York Restaurant Tips by leics

The Spurriergate Centre: Cheap eats in a spiritual setting

It's not often you can eat your lunch sitting inside a church!

The Spurriergate Centre is set inside St Michael Spurriergate. Although the interior of the existing building is largely from the 1600/1700s, the pillars which hold up the roof are original, dating from the 1100s.

The name 'spurriergate' means the place where the spur-makers plied their trade in Medieval times.

The church is no longer used for services but has become a popular spot for residents (and visitors) to have tea or coffee and home-made cakes, or to eat lunch. There's always a 'dish of the day', as well as various hot sandwiches...sausage, bacon...and jacket potatoes with various fillings.

There are tables downstairs and upstairs, and a shop selling Fairtrade and craft goods of various types.

Staff are mostly volunteers, the food is very reasonably-priced, profits go to various good causes..and it's just a very pleasant, and unusual, place to eat a reasonably-priced meal.

Worth popping in, even if it's only for a cup of tea and a toasted teacake! :-)

Favorite Dish: Open:

February to September.
Monday to Friday - 7.30am til 4pm
Saturday - 9.30am til 4.30pm
Sundays - 11am til 3pm

Half-terms and October to December.
Monday to Friday - 7.30am til 4pm
Saturday - 9.30am til 5pm
Sundays - 11am til 3pm

Comparison: less expensive than average

Directions: On the corner of Spurriergate and Micklegate/High Ousegate

Rating: 3

Theme: Local

Website: http://www.thespurriergatecentre.com/index.html

Lendal Cellars: Underneath the arches........

In what used to be the Lord Mayor's wine-cellar, with tables in the brick tunnels. There's an outdoor seating area (partially roofed) with, weirdly, a pool table under one roofed bit.

The food is ok (pub-standard, not particularly cheap, and not as good as it was years ago), the beer is well-kept (there's usually a good choice of guest ales) and its well-located (just off Lendal).

Often very busy though: it's popular with students. Get a table (and table number) before ordering food from the bar.

Update from November 2011: still the same cellars, still just as popular and busy, still an easy, cheap (for the city centre) place to drink and eat fair-enough food for the price.

Address: Lendal, York

Comparison: about average

Phone: +44 01904 623121

Price: US$11-20

Rating: 3

Theme: Pub/Brewery

Website: http://www.pub-explorer.com/nyorks/pub/lendalcellarsyork.htm

Meltons Too: Good ingredients, good tapas

Meltons on Ravenscroft Road is one of York's top restaurants for fine dining.

Meltons Too cafe/bar/bistro is owned by the same people and has a well-deserved reputation for very good food at reasonable prices.

It's housed in a lovely 17th building, has several floors, nooks and crannies and very comfortable seating.

We met there for a family lunch (been there before as well). Their tapas are really good: quality local ingredients are used, and it shows. But the prices are very reasonable: several dishes are less than 4GBP, and portions are good.

If visiting on a Sunday, I'd love to try their locally-sourced roast pork.

But it was a Saturday. We chose several different dishes: my favourite was the local black pudding (blood sausage) oven-baked with apple slices. Very tasty indeed.

The beer is good too. Real ale, with guest beers. We drank Guzzlers (most of us!). And there's the usual wines/spirits/coffee and so on.

Well worth a visit if you are looking for somewhere near the city centre which asks reasonable prices for excellent food in pleasant surroundings. Service is courteous and efficient.

I wrote this tip a couple of years ago: I've just (2011) wandered past Meltons Too on a grim November Sunday. It was just as busy and clearly just as popular. :-)

Address: 25 Walmgate

Comparison: about average

Directions: Walk down Walmgate from the city centre and Meltons Too is on the left, just after you've crossed the bridge.

It's painted in blue and white..I forgot to take an outside photo, but there's one on their website.

Phone: +44 (0)1904 629222

Rating: 4

Theme: Local

Website: http://www.meltonstoo.co.uk/

La Place Verte: Belgian!

I was tipped off about this place by locals: it's a very well-kept secret!

The couple who run this tiny cafe in a wonderful building by Skeldergate Bridge met in La Place Verte in Antwerp, hence its name. Their menu includes a variety of superb Belgian-style waffles and pancakes, as well as many types of tea. These include some really unusual teabags which contain flowers which 'bloom' in your glass when hot water is added! They have a good variety of bottled beers too.

And as for the hot chocolate: you get the hot milk, and the chocolate drops or shavings, and the cream, and make up your own! Milk, plain or white: absolutely delicious! See the other photo.....

......and they sell speciality Belgian chocolates too!

Well worth seeking out, but make sure you don't tell everyone otherwise I will get into trouble!

Address: Tower Gardens/Skeldergate Bridge

Comparison: less expensive than average

Directions: This used to be the tollhouse for the bridge, and dates from 1881. Go into the Tower Gardens opposite Clifford Tower, and you'll see it on your left.

Phone: 01904 677 005

Price: less than US$10

Rating: 5

Theme: Local

Website: http://www.laplaceverte.co.uk

The Old White Swan: Pub food.......

The Old White Swan is on Goodramgate, a collection of what was originally nine buildings, some dating from the 16th century. In these buildings were once a variety of businesses: a poultry market, a barber, a pig-sty............but now it's all one pub.

There's a properly covered and well-sheltered courtyard with tables, and small, comfortable rooms inside. The beer is good (a variety of real ales and tap lagers), and the food is reasonably-priced standard pub fare: hot and cold sandwiches, jacket potatoes, lasagne etc. All perfectly acceptable fillers, though nothing stunning. Service is pleasant and (when I have visited) speedy.

The pub is, of course, supposed to be haunted.

Look out for the original brick four-stepped mounting-block in the courtyard (see photo).

Address: Goodramgate

Comparison: about average

Price: US$11-20

Rating: 4

Theme: Local

Website: http://www.beerintheevening.com/pubs/s/99/9929/Old_White_Swan/York

Wilde's: Small and pleasant.

Wilde's wine bar/ bistro is a small, atmospheric place to eat good food. Pleasant surroundings, friendly staff, good value.

Open 11 - 11 daily.
Mon - Friday: 'Happy hour' 5.30 - 7.30

Address: Grape Lane

Comparison: about average

Directions: In the 'Latin Quarter' near the Minster. Entrance in Coffee Yard, an alleyway leading from Stonegate to Grape Lane.

Price: US$21-30

Rating: 4

Theme: Local

........... Little Betty's: If Betty's is too crowded, try.......... Betty's Review

Little Betty's is on Stonegate, a couple of minutes away from the main tearooms. It's run by the same people, has the same cakes etc but is in a much older building (which I think makes it better anyway).

Address: Stonegate

Comparison: more expensive than average

Directions: Open Sun - Fri 10 - 5.30
Sat 9 - 5.30

Price: US$11-20

Rating: 4

Theme: Local

Website: http://www.bettysandtaylors.co.uk

Cafe No 8: Eat in the garden.

I've only just discovered this small cafe/ bistro. It serves an excellent range of drinks, snacks and meals, well-cooked and good value. Best of all, it has a walled garden at the back, a real sun-trap with pleasantly shaded corners. Highly recommended!

Address: 8 Gillygate

Comparison: about average

Directions: Walk towards Bootham from the Minster...... Gillygate is on your left at the traffic lights.

Phone: 01904 653074

Price: US$11-20

Rating: 5

Theme: Other

El Piano: Excellent vegetarian food

I'm not a vegetarian, but this restaurant produces superb food which I thoroughly enjoyed. They also do vegan and gluten-free dishes.
Open Mon - Sat, 10 - midnight
Sundays 12 - 1700

Address: 15/17 Grape Lane

Comparison: about average

Directions: In the 'Latin Quarter', near the Minster.

Price: US$21-30

Rating: 5

Theme: Vegan/Vegetarian