Check out our guide to the best independent coffee shops, bars and restaurants in Leeds. From trending bakeries to perfect date-night dinners, Leeds has a thriving independent food and drink scene
Looking for restaurants in Leeds? Yorkshire’s largest city combines glitzy clubs, bars and Victorian arcades with an arty undercurrent that buzzes with live music, proper pubs and independent shops and stalls such as The Corn Exchange. Leeds’ food and drink scene has evolved over the years, adapting to the city’s diversity, and it now boasts some of the best independent places to eat and drink in the country. From trendy new-wave coffee shops to craft breweries, casual dining restaurants to street food trucks, Leeds has become a serious foodie hub. For more exciting restaurants and weekend ideas for food lovers, check out our best UK city breaks. For more regional dining recommendations, discover the best restaurants in Manchester, best restaurants in York, best restaurants in Newcastle and best restaurants in the Lake District. Best places to eat and drink in Leeds Bavette – for a French bistro In little over a year, this new wave French bistro has established itself in the affections of handsome Horsforth, a town-slash-suburb just north of Leeds, and won wider regional and national acclaim. Chef Sandy Jarvis executes the classics in style (onion soup, cassoulet, shellfish bisque, crème brûlée), while manager and sommelier Clément Cousin pours interesting low-intervention wines, including some made by his family in the Loire Valley. Bavette is the kind of neighbourhood restaurant we would all want on our doorstep. bavettebistro.com Eat Your Greens – for veg-forward small plates Fundamentally, a bar-restaurant serving tasty veg-forward plates, natural wine and A1 craft beers, this hip, friendly space is also part provisions store, a platform for local DJ talent and hosts various foodie events. It’s a busy fulcrum of good things, basically. A keen focus on seasonal, local and organic produce underpins a menu of sharing plates that might range from smashed potatoes with umami chilli salt and garlic aioli or beetroot, pickled red onions, confit garlic ricotta and beetroot tahini, to osso bucco with creamy polenta and a rich bone marrow, tomato and red wine gravy. Last year, EYG opened a stand-alone shop and café, Greens Grocers, also in central Leeds. This summer, it will run one-off events in its riverside outdoor space, including a Greens & Friends barbecue series. eatyourgreensleeds.co.uk Holding Patterns – for quality coffee and cocktails This community-minded, bar-café hybrid – fittingly located in what was once a radio station – is a haven for music, coffee and book nerds alike. Opened in late 2024, it has a 60-person capacity main space as well as a cosier, book-lined nook in the back. Expect DJ sets and artist performances every Friday and Saturday night, while daytimes are for reading and chilling out, all to a perfect soundtrack, of course. Drinks offerings include coffee from Yorkshire’s Casa Espresso, Top Cuvée curated natty wines and a roster of classic cocktails – make ours a rum old fashioned, please. holdingpatternslds.co.uk The Swine Bistro – for comforting dishes Expect crisply executed, comforting dishes from exec chef and co-owner Stu Myers, such as sea trout, clams and borlotti; braised rabbit with Dijon mustard sauce, crispy bacon and broad beans; or homemade venison and red wine sausages, pickled pear, salsa verde and puy lentils. Award-winning roast dinner expert, Kirsty Cheetham, has been appointed head chef at the Swine, so look out for its Sunday lunch services. theswinebistro.co.uk The Empire Café – for an all-dayer Tucked down a ginnel in the city-centre, this compact all-dayer has gained a huge rep for its breakfasts, rotisserie chicken, creative, seasonal sharing plates and good cocktails. Said chickens, served with chicken schmaltz potatoes, rotate in an open rotisserie which helps them self-baste in their juices. Diners then add a flavoured “lather” (say, smoked garlic and hot honey or Kashmiri butter), and a crumb. Wider dishes are eclectic and exciting, from bacon-fat glazed ribs to, for example, a reblochon nata with chestnut purée or barbecued venison vindaloo. The Empire team is about to open a second venue, a pub, The Highland Laddie, out in the inner ‘burbs of Burley. empirecafeleeds.co.uk Chef Jono at V&V – for date night Comprising just eight tables, Jonathan Hawthorne’s intimate, tasting menu restaurant is date night gold. The chatty staff encourage a relaxed atmosphere, as the open kitchen dispatches dishes such as bone marrow crème brûlée, chilli lobster and crab bisque with passion fruit, or mushroom tiramisu. With its porcini sponge, white chocolate and shiitake ganache and coffee and cep caramel, the latter is, says Jono: “A very modern take on a classic.” chefjonoatvandv.co.uk Sarto – for fresh pasta Foodies from two local independents, Layne’s Espresso and The Brunswick, teamed up to open a fresh pasta-focussed spot in central Leeds. A speckled quartz counter takes centre stage in the bright, canteen-style restaurant. Hop onto a stool and peer over hunks of parmesan, jars of gobstopper-sized olives and freshly baked sourdough loaves to watch head chef Ian Chapman, aka Yanni, and his team whip up plates of handmade pasta. Mushroom marsala was the highlight on our visit – springy trompette, chestnut and baby oyster varieties tossed with marsala cream through folds of fettuccine. Or try Yanni’s unusual slow-cooker lamb rigatoni with chopped mint covered in nutty Sheep Rustler cheese. Bookend your pasta with a pumpkin, sage and Cornish cheddar arancini to start, and a portion of creamy tiramisu for dessert. Beer drinkers have a choice between European stalwarts Birra Moretti and Amstel, or try the local North Brewing Co Triple Fruited Gose Sour. Negronis are short and punchy, just as they should be, and there’s a succinct Italian wine list heavily weighted towards Venetian and Sicilian varieties. sartopasta.uk North Star Coffee Shop & General Store – best coffee shop in Leeds This calm, contemporary glass-fronted space at Leeds Dock is a hangout for local chefs and business owners on their days off. Gather with friends around one of the large wooden tables or nestle into a cosy nook to enjoy a moment of peace with your coffee. North Star has travelled the globe to find the best beans in the business, and it rotates its offer of not one, but two contrasting single origin espressos to ensure they satisfy varying taste buds. Baristas use geeky coffee equipment to bring out the best of the beans – delicate Ethipioan coffee is dripped through a Kalita filter and served in a glass carafe, and the toffee notes of the Colombian batch brew is blasted out of a huge jet on the counter. There’s even a tap that provides water in three different temperatures to let loose-leaf Storm teas shine. The adjoining roastery is a constant flurry of activity, with the state-of-the-art coffee roaster turning away and sacks ready to be filled with the day’s beans and carted off to coffee shops and restaurants across Yorkshire. northstarroast.com Nova Bakehouse – from sourdough loaves to pizza by the slice Down on Leeds Dock by the River Aire, Sarah Lemanski and Hannah Mather’s bakery draws a crowd for everything from its sourdough loaves to Saturday’s pizza slice options, such as fennel salami with fermented hot honey. There is a bench on which you can perch, nibble and watch the open-plan bakery at work. Alternatively, potter with your cinnamon-dusted madeleines, knock-out salted caramel brownie or, that Nova classic, the morning cake. Nova’s take on a light, US-style soured cream coffee cake, the morning cake features a tonka bean infused layer of cocoa powder and an almond crumble top, memorably stencil dusted with icing sugar sunrays. novabakehouse.com Wen’s – for Chinese food This family-run Chinese restaurant is owned by the Wen family, with Yorkshire-Chinese lad Chao on front of house while his parents make everything from scratch in the kitchen downstairs (the sound of a doorbell lets the restaurant know that dishes are ready). Dough is pulled with a machine brought over from China to make noodles, and then stir-fried with steak strips, large spring onions grown in the garden and soy sauce. Chao greets guests with the tea of the day constantly brewing on a little stove behind the trinket-lined counter (we tried Chinese pu-erh). Authentic Chinese and Szechuan dishes include pan-fried whole sea bass topped with chilli mince pork, sweet, spicy kung pao chicken with crunchy peanuts and plenty of lip-smacking Szechuan peppercorns, and fried rice studded with pieces of Chinese sausage and seasonal vegetables. @wensrestaurantleeds North Brewing Co. Leeds City Tap – for Yorkshire beers Try unique ales and bitters in North Brewing Co’s city-centre taproom. House headliners include award-winning Transmission IPA and crisp American pale ale Sputnik, along with tropical session brew Sea of Kindness. Peruse collaborations such as a grapefruit sour with Square Root, and the Buxton Brewery’s dark, malty Smoked Imperial Stout (also reduced into a syrup to make a smoky old fashioned), or choose from a fridge of guest beers in colourful cans. If you’re peckish, order pillowy-soft bao buns or braised beef donburi bowls from Little Bao Boy’s hatch beside the bar. northbrewing.com Laynes Espresso – best brunch in Leeds This trendy coffee shop showcases blends from roasters around the world, as well as the best from London and even the city’s own roaster, North Star (see above). Learn the tricks of the barista trade at one of its on-site workshops, grab an espresso on your way to the station down the round, or sit in and savour the smooth texture of one of the best flat whites in the country. Take time over one of the exotic dishes on the brunch menu, from shakshuka with dukkah and harissa butter, to sweetcorn fritters with halloumi, chimichurri, poached eggs and pickled chilli. In-house baked goods are to die for – cinnamon rolls, cardamom and almond cake, and coffee cake made with the house espresso – while additional treats from local baking company, Noisette Bakehouse (more info above), plumps up the sweet treat offering with salted caramel brownies and rye flour cookies. laynesespresso.co.uk Bundobust – for Indian street food and craft beer This innovative restaurant and bar combines vegetarian Indian street food with a huge range of craft ales. A bustling place where food is served in disposable bowls with biodegradable cutlery, it offers a casual dining experience with small plates and low prices. With no curry option, or meat, Bundobust is a world away from old-school curry houses, but dishes such as vada pav (a fried spicy mashed potato ball served in a brioche bun) and bundo chaat (a samosa of pastry, turmeric noodles, yogurt and tamarind chutney) have gained cult status. Try the onion bhajis: aromatic with garam masala and ajwain, filled with lush onion and cauliflower, the batter lifted by threads of spinach. On the drinks front, this bar provides a platform for independent brewers such as Kirkstall Brewery and Northern Monk, and offers limited edition ales and collaborations. Its menu is succinct, tempting and all-vegetarian, from spicy nuts to masala dosa, a mini crêpe with potato and onion dry fry, lentil soup and coconut chutney. bundobust.com Zucco – for Italian food Nonna’s polpette and spaghetti; rabbit, pancetta, white wine and potatoes; and almond and raspberry polenta cake – these are just three reasons why locals flock to Zucco, tucked away in one of the leafier suburbs of Leeds. Run by brothers Rosario and Michael Leggiero, it’s a cool and contemporary place with black and white floor tiles, white subway wall tiles and a beaten tin ceiling. And if that look sounds slightly familiar to fans of a certain well-known chain, then it won’t come as too much of a surprise that Michael was manager at Polpo’s short-lived restaurant at Leeds Harvey Nichols. zucco.co.uk Friends of Ham – for Spanish tapas Pop in to Yorkshire beer, wine and charcuterie specialist, Friends of Ham, for sharing platters and small plates. Choose from the extensive charcuterie list - we tried Barbaresco salami from Piedmont, prosciutto from Parma, and popular British bath chaps, made from the pig’s cheek. Small dishes include spicy 'nduja on sourdough toast with cornichons, traditional Spanish anchovies, and ham hock and black pudding terrine. Wines are curated with the utmost care. Take the Renata Pizzulin Clagnis as an example, a subtly spiced, fruity Italian red wine made by a couple as a weekend project in the northeastern Friuli region of Italy. This is what we loved most about Friends of Ham, the care and attention in sourcing the best of the best and serving it unpretentiously in a warm and friendly environment. friendsofham.com Ox Club – for modern British food There’s a lot to like about Ox Club, a modern British restaurant in Headrow House, a former textile mill built in the early 1900s. It feels and looks great: warm lighting, cool rustic-industrial design. The staff are bright, its craft beer list is unusually interesting and the pricing is keen. The focal point is the Grillworks grill imported from Michigan – it’s used to cook everything from hanger steak to guinea fowl, hake and razor clams. Expect delicate accompaniments such as buttermilk polenta with tea and molasses brine; creamed flageolet beans with bacon jam; or Jerusalem artichoke with mushrooms and ymerdrys (a Danish sugared rye bread crumb). Although vegetarian options are limited, the side dishes are all innovative and vegetable-based: try brussels sprouts with bacon and cured egg yolk, coal-roasted beetroot with muscovado walnuts, or kale with chard, cider and golden raisins. oxclub.co.uk Words by Alex Crossley, Tony Naylor and Mark Taylor Photographs by Victoria Harley, Simon Fogal, Sara Teresa, Tom Joy More UK restaurant guides Best restaurants in Deal Best restaurants in Birmingham Best restaurants in St Albans Best restaurants in Bristol Best restaurants in Edinburgh Best restaurants in York Best restaurants in Whitstable Best restaurants in Oxford Best restaurants in Cambridge Best restaurants in Margate Best restaurants in Manchester Best restaurants in Glasgow Best restaurants in the Lake District Best restaurants in Brighton
Best restaurants in York 2025: where to eat and drink
Check out our top spots to eat and drink in York. Wander down the city’s higgledy-piggledy back streets to find inventive tasting menus, delis and cafes
Looking for the best restaurants in York? This medieval town has always offered plenty to history buffs and café-goers, but a quiet foodie revolution, too, has recently been taking place. Wander down one of York's higgledy-piggledy backstreets and you'll find a new crop of young chefs putting the city's food in the spotlight, from Micklegate to The Shambles and beyond... For more exciting restaurants and weekend ideas for food lovers, check out our best UK city breaks, Yorkshire foodie guide and discover the UK's best artisan bakeries. For more city guides, try our best restaurants in Liverpool, best restaurants in Leeds and best restaurants in Newcastle. Jump to: Best restaurants in York Foodie neighbourhood in York Foodie experiences in York More of the best restaurants, cafés and food shops in York olive's 10 best places to eat and drink in York For a banging brunch: Partisan Impressive all-dayer: York Minster Refectory The hot seat: Skosh Rising bakery: Cosgriff & Sons For a wine bar with excellent food: 22 Yards For a cut-above casual: Los Moros For proper pizza: Cresci Big night blow-out: Roots A local legend: Coconut Lagoon Street food stars: Spark: York Best restaurants in York Partisan Simultaneously an impressive bakery – its gorgeous cake counter visible from the street – and, behind that, a vintagestyled café and art gallery serving memorable plates of, for example, shakshuka, eggs benedict and seasonal french toast variations. In particular, don’t miss the scrambled Persian spiced eggs with spinach, caramelised onions and Medjool dates. Last year, a sister restaurant, Brancusi, was opened nearby. Unlike daytime-only Partisan, Brancusi also serves an evening menu of modish small plates. partisanuk.com York Minster Refectory Renowned Yorkshire chef Andrew Pern runs two attractive York venues: The Star Inn the City on the River Ouse, and the Refectory, located in a former school by York Minster. Whether drinking in the view from the terrace, grabbing a takeaway sandwich or lingering over elevated plates in the restaurant, it is a class act. Befitting Andrew’s fine-dining heritage, broadly Anglo-French dishes (say, a torched mackerel niçoise, or housecured pork belly bacon with celeriac fondant, confit egg yolk and smoked apple) are full of clever details. yorkminsterrefectory.co.uk Skosh Good fun in a way few ambitious restaurants are. The buzzy vibe is warmly informal and chef Neil Bentinck’s globetrotting small plates are clever, creative crowd-pleasers. In its classic hen’s egg cheddar mousse (flavoured with, for example, mushroom and PX sherry syrup), fried chicken with gochujang or tandoori octopus with lime pickle, Skosh – extended in 2024 to include a new bar area – is a restaurant that will both thrill foodies and win over those who don’t ordinarily do fancy food. skoshyork.co.uk Cosgriff & Sons York has many exciting bakeries – see Little Arras, Flori, the new Heppni Bakeri, etc. Chef-turned-baker Paul Cosgriff is in that movement’s vanguard. Visit for stellar breads, innovative pastries filled with seasonal jams, custards and crumbles, and a short, daily menu of sandwiches served on a hybrid sourdough focaccia. Creative fillings such as aubergine schnitzel, baba ganoush, mint ricotta and pomegranate, excel. @cs_sourdough 22 Yards This relaxing space smoothly blurs the lines between wine shop, bar and restaurant. Wine lovers will geek-out over the list (more than 70 wines by the glass) and purr over chef Grant Todd’s well-executed dishes of beef tartare, mackerel crudo or sole in a lemon caper butter. Alternatively, graze on charcuterie, cheese and local Haxby Bakehouse sourdough. 22yardswine.com Los Moros Chef Tarik Abdeladim’s Los Moros made its name on Shambles Market, where it still has a stall, before opening this Grape Lane restaurant. Artisan skills are central to its modern North African menu, with everything from chermoula to merguez sausages (served with mint cucumber cacik and urfa oil), made to Tarik’s specifications. Large plates range from chicken tagine with saffron potatoes to grilled octopus with a hazelnut take on the sweet-spicy roasted red pepper dip, muhammara. losmorosyork.co.uk Cresci A slice of wood-fired magic on Piccadilly, Cresci is one of the few UK pizzerias certified by Naples’ Association Verace Pizza Napoletana. Slow-fermented, lightly digestible and beautifully swollen at their cornicione rims, Cresci’s pizzas are dressed in intelligent combinations from, for example, buffalo mozzarella and San Marzano tomatoes, to fennel sausage, friarielli greens and lightly smoked provola and pecorino. crescipizzeria.com Roots Chef Tommy Banks’ restaurants, The Black Swan, The Abbey Inn and Roots, share a core DNA and heritage ingredients grown and creatively preserved at the Banks family farm at Oldstead. But each venue is distinctive. At Michelin-starred Roots, Banks and head chef Will Lockwood blend influences (hyper-seasonal Scandi, modern British, high-end fine dining) in deliciously original ways. Tasting menu dishes such as crab toast with a crab and caviar custard, seasoned with pickled parsley, or roasted scallops glazed with spruce honey in a fermented celeriac juice and brown butter sauce, are delivered by accomplished, friendly staff who create a convivial atmosphere. rootsyork.com Coconut Lagoon For a decade-plus this South Indian restaurant near York’s hospital has wowed regulars with its sensitively spiced work. There is a remarkable vitality and depth of flavour in its menu of dosas, dhals, fish curries and Keralan specialities, such as beef dry fry or roast coconut lamb curry, varutharacha. coconutlagoon.co.uk Spark: York This colourful shipping container venue is a crucial launch pad for local talent. For example, the York restaurants Tasca Frango and Fish & Forest (and F&F’s new wine bar, Notes) have roots here. From Clucking Oinks chicken burgers to RAD’s pizza and The Outpost, a bar collab with Knaresborough’s Turning Point Brew Co, there is always something tasty happening at Spark. sparkyork.org Foodie neighbourhood in York Many visitors to York never stray beyond its ancient city walls. That is a mistake – turn right past Clifford’s Tower, for example, and you will soon find yourself on Bishopthorpe Road (Bishy Road, to locals). This cute enclave of small indie businesses and pavement cafés is abundant with good food at next-level bakery Flori, brunch-lunch faves Robinsons Café and Pig & Pastry, Trinacria’s gelateria, coffee and cake stop Stanley & Ramona, or the Good Food Shop deli, whose lush salads and sandwiches are useful if picnicking in nearby Rowntree Park. Later, check out bar, Angel on the Green, home to RAD’s pizza and hip supper clubs; chill in charming wine shop slash bar, 2 Many Wines; or visit legendary fine dining restaurant, Melton’s, now in its fourth decade and enjoying a second creative life under head chef, Calvin Miller. The traditional Bishy strip is growing, too. Last summer, Dark Horse, already purveyors of excellent coffee and grilled cheese sandwiches at Shambles Market, opened a café a short walk beyond the Bishy’s Scarcroft Road junction. Want to get a true taste of York? Bishy Road is the place to start. Food experiences near York Mýse, Hovingham Josh and Victoria Overington, chef and FOH wine ace respectively, made their names at York’s Le Cochon Aveugle. They now ply their delicious trade at Mýse, their one-Michelin star restaurant with rooms in nearby Hovingham. This is an artisan operation, with Josh’s team curing and fermenting in-house, and using high-grade British produce to put a contemporary spin on often forgotten, historic foods. Think broad bean porridge, confit ceps, fresh cheese and whey, or flambéed medlar cake with malted ice cream. Josh and head chef, Jamie Keeble, also run cookery courses, covering topics from fish butchery to foraging. restaurantmyse.co.uk Brew York tour York is a great beer city. It has a huge variety of vintage pubs and newwave bars (eg The Blue Bell, House of Trembling Madness, Rook & Gaskill) and, in Brew York, a dynamic modern brewery. Its indoor-outdoor, multi-roomed brew-tap is a must, to sample its beer and food from East Asian kitchen, Yuzu. Keen to explore the brewing process in detail? Guided tours are available Friday to Saturday, which explain beer from the malt and mash to the finished IPA. brewyork.co.uk Malton Increasingly on the map for its energetic, artisan-maker food scene, this Yorkshire market town boasts myriad retail attractions. Start with its monthly food market, then explore the stars of Talbot Yard, such as patissier Florian Poirot and his renowned macarons, the Rare Bird distillery, bar and gin school, and Roost coffee. Excellent brewery, Brass Castle, has a Malton taproom, York’s Bluebird Bakery a local outpost, and indie wine shop, Derventio, offers plenty of grape-based diversion. Elsewhere, Malton has various traditional fishmongers, butchers and delicatessens. visitmalton.com More of the best restaurants, cafés and food shops in York Fish & Forest, Grape Lane It’s incredibly exciting when you find a restaurant that makes you feel so at ease you forget you’re not sat round your dining table at home. The serving staff are so knowledgeable and friendly that you feel totally comfortable letting them help you choose from the menu and, as the dishes come out, their recommendations are proven correct every time. This is, presumably, made easy because each dish is made with care, skill and excellent produce. Fish & Forest specialise in seasonal and sustainable fish, game and forest foods. With sustainability at the heart of the restaurant and a menu that’s written out by hand on a chalk board every day to give the chefs the flexibility and freedom to change daily to suit the seasons, you can rest assured that you’ll have a wonderful meal with the health of the planet considered at every turn. The coley was cooked to perfection and served on top of a stunning miso broth flavoured with the freshest of spring veg. Finishing dinner with a pavlova topped with Yorkshire’s famous rhubarb, Chantilly and a ginger crumb makes for a very happy ending. fishandforestrestaurant.com Cafe No.8 Bistro, Gillygate This tiny bistro on Gillygate is the kind of place only the locals know about. Take a table in its hidden garden to enjoy the likes of slow-cooked lamb, home oak-smoked salmon fillet or fresh fig and blue cheese salad in the shadow of York Minster. cafeno8.co.uk Mannion & Co, Blake Street A European-style café and deli, Mannion’s specialises in platters from the deli counter. Yorkshire produce is paired with expertly sourced charcuterie, cheeses, olives and artichokes from France and Italy. The café’s suntrap courtyard is a tiny oasis where you can enjoy a pork pie, homemade piccalilli and salad grazing platter. Or take away your sarnie of choice made with bread baked fresh on site every morning. Super-light scones piled with jams and clotted cream, patisseries and home baked brownies make perfect pairings for Jeeves & Jericho loose leaf teas and wood-roast artisan coffee from Ue Coffee Roasters. mannionandco.co.uk Pairings, Castlegate Visit for a build-your-own wine adventure, alongside good-quality cheeses, meats and deli platters. Choose various wine flights exploring all points from rosés to orange wines. Share a bottle or dip into a large number of wines by the glass or carafe. Several of Pairings’ rarer, pricier wines are served in cost-effective 3 x 50ml flights. pairings.co.uk Betty's Betty’s is far from a secret; the queue of tourists peering into the room of scones, tea and fat rascals is a giveaway. Stick a pinkie out with a bone china cup of Betty’s delicately floral Assam and Darjeeling blend and take your pick from the immaculately presented cake trolley (the chocolate swiss roll is, unfathomably, rich and light all at the same time). Coffee and cake at Betty’s is always a treat but the Lady Betty afternoon tea is even more so. Miniature savouries include Yorkshire pork and Bramley apple pies, smoked salmon and dill roulade, and succulent roast Yorkshire ham and tomato pâté sandwiches. A traditional silver cake stand bursts with aromatic Yorkshire lavender scones, sweet 'n' sticky toffee-apple macarons and a light choux pastry with whipped coffee cream. bettys.co.uk Love Cheese, Gillygate Locals Harry and Phoebe Baines have sourced cheeses from near and far to create an award-winning counter. The selection covers continental as well as British cheeses but this is your chance to taste some of the county’s best, and most unusual, varieties (try the Ribblesdale smoked goat’s cheese, Botton Creamery cheddars or intense Yorkshire blue). There’s also a small café on site. Sit on a picnic bench on the terrace at the back of the shop and sip a Huddersfield-roasted Dark Wood coffee while you wait for a toastie. As you might expect, toasties here are a step above the norm (though try our toastie recipes for serious comfort). We liked ours made with Haxby Baker granary and filled with mature cheddar and spiced tomato or manchego with chorizo and chilli chutney. lovecheese.co.uk For more information visit visityork.org/adventure and be sure to get hold of a York Pass for free entry to attractions in and around York, with discounts at cafes and restaurants. More UK travel guides Best restaurants in Deal Best restaurants in Birmingham Best restaurants in Broadstairs Best restaurants in St Albans Best restaurants in Margate Best restaurants in Bristol Best restaurants in Edinburgh Best restaurants in Whitstable Best restaurants in Oxford Best restaurants in Cambridge Best restaurants in Glasgow
Get your burger fix courtesy of Britain’s finest patty purveyors, from Korean brisket burgers in the North West, to beef short rib cheeseburgers in the capital
Looking for the best burger restaurants across the UK? Want to know where to find the best gourmet burgers? Read on for our restaurant guide, or check out our burger recipes here... Best burger restaurants in London… Buster's, Brixton A stone’s throw from Brixton station is potentially the best new burger in London. You’ll find it at Buster’s, effectively a hole in the wall joint, bar a few small tables, serving up delicious wagyu beef and fried chicken burgers. The London restaurant scene is full of spots trying to claim they do ‘simple things, executed perfectly’ but Buster’s is a spot that is actually nailing it. The wagyu cheeseburger is made up of tender meat, seasoned perfectly and cooked to a juicy medium. The green peppercorn dijonaise adds a welcome acidity, and the potato roll it is all sandwiched between is soft and bouncy. The chicken burger is equally excellent, crispy, juicy and served with plenty of pickles. The IPA cheese sauce is aerated and rich, perfect for dipping lots of hot, crispy fries in. We finished off the meal with a chocolate mousse, which was light but decadent. If you’re looking for a great burger south of the river, Buster’s is where it’s at. busterslondon.co.uk Supra Burger, Queen's Park Housed as a permanent pop-up in the cosy rotisserie restaurant Cocotte, Supra does smashed burgers and it does them well. The burger menu is short and the five burgers on offer are a variation on double stacked smashed cheeseburger, to which you can add bacon or salad, or change up the sauce to make it a Supra, truffle or barbecue burger. The burgers are generously portioned but without being too big to eat. There’s attention to detail in the preparation, along with the use of high-quality ingredients, resulting in burgers that are juicy, flavourful and smashed to perfection. The fries are crisp, golden and fresh from the fryer, and a side of chicken tenders were succulent from what we guessed must have been a wet brine. As well as a choice of six sauces (the burnt chilli was our favourite), there’s a short list of desserts. We tried the Mont Blanc, which was a tall sundae of sweetened chestnut purée, vanilla ice cream, whipped cream and almonds. There’s a fair few eateries on this stretch of leafy Queen's Park and Supra is now the go-to for burgers. supra-burger.com MEATLiquor, Clapham November marks 10 years since the first MEATliquor restaurant launched. Their origins from a burger van in Peckham, to a pop-up above an abandoned pub in New Cross, couldn' be further from the latest venture — and biggest yet — in Clapham's Old Town. The huge space has two bars, a heated outdoor dining area with TVs and a large projector and photo booth inside. Everything about MEATliquor is full-on — from the graffiti-led design and the music played, to the flavours on the menu, a mix of American diner specials, all with a MEATliquor twist. Burger aficionados will point to the Dead Hippie: a French's-mustard-fried double patty with onions, cheese, lettuce and pickles all within a soft bun that soaks up the good stuff. Buffalo chicken wings are a match for any of those found in the US and the loaded fries on offer are a meal within themselves. There are a range of vegetarian and vegan options — from the Tempeh Tantrum patty to the Black Bean Chilli Dog. The drinks list is a mix of craft beers and cocktails, and that's before you hit the 'Poke For Jäger' button on your table. meatliquor.com Tucka Burger, Shoreditch Andy Gardener and Lachy Brown met at school in Australia, and both moved to London to pursue careers in accountancy and consulting. Lachy says: “We quickly realised our passion lay elsewhere, and so in July 2018 we turned to our burger truck dream.” The beef is a high-fat blend of chuck, brisket and bone marrow, which has been dry-aged for 35 days. Try the signature Tom Tucka American cheeseburger, or the vegetarian What the Tuck (beef is substituted for grilled halloumi). “Our burgers are incredibly juicy and messy,” says Lachy. tuckaburger.co.uk Hawksmoor, London This upmarket steakhouse chain also serves a mean burger – notably the £17.50 beef short rib cheeseburger with kimchi, which was launched in 2010 when the Seven Dials restaurant opened. Inspired by a trip to Seoul, it features Hawksmoor’s own kimchi, the recipe for which you can find in the Hawksmoor at Home cookbook. thehawksmoor.com Bleecker, London What started as a street-food truck by former corporate lawyer Zan Kaufman now has three sites in Bloomberg, Victoria and Old Spitalfields Market. Bleecker serves six burgers with a range of fries, including the “angry” version with hot sauce and blue cheese sauce. The patties are made with native-breed beef, and brand director Liam O’Keefe says the secret blend they’ve created helps the butcher use the whole animal. “We believe we have the best-tasting beef burger possible,” he says. bleecker.co.uk Black Bear Burger, E1 (Shoreditch) This Box Park Shoreditch operation keeps things simple with three classic burger options. Stew Down, who opened Black Bear alongside his wife Liz, says: “We don’t mess around with gimmicks – everything in our burgers is there for one reason: flavour.” Beef comes from grass-fed South West native breeds (Stew’s family are beef farmers in Devon), and the most popular burger is the Black Bear: dry-aged beef, American cheese, bacon, onion jam and garlic mayo in a super-light seeded bun. It’s the balance of flavours that sets these burgers apart – Stew says that they’re keen to avoid overpowering sauces, incorrect seasoning and unnecessary ingredients. blackbearburger.com The Wigmore, W1 (Oxford Cirus) An upmarket pub just off Regent Street and Oxford Circus, The Wigmore serves a mean cheeseburger with grilled ox tongue. It was created by head chef James Hawley, who says the idea came from enjoying ox tongue and English mustard rolls when he was a kid. The Wigmore burger also features a caramelised onion brioche bun, crispy shallots and the same melted three-cheese mix used in the pub’s signature toasties. the-wigmore.co.uk Best burger restaurants across the UK… Bunsen, Belfast Keeping it simple and using high-quality ingredients (such as Black Aberdeen Angus beef minced on site every morning, and homemade soft Amish dinner rolls) is what sets Belfast’s Bunsen apart from competitors. It’s a straightforward choice between classic hamburger or cheeseburger, the latter of which includes a special blend of comté and monterey jack. bunsen.ie Steak & Honour, Cambridge Steak & Honour (which also has mobile burger vans across Cambridge) serves three types of burger: classic, cheese and a veggie shroom. The meat patties are made with 100% hand-minced chuck beef from cattle that graze East Anglian pastures and water meadows. Nothing is added except Maldon salt as they sizzle, and Dovecote Bakery created the brioche bun recipe for them. Order a side of three-cheese mac ’n’ cheese, too, which comes sliced and grilled. steakandhonour.co.uk Patty & Bun, Brighton Eight Patty & Bun branches have opened in London and Brighton over the past seven years. It’s known for impeccable sourcing – beef from HG Walter, bespoke buns from Bread Ahead, cheese from Neal’s Yard and Kupros Dairy – and bestsellers include the Lambshank Redemption: a lamb patty with coriander and chilli, buttermilk baby courgettes, pickled aubergine, cumin aïoli and feta. pattyandbun.co.uk Hills, Brecon A mile outside the town and overlooking the Brecon Beacons, the glass-fronted Hills restaurant is a destination that attracts thousands of diners every month. Owain and Emily Hill showcase Welsh produce in their burgers, with signature options including a chips and gravy cheeseburger, sweet and sour chicken burger, and pulled pork with hoisin and soy sauce burger. Hills uses aged PGI Welsh beef from local butcher Paddy Sweeney, and cooks its burgers using the ‘smashed’ method, creating an incredible crust and flavour. Each burger comes with two 3.5oz smashed patties and a blend of monterey jack and American cheese as standard. hillsbrecon.co.uk Blas Burgerworks, St Ives, Cornwall “Not fast, just fabulous” is the motto at Blas Burgerworks, the tiny restaurant and takeaway close to St Ives harbour. Now into its 14th year, it has become something of a local institution thanks to an unwavering commitment to provenance and sourcing. Beef comes from nearby Trevaskis Farm, Cornish potatoes are used for the hand-cut chips, and all the sauces are made on the premises. Blas Burgerworks also makes a mean vegetarian organic black bean burger, and occasionally serves a special mackerel burger using fish landed in the bay around the corner. blasburgerworks.co.uk Libertine Burger, Leamington Spa Charles Harris of Libertine Burger says that the main reason his patties stand out is the quality of the meat. It’s a mix of double-ground chuck, brisket and flank from 35-day dry-aged Angus beef, supplied by renowned butcher, Aubrey Allen. Hand-smashing the patties to order on a really hot grill lends a great crust. The Warwickshire punters also love the buttermilk fried chicken burger. libertineburger.com Squeezed, Bristol He might be cooking in a tiny shipping container on Bristol’s harbourside but Squeezed founder Alex Hayes was still crowned burger chef of the year at the National Burger Awards 2019. Signatures include the Beetlejuice (double beef patty, smoked bacon, cheese, black garlic, squid-ink aïoli and gochujang ketchup) and the Reverse Cowgirl (beef patty, smoked bacon, peanut chipotle BBQ and charred scallion soured cream). Alex says: “You can taste every element, as well as the overall flavour profile.” bristolsqueezed.co.uk Fat Hippo, Newcastle, Durham and Sheffield “Get ready to sink your teeth into something juicy,” is one tagline at the Fat Hippo, which started life in Newcastle and has since added Durham, Jesmond and Sheffield branches to its empire. The idea is indulgence, messy fingers and a full belly. The Bubba Gump burger, for example, includes a double patty, cheese, popcorn shrimp, smoked bacon and pickleback slaw. fathippo.co.uk The Beefy Boys, Hereford The Beefy Boys are four childhood friends who have always loved cooking burgers at garden BBQs. They’re regular competitors at worldwide burger championships (their next challenge in October takes them to Dallas, Texas) but, following a series of pop-ups across Hereford, the crew now has a restaurant in the city. Co-founder Murf says: “The Beefy Boys are the definition of a drunken BBQ that’s got seriously out of hand... so much so that we now own a restaurant, a food truck and an events business.” Murf puts their success down to local Hereford beef (100% chuck and brisket), toasting the bun with bacon fat, butter or aged beef fat, and seasoning. “We also steam our burgers, a tip we picked up from American diners. You spray water onto the hot plate, then steam the burgers under a cloche – it heats the bun up and melts the cheese, making the whole thing come together in a cacophony of cheesy, meaty goodness.” thebeefyboys.com Free State Kitchen, Liverpool “We serve straightforward American classics,” says Kate Hughes of Liverpool’s Free State Kitchen, whose bestseller after six years of business is still the cheeseburger (served in a locally baked brioche bun). The core menu may stay the same, but Free State Kitchen likes to use its specials board to mix things up on a regular basis. Expect treats such as the Korean brisket burger, made with locally produced kimchi, bulgogi-style beef and a crispy fried egg. freestatekitchen.co.uk Slap & Pickle, Leeds James Tabor and Zoe Perret run Slap & Pickle at Assembly Underground, a street-food hub located in the basement of a Grade-II building in Leeds city centre. The burgers are made from 100% grass-fed Yorkshire beef, and showcase a signature blend of chuck, short rib and clod. James says: “We can serve every item on our menu in meaty, veggie or vegan incarnations, and we make all of it ourselves. We don’t buy ‘science-lab fake meats’, because they’re all horrible.” slapandpickle.co.uk Big Boys, Folkestone Brothers Gareth Attwell and Guy Meurice launched Big Boys in 2014, and have made it to the finals of the National Burger Awards twice since then. Chef Gareth worked in top-end restaurants for 16 years, including spells with Marcus Wareing. The burgers are made with local rare-breed beef (matured for 28 days) and French brioche buns (or even mac ’n’ cheese ‘buns’, pictured). Big Boys are well known for their specials – try the Fat Elvis for its peanut butter, raspberry jelly and bacon jam. bigboysburgers.co.uk El Perro Negro, Glasgow Nick Watkins started El Perro Negro as a kitchen takeover pop-up, but it became such a hit with Glasgow burger fans that it was a permanent restaurant by 2018 (and winner at the National Burger Awards 2019). Using beef from small local farms, specials include the Top Dog, with bone marrow and roquefort butter, bacon and black truffle mayo, and the Black Dog, which adds black pudding to the mix. Nick says: “We don’t attempt to reinvent the wheel, we just use great beef, great bread and great ingredients. Our short rib and marrow patty gives a super juicy burger, with a really intense bovine flavour. The beef should be the star of the show. Anything that goes on the patty is there to complement the beef, not drown it out.” @ElPerroNegroGLA Magu, Bath Magu founder Leon Dunnett makes his own sauces and serves fantastic smashed beef patties in bespoke buns. But his Bath diner has also gained a formidable reputation for the veggie burger with Somerset-made halloumi, roasted Mediterranean vegetables, pickled red onion and mint yogurt. magudiner.com Meat:Stack, Newcastle Following pop-ups around Newcastle, Meat:Stack found a permanent home in the city’s Grainger Market. Its American cheeseburgers are the stuff of legend, especially the Cease and Desist (made with rare-breed dry-aged beef, smoked bacon, mascarpone and black garlic honey). “We are obsessive about simplicity and clarity of flavour,” says co-founder Tom Westman. The beef is cooked on a searing hot grill, then steamed, and you should order a portion of beef dripping fries on the side. meat-stack.com Honest Burgers, across the UK With more than 30 sites across the UK, Honest Burgers has a point of difference from other chains – it’s heavily invested in its own butchery, with each restaurant making burgers from scratch. Co-founder Tom Barton says: “From day one we’ve made the majority of our menu in-house, starting with chips, relish, pickles and sauces. By having our own butchery, we now know exactly where our beef comes from. We also love working with nearby suppliers, whether it’s for a local burger (every branch of Honest has one) or a local brewery.” honestburgers.co.uk Hoof, Cardiff Sibling business to Cardiff’s Dusty Knuckle Pizza, Hoof has a permanent residency at the city’s Sticky Fingers street-food market in the Brewery Quarter. It serves a 100% Welsh beef featherblade patty with Teifi cheese, pickles, cultured cream and sweet chilli herb sauce. One of the secrets of their success, according to owner Phil Lewis, is the fact award-winning Hay-on-Wye baker Alex Gooch provides the buns. “Alex’s organic challah buns are slightly spongy and a bit crusty. They hold together perfectly and are a great marriage with our beef patties, especially when grilled with dripping.” @hoofcdf Original Patty Men, Birmingham “Our tag line is ‘Purveyors of Filth’ and we do our best to live up to that,” says Thomas Maher, director of Birmingham’s Original Patty Men. Five burgers are on the menu, including the Pineapple Express (aged longhorn beef patty, maple-coated bacon, lettuce, roquito chilli pepper, fresh tomato, cheddar and pineapple hot sauce). Thomas says: “Our suppliers list is something we’re incredibly proud of, and the majority supply Michelin-starred restaurants across the country. Our style of cooking is just a bit different to theirs!” originalpattymen.com Words by Mark Taylor Photographs by Justin D Esouza, David Griffen, Ed Sowerby
Horto, Rudding Park, Harrogate: restaurant review
Try Nidderdale duck ragout, scallops with garden peas, and Yorkshire cheeses at Rudding Park's produce-led restaurant
Looking for restaurants in Harrogate? Read our review of Horto, and check out more restaurants in Yorkshire here. Horto in a nutshell Rudding Park’s kitchen garden-led pop-up has found a permanent home in the country hotel’s smart spa. What’s the vibe? Horto sits in Rudding Park’s swish spa, so expect guests to pad past the large glass doors in robes and slippers on their way to the rooftop pool. The restaurant maintains its relaxed, funky vibe from its pop-up days – a contemporary fireplace sits below a bold, neon canvas, mustard chairs and teal blue velvet booths beckon punters from the bar, and flashes of florals creep in to complement the garden view. What’s the food like? Head chef Murray Wilson works closely with gardener Adrian Reeve to conjure up a seven-course tasting menu based around what’s in season. There’s an a la carte option also, should you wish to enjoy heartier portions (with the added pull of sides such as wrinkly, skin-on new potatoes and garden brassica in a soy dressing). Start by slathering roast chicken butter onto stout and treacle brioche, and popping elegant cacao spheres into your mouth, bursting with a surprising but delicious oyster emulsion. Loch Fyne scallops sat on a bed of crunchy potato cubes and the sweetest peas, pulled together with an umami-rich chicken and truffle velouté. Cornish cod with parsnip cylinders, mussels and foamy fish sauce was delicious, but the real highlight was Nidderdale duck served with roast beetroot ends turned upside down like spindly wizard hats and a small but perfect mound of duck ‘ragout’ – a rich, indulgent fry-up of duck offal. Desserts had plenty of wow-factor (a dramatic white chocolate and yuzu dome laced with sea buckthorn hid tiny cubes of fresh pear), but do try the cheese selection from Settle-based cheesemongers The Courtyard Dairy (who supply L’Enclume, Black Swan at Oldstead and more). We tasted one of the first 400 wheels of rich, clotted cream-like Winsdale brie, along with sheep’s-milk Leeds Blue, and tangy Hafford 18-month Welsh cheddar. And the drinks? Young sommelier Elliot Donati has put together an impressive wine list (white chateauneuf du pape, Burgundy’s saint aubin, Lebanese chateau musar). He also has wine pairing experience beyond his 20 years – Alsace pinot noir was light enough so as not to overpower an aged beef tartare, with a peppery finish, and Sicilian Nero D’Avola was soft and rich to make sure it stood up to the duck. olive says Treat yourself to a spa day and garden-led afternoon tea to make the most of the natural light from the floor-to-ceiling windows (the lighting isn’t quite perfect in the evening when the curtains close). Dinner is best kept for a special treat, as its prices match the hotel surroundings and more, with mains £35 and £69 for the tasting menu.
Does a regular diner reach the same conclusion about a restaurant as a food pro, who may get special treatment if recognised?* Emma Sturgess and olive reader Andrew Murphy compare notes on this new Scandi-inspired opening
Check out our review of Norse in Harrogate, and see if an expert restaurant critic comes to the same conclusion as an olive reader... The pro Emma Sturgess is a journalist and restaurant critic based near Manchester who writes for The Good Food Guide and SquareMeal. She loves anything with butter in it. The punter Andrew Murphy lives in York and eats out several times a month. His most memorable meal was the tasting menu at The Black Swan at Oldstead, and his guilty pleasure is pork scratchings. About Norse Following a successful kickstarter campaign, Paul Rawlinson and Simon Jewitt (pictured below, left to right) have upped their game from an evening pop-up in Harrogate’s Scandi café, Baltzersens, to a permanent home in the pretty spa town in North Yorkshire. Norse plays on Paul’s Norwegian heritage to offer a Scandi-inspired casual-dining restaurant –plenty of oak and beech wood, a wall of moss, smart leather banquettes – with waiters dressed casually and a Nordic menu to match. Go all in with the weekly-changing seasonal tasting menu (£49), or choose from a dozen or so small plates. Dishes include Whitby crab with cucumber and pea; and confit hake with hay-baked celeriac, mussels, roasted lettuce and BBQ bone sauce. Well-balanced desserts range from crisp Norwegian krumkake waffle biscuits with whisky gel and blackcurrant, to sharp sea buckthorn tart with cardamom ice cream. norserestaurant.co.uk Our pro's Norse restaurant review… *I was not recognised. If not by the fermented vegetables, you shall know Norse’s intentions by its Scandi-modern décor. Or, of course, the casual but knowledgeable service, as predictable a feature of contemporary Nordic-inspired restaurants as the ornamental moss in the loo. In fact, just one plaid-shirted member of staff made the effort to engage with us, warmly and well, while her colleagues favoured the dish-delivery equivalent of a Gallic shrug. Like Harrogate’s famous silver Viking hoard, Norse’s menu is an embarrassment of riches. It’s written on brown paper, but it glints with possibility: icy aperitifs, sourdough with caramelised yeast butter, and plentiful veggie options among the ‘small plates’, which effectively function as starters –you’re advised to order two each – and then mini mains. We loved playing flavour-chase with the medicinal herb (a spindly but powerful thing called olive oil leaf) scattered over fudgy confit duck egg yolk with charred sweetcorn and garlic soured cream. Raw peas and a rock of matching green sorbet added texture to a simple crab salad with the right kind of seaside whiff. Although Nidderdale chicken was deadly dull apart from coins of mustard-glazed turnip, seared chunks of aged beef were an ideal match for strands of fermented veg. With it, Norse serves an aerated bone marrow hollandaise with the slightly musty roasting-tin savour that every Sunday cook recognises as the best bit. We finished with less-than-silky chocolate ganache with bilberries, and crisp-bottomed sea buckthorn tart with cardamom ice cream. This acidic berry had been sugared enough to chase away its natural pucker and bring out breezy citrus notes – a better call than the decision to cut a small tart in half rather than serving a proper slice. THE BOTTOM LINE Moving Norse from its café base to new, bigger digs can only have been a labour of love but, at the moment, service doesn’t always reflect that. Neither this nor the occasional lapse in kitchen concentration would be enough to keep me away long term, though – both drinks and ideas are good, and I admit to a weakness for ornamental moss. Total for two, excluding service: £95.60 Food: 7/10 Service: 6/10 Vibe: 8/10 TOTAL: 21/30 Our punter's Norse restaurant review… We were warmly welcomed by our waiter and taken straight to our table. The restaurant is cool and casual – the jazzy soundtrack and waiters wearing checked shirts and jeans contribute to the relaxed vibe. After a few minutes we were taken through the ‘small plates’ format and advised to order three dishes per person. We asked our waiter to recommend a medium-bodied wine. The unusual choice of German dornfelder red was excellent – velvety and intensely fruity. Sourdough bread and a decent portion of a yeasty, caramelised, salty butter was devoured before our ‘snacks’ of fried cod cheeks arrived. These were moist and succulent in a crispy coating, although I felt the brown butter mayonnaise was slightly under-seasoned. The menu uses local ingredients and embraces Scandi influences throughout, with 11 savoury dishes priced from £5 to £17 (gluten-free and veggie options clearly identified). We enquired about ‘Ken’s salad’ and were informed in detail about its provenance. Ken is a farmer focussed on baby and micro heritage-variety herbs and leaves, and intent on harvesting only what is in peak condition. The chefs at Norse ferment, pickle and dry ingredients to deliver a balance of earthy, sweet, sour and salty notes, while keeping plenty of crunch in the veg. Melt-in-the-mouth mackerel tartare followed, balanced by sour pickled gooseberry slices, although I felt the smoked eel described in the menu was lost. The aged beef was pink, moist and tender, seasoned perfectly and lightly coloured on the outside, which I would have preferred a little more caramelised. A bone marrow hollandaise to accompany was rich and punchy. Sea buckthorn tart to finish had a crisp, golden base with a citrussy filling served with subtly perfumed cardamom ice cream scattered with flower petals – a perfect end to the meal. THE BOTTOM LINE Superb value for such quality food was delivered with attentive and unobtrusive service from a knowledgeable team in a relaxing, uncluttered environment. The food on the well-balanced menu was well cooked, interesting, varied and beautifully presented. We will return. Total for two, excluding service: £94 Food: 9/10 Service: 10/10 Vibe: 9/10 TOTAL: 28/30 Photographs | Andrew Benge, Richard Molloy
Read our restaurant review of Skosh in York, where chef Neil Bentinck has created an inventive and contemporary small plates menu peppered with Asian flavours
The medieval town of York has always offered plenty to history buffs and café-goers, but a quiet foodie revolution, too, has recently been taking place. Wander down one of the higgledy-piggledy backstreets and you'll find a new crop of young chefs putting the city's food in the spotlight. Head under the ancient arch of Micklegate, for example. Once known for its pub and club crawl ‘The Micklegate Run’, the listed buildings on this street now house some top-notch restaurants, the newest addition to the block being trendy Skosh. After seriously starry stints at Northcote, Pipe and Glass and The Star Inn at Harome, along with extensive travels in Asia, half-Indian chef Neil Bentinck has returned to his hometown to open this contemporary small plates restaurant. Taking inspiration from the street food of Thailand, Japan and India, Neil’s menu is peppered with on-trend Asian influences – sweet and savoury doughnuts, cauliflower rice, ceviche – it's all there. The contemporary interiors of Skosh combine stained pine wood tables with bold yellow and grey touches. Sit on the table in the middle of the restaurant that’s framed by a striking jade painted arch, or get close to the action on a high seat looking onto Neil’s open kitchen that glows at night thanks to bright yellow tiles on the back wall. Cutlery is balanced on wooden blocks, handmade for the restaurant, and dishes are served on bespoke ceramic crockery in earthy colours, created by Neil and ceramicist Jess Jos. The small plates menu (the word Skosh comes from the Japanese ‘sukoshi’ meaning ‘a small amount’) is made for sharing, and our waiter suggested five or six small plates between two, or two to three of the larger options. Hand-finished ceramic plates arrived in swift succession - crisp square nuggets of saddleback pork were accompanied with a sweet and sour tangy gooseberry ketchup, jewel-like granola-fried Skosh chicken was dipped in a delicate sorrel emulsion, and molasses-cured wild sea trout came on little sticks with peanuts and lime. Larger dishes were excellent, with equally thoughtful choices for meat-eaters, pescatarians and vegetarians. Crisp-topped Suffolk lamb belly fell apart beautifully and was livened up with bursts of pomegranate seeds, pickled onion, charred baby gem lettuce and a dash of yogurt to cut through the meat. Baked hake was topped with finely sliced cauliflower with Egyptian Dukkah spice mix on an umami-packed miso cauliflower rice bed – the highlight of the meal. Summer veg (we had artichoke, beetroot, courgette, tomatoes and yellow carrots) brought over from local Brunswick Nursery, the very same day, was tarted up with creamy burrata, black olives and a clean rapeseed oil emulsion. Sticking to his Indian roots, Neil plays with mango lassis on the dessert menu. Shot glasses of smooth and creamy mango were lifted with cardamom and served with mini doughnuts that burst open to reveal an intensely yellow saffron custard centre. Neil’s speciality dessert uses goat’s curd from nearby Yellison Farm to create fluffy toasted marshmallows with refreshing raspberry sorbet and a zingy lychee granita. A richer, more grown-up dessert was a 76% chocolate slice, which had a brittle-like black olive crisp and a light fennel foam topping with chocolate-fennel sauce. A real contemporary addition to ancient York, Skosh is pushing the city’s restaurant scene up a notch, making it a serious foodie destination. Skoshyork.co.uk Written by Alex Crossley Photgraphs by Alex Crossley and Skosh First Published July 2016 You may also like Secret foodie destinations Le Cochon Aveugle, York: restaurant review Best gastro pubs with rooms: The Anvil Inn, Sawdon, Yorkshire Stockdales of Yorkshire, Leeds: Restaurant Review This week we celebrate Yorkshire Day with web editor Alex Crossley (who also happens to be from Yorkshire!). Alex returns to her home county to explore the independent food scene in Leeds including a lesson in British charcuterie from Friends of Ham as well as matching speciality coffee with Yorkshire-made sweet treats at North Star. olive magazine podcast ep63 - Leeds independent food scene special View oEmbed on the source website
The Coach House at Middleton Lodge, Richmond: restaurant review
Read our review of The Coach House restaurant with rooms in North Yorkshire. Set in a beautifully converted stable yard, it delivers locally sourced ingredients cooked with intelligence, respect and flair - a truly memorable dining experience.
Middleton Lodge, a grand Georgian country house hotel just outside Richmond in North Yorkshire, used to overshadow the adjoining stable yard – but after careful restoration and the addition of nine luxury bedrooms, it’s The Coach House that’s attracting attention now. Thankfully, the original building remains and has been gently improved by adding beautiful arched French windows, a lick of pastel-coloured paint and glowing lamps on the walls. Arranged in a horseshoe shape, The Coach House’s focal point is its restaurant in the east wing, where chef Gareth Rayner presides over what he calls 'an accessible menu that makes our favourite ingredients sing'. The space itself impresses with high-domed ceilings, a stylish bar and flickering candlelight come evening time. A basket of beer and onion bread – slightly sweet and pillowy soft with a chewy crust ideal for gnawing – set the standard for what turned out to be a special evening. It’s the first time we’ve eaten four slices of bread (each) before starters. Chargrilled broccoli with salty Iberico Bellota, pickled Jerusalem artichokes and toasted hazelnuts was vividly colourful and a party of textures – dehydrated Jerusalem artichokes made a satisfying crunch and provided a great contrast to velvety smooth artichoke purée. The crispy duck egg with salty pancetta, meaty mushrooms and truffle was also faultless. As for mains, sous-vide venison saddle was ruby red and tender enough to eat with a spoon. Delicious on its own, but accentuated here with sweet blackberry vinegar, perfect circles of cabbage and fat chunks of salt-baked beetroot. I’d happily make the four-hour drive from London to The Dales again for that kind of game. Flaky roast cod with soft potato ‘risotto’ showcased the same intelligent cooking style and we loved how our beer-pickled onion shells acted as pools for the vinaigrette. Despite varied menu choices, our sommelier (the friendliest we’ve ever had) found us a Spanish Albarino that surprisingly matched both cod and venison. It also went with a slice of lemon and olive oil cake for dessert, which came steeped in zingy lemon syrup and accompanied by honey and fennel ice cream – a refreshing, herbal-like flavour that we’ve since tried to make ourselves at home. Finally, a Maragda soft chocolate ganache with chocolate sorbet and honeycomb was as dreamy as it sounds. What comes across so strongly in Gareth’s cooking is an unfaltering respect for ingredients. Whether cabbage, venison or truffle, everything gets the attention it deserves and there are no shortcuts or second-bests. And despite Gareth’s insistence that it’s 'simple' food, it’s the odd treat – dehydrated Jerusalem artichokes and fennel ice cream – that pushes his food up to another level. After a meal like that, it’s a comfort to know that there are bedrooms within stumbling distance. Exposed beams, giant beds, stylish stand-alone baths and free packets of Yorkshire crisps in the mini bar make for a great base to explore the beauty of North Yorkshire. Written by Charlotte Morgan, January 2016 You might also like Stockdales of Yorkshire, Leeds: restaurant review Best gastro pubs with rooms: The Anvil Inn, Sawdon, Yorkshire Le Cochon Aveugle, York: restaurant review Skye, Scotland: the best places to eat, drink and stay Hot food trips for 2016 This week we celebrate Yorkshire Day with web editor Alex Crossley (who also happens to be from Yorkshire!). Alex returns to her home county to explore the independent food scene in Leeds including a lesson in British charcuterie from Friends of Ham as well as matching speciality coffee with Yorkshire-made sweet treats at North Star. olive magazine podcast ep63 - Leeds independent food scene special View oEmbed on the source website