Best Restaurants In York

Looking at the best restaurants in York for dinner? You'll find a corker with The Cross Keys, a quintessentially British pub offering a quaint and cosy dining experience. Within proximity to the Medieval Walls and Chapter House, its prime location makes it a hotspot for those visiting the city for a day out. The Victorian boozer offers teal-panelled rooms with fireplaces and dark, wooden furniture beckoning punters to pull up a chair and tuck into plates of halloumi fries and breaded mushrooms, or larger dishes such as scampi and chips or an 8oz sirloin steak.

One of the best restaurants in York town centre has to be The Botanist. This hidden gem is laced with romantic features, such as woven vines around wooden beams and eclectic, glass light fixtures. It invites you to get lost in a floral wonderland and enjoy live music throughout the week, alongside your international meal. Order the world-famous hanging kebabs with flavours such as salt and pepper pork belly, or slurp up some silky prawn linguine before wolfing down some cookie dough for dessert. Its signature cocktail offering is not to be missed either, with refreshing concoctions such as The Plant Pot and the Cherry Blossom Martini up for the sipping.

There are two Slug and Lettuce's in York, one waterside with views overlooking the River Ouse and the other slap bang in the middle of the city centre. Both provide pretty, floral spaces to enjoy fantastic brunch dishes. Enter a quirky dining space filled with neon pink signage and printed furniture to revel in photogenic berry pancake tacos and Mexican feasts featuring a fried egg and peri peri sauce. Throughout the day, you're able to mix and match three small plates for £14.50, such as roasted patatas bravas, crispy brie wedges and Iberico ham croquettes.

Cool and industrial, BrewDog is perched on Micklegate fronting shabby-chic, bare brick walls and glowing cabinets of golden sips. You'll find the kitchen whipping up some seriously scrumptious eats, such as sourdough pizzas topped with Scottish mozzarella and salami. Snap up 2-4-1 slices from Monday 'til Thursday and indulge in other terrific bites such as Korean BBQ wings and the Shaw O.G. (a hot dog topped with caramelised onions, mustard and ketchup) throughout the week at a bargain price. 

A traditional pub located within Saint Helen's Square, Harkers is steeped in history. It's built on the Roman Praetorian Gate - part of the original structure still exists in the boozer's basement. Sporting tall, white pillars and chandeliers, it's a regal-looking setting serving tasty British fare. Sip on cask ales and classic cocktails such as espresso martinis and mojitos, while chomping on the likes of chicken and truffled oyster mushroom pies, or salmon and dill fishcakes, finished off with a sticky toffee pudding. 

Byron York, situated in the heart of High Ousegate, offers a refined dining experience that is a delightful fusion of the founder's visit to the USA and the best of British cuisine. They source their beef from the Southwest of England and partner with Alden's, a family-run butcher in Oxford since 1793, to craft the perfect patties. Enjoy their signature burger, a unique blend of maple bacon, relish, and red onions, or relish the Clucky, a buttermilk fried chicken creation with smashed avocado, Sriracha hot honey, and pickled red onions. Don't miss out on their delectable mac 'n' cheese and hot honey wings to complete your meal.

When it comes to quirky restaurants, York has a handful but none come cooler than YO! and its sushi conveyor belt. You'll find this laid-back eatery in the city centre slinging out affordable Asian bites, only a short walk from the station. Perfect for visiting with friends or family, take a seat counter-side or in a plush booth and choose from an array of scrumptious plates. Think salmon maki, tuna sashimi and chicken katsu curries, followed by fluffy dorayaki pancakes for dessert.

Tank & Paddle provides a warm and welcoming setting to enjoy a nice cool pint or two. You'll find a crowd-pleasing food menu here, as stone-baked pizzas topped with grilled chicken and streaky bacon are on the menu, alongside tacos filled with halloumi, plus wild garlic and sour cream. If brunch is more your thing, you'll be able to inhale a full fry-up for only a tenner. Bargain. What's more, donning shiny, wooden flooring and cushioned booths, it's also a top place to catch the sports fixtures, thanks to its plasma TVs fixed to the wall.