy’s most popular exports for a number of reasons. One of the main reasons is that the country doesn’t have a lot of other natural resources. One of the other reasons is that the staples of Italian cuisine (your pizzas, pastas, and simple salads) are able to fill your stomach with comfort without totally overwhelming you. Il Paradiso Del Cibo is busy pretty much all of the time. Expect plates laden with pared-back piles of pomodoro pasta and homemade pappardelle to be flying out of the kitchen until it shuts at 10pm. It’s no frills, all flavour. Give Del Cibo a go if you’re after a good feed.

40 Walmgate, YO1 9TJ

A pint of Cobra and a lamb rogan josh is a classic combination. Nothing salves the burn of a hot curry quite like a sip of cold beer, and I’ll probably go as far as to say it might just be one of the best food and drink combinations of all time. 29 States, located on Tower Street, is a solid Indian restaurant in York where you can settle down for a night of curry and chaat.

Opposite Clifford's Tower, 12-13 Tower St, YO1 9SA

Located in a tastefully refurbished Grade-II listed building, Skosh is one of the best restaurants in York for getting your fill of well-made small plates while comfortably seated in a swish and sophisticated ambience. Chef-owner Neil Bentinck has made Skosh a real destination restaurant and it’s definitely one of the marquee restaurants in the city. The cooking is contemporary British but takes inspiration from a variety of global cuisines. The result is a menu that vibrates with excitement and boasts dishes like teriyaki pigeon with kale and shichimi pepper.

98 Micklegate, YO1 6JX

A lively bistro in Gillygate, Café No.8 is somewhere you can rely on for a tasty breakfast and dinner. It might sound (and look) a bit like a quaint little tea room but the food really pushes the boat out there. Expect dishes like slow-cooked venison ragù with trofie and Yorkshire pesto or steamed Scottish mussels with Thai yellow curry sauce and crunchy chips. Expect a good time.

8 Gillygate, YO31 7EQ

Roots is one of the best restaurants in York. According to the Michelin inspectors, it’s the best restaurant in York. Roots York offers a Michelin-starred tasting menu – curated by chef Tommy Banks and executed under the direction of head chef Will Lockwood – that champions seasonal produce and the very best ingredients that you can grow and rear on England's pleasant pastures. It doesn’t come cheap, but it’s an immaculately balanced menu which eats exceedingly well. The service is exceptional, too. One for a special occasion, this.

68 Marygate, YO30 7BH

Yak & Yeti was York’s first-ever Nepalese restaurant. Back in the day, it was one of the only places where you’d get served food that was actually spicy. Today, it’s still just as unique in its culinary offering. There aren’t many other places where you can find sukuti (dried and spiced buffalo meat reminiscent of biltong) or Gurkhali pork. And even fewer where you can find versions as good as the ones at Yak & Yeti.

63A Goodramgate, YO1 7LS

New York might be pizza town but old York has got some pretty great pizza, too. Cresci Pizzeria specialises in slinging out freshly made Neapolitan pizzas topped with only the highest possible quality ingredients. The Calabrese (topped with Fior di Latte mozzarella, sautéed red onions, ‘nduja, and Calabrian spianata) is what all baby meat pizzas want to be when they grow up. Whether you’re visiting for a sit-down meal or getting a takeaway to enjoy on your sofa at home, Cresci will sort you right out.

20 Piccadilly, YO1 9NU

Good food is one thing but having a good room to eat it in is something that’s all too often left as an afterthought. That’s not the case at The Rattle Owl. Housed in a restored Grade II listed building, this restaurant combines high-quality local produce with a strong selection of organic wines. The kitchen is led by head chef Tom Heywood whose four-course and eight-course tasting menus are some of the best of their kind in the city. The Rattle Owl is inviting in just about every way imaginable.

104 Micklegate, YO1 6JX

I’m not 100% sold on its use of the term “Thai tapas” but I am 100% sold that Phranakhon is a lovely little place to get your laughing gear around some tasty Thai food. This Grape Lane icon is named after the Phra Nakhon district of Bangkok and the street food-style plates reflect the hustle and bustle of Thailand’s technicolour capital. The krapow moo sub and miang pla are two dishes you can’t (and shouldn’t) ignore.

19 Grape Lane, YO1 7HU

Set up on York’s most famous street, Shambles Kitchen sells stacked smokehouse sandwiches to the hungry lunchtime masses. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a low and slow wedge of smoked beef shin or a lighter and brighter bit of marinated chicken breast with yoghurt, fresh mint and coriander, all of the fillings here are top drawer and come encased in fresh bread. You won’t find a better sandwich in York.

28 Shambles, YO1 7LX

Everyone thinks their local Thai is the best. But if The Old Siam is your local Thai, you might actually be right. All the staples are given the attention they deserve but you should really make sure to try at least one dish from the recommended section – they’re slightly more obscure than usual crop of pad thai and red curry you’ll find in the Thai restaurants catering to western tastes, and they’re all the better for it.

126 Micklegate, YO1 6JX