Wet on Micklegate has landed in the space previously home to Notes which took over from Fish & Forest when that moved onto larger premises. It’s an intimate little space that’s fairly minimalist but still feels welcoming and cosy. Service is friendly and personal to such a degree that I never even set eyes on a wine list before a couple of bottles for me to sample have been selected, both white and refreshing as a precursor to a later switch to Beaujolais in honour of the day of our visit being Beaujolais Day!

Getting into the serious business of food, I decided to abandon any pretext of choice and leave the decision to our server, taking into consideration my dining companion’s vegetarian status. From the eight savoury dishes we ended up with five plates which arrived as one would expect, at a leisurely pace but without dragging on unnecessarily. That said, I enforced a wait until everything was on the table ready to be photographed… the camera eats first obv. A good rarebit balances just on the line between stodge and sharp relief thanks to the combination of beer and mustard but this one brought another of my favourite things to the party – Hendo’s. When a dish arrives with a bottle of Henderson’s Relish just for your table it’s a sign that things will progress well, as indeed they did. The rarebit hit the spot and we were soon in the swing of things tucking into Jerusalem artichoke that had been confited then served with ricotta whose delicate sharpness complemented the soft and earthy artichokes, a vegetable not seen nearly enough.

Beetroot is another favourite of mine but I tried to show restraint in the face of my vegetarian friend who didn’t share my recourse to the meat based dishes, with limited success. Simply presented with a zesty gremolata to help it live its best life, another tremendous showcase of one of my favourite vegetables. Meat dishes came next with lamb sausage coming accompanied by beetroot that, this time, had been given a touch of charring. The lamb was tender and well seasoned while benefitting from a generous spice too but my favourite plate matched one of my favourite vegetables to an unusual meat. Celeriac is a much more flexible vegetable than some give it credit for and presented as a mash here it made a superb backdrop for gamey chunks of ox heart with crispy shallots thrown in for good measure. All this food only attracted a debt of £45 which was superb value, the quantities certainly weren’t skimped on and we even had a few bits leftover to take home for snacking on. Wet is a great addition to a street which is hopefully on the up again now, the wine was memorable and clearly chosen with great care while the food represented superb value and some originality.

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With my minimal baggage deposited safely in the room, I took myself for a stroll around town, settling in a local pub with a book for half an hour before returning to Tsuchi at The Black Bull to take my seat for dinner in a dining room that was minimalist without tipping into austerity. A number of dishes on the menu piqued my curiosity and offered elements rarely seen in this kind of setting. First up though the usual trio of canapés, this time featuring a cheese fritter showcasing Mrs Kirkhams, a lamb tartare tartlet and a grilled Lindisfarne oyster. The first two of these were exactly the sort of preamble one would want before embarking on the rest of the menu, but I was struck in particular by the sweetly dressed oyster which had benefitted hugely from exposure to heat. Oysters are very much a take or leave item for me but this was a very pleasant surprise. Bread and butter up next presented the the usual test of restraint as I tried not to fill up while slathering it with the delightful cultured butter.

The first “proper” course used mushroom as a carrier for kombucha and was livened up with a few petals to break up the pallette. On eating there was an intelligently measured spice that earned fulsome praise from another couple who were dining that night, a sentiment I would echo. A distinctive and strong start that was followed by an optional scallop dish which I couldn’t resist when I noted it was served with gooseberry and kohlrabi. This was another unique pairing that I hadn’t come across before and could have ended up earning such euphemistic praise as being “intriguing” but thankfully was just plain tasty and perfectly executed. The gentle earthiness of the kohlrabi offset the indulgent sweetness of the scallop neatly.

Next up was another new one to me in the form of teal which had been cured. This small duck had a deep and slightly gamey richness that made great friends with the Jerusalem artichoke accompanying it and a generous splodge of caviar for seasoning; a great introduction to this meat for me. More meat came next in the form of a perfectly presented piece of beef served with “Tokyo Turnip” and Nori seasoning. When I posted this one to Instagram, someone commented on what a perfectly cooked piece of beef this was and I can’t agree more, with rich braised beef on the side too. The dainty turnip was just as memorable with a lovely delicate flavour to show off and accent the beef.

Sweet dishes were no less accomplished with yuzu and matcha represented across the brace of courses that also used meadowsweet for an aromatic accent somewhat reminiscent of marzipan. These striking dishes were a perfect exclamation point to end a very special meal that also came with thoughtful wine pairing; the plum sake with desserts working particularly well to elevate both elements. This meal was within the first two weeks of Tsuchi being open but there was no sign of a concept being bedded in or any early teething problems, just a quiet confidence in the dishes and the people serving them. The marriage of quality local produce to elements that represent the chef’s character can be a compelling one and it really is so here, with clever accents brought to the dishes and a polished front of house keeping things ticking along nicely.

Breakfast the following day took place in the same comfortable dining area with mackerel and scrambled egg setting me up well for the return to York after a night in that tremendous hotel room. Tsuchi at The Black Bull is a destination worthy of a journey and the opportunity to stay in such a well appointed establishment afterwards is a compelling combination worthy of your time and money.

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Cave du Cochon was always a characterful and buzzing place to hang out, helped along by former manager Ian always being keen to offer samples of new and interesting wines, and I’ve no doubt we’ll see Josh & Vicky build on their success with ‘Aveugle and Cave’ in due course. The latest addition to Walmgate in place of Cave is being run by a couple who found previous employment there who’ve now taken the plunge and refurbished Cave into a relaxed and comfortable space that serves coffees and pastries through the day before transitioning into wine, pizza and small plates in the evening. It would feel odd if there was no longer great wine on this site and they’ve made sure there’s no danger of that, with an extensive wine list from which over 50 can be sampled by the glass. Showcasing these wines are a monthly series of Sunday night wine tastings at The Wright Place that each focus on a particular geography or grape, I was lucky enough to attend the first such event.

I’d called in to The Wright Place a few times for coffee and pastries so quickly felt at home in the space that while it recalls its previous occupant to some degree has been notably reworked to provide space for the bakery element of the business (which turns out excellent bread I should add) while remaining welcoming for guests. This first tasting was rather more loosely structured than those currently listed on their website, with wines from around the world to enjoy along with a platter of cured meats, cheeses and bread to soak up the wine.

Being greeted with a glass of Cremant from The Languedoc is seldom a bad thing and was a perfect start to this event as I started picking away at olives, and before long our second wine arrived, this time from the Molise region in Italy. As the wines were delivered we received an introduction from one of the staff with a bit of back ground and notes on tasting that was informative without interrupting the flow of the evening. A selection of orange and red wines from Croatia, Australia and South Africa followed that were each distinctive and memorable, perfectly backdropped by the platter that was a treat in its own right with each element being top quality, including a piccalilli that was one of the best I’ve ever encountered and that fantastic bread that’s baked on the premises.

The Wright Place has made a confident start to life on Walmgate, fulfilling the various roles that it’s placed itself in very well. The coffee and pastries in the morning are some of the best in York while the transition to wine bar throughout the day is seamless. You can find more details of future events here.

(Disclaimer – PR invite)

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After checking out their opening party a little while ago and admiring the classily presented interior, I’ve been looking forward to a more in depth visit for a little while, which was reflected in my excitement as I arrived, and we were directed to take up our seats. The best hospitality somehow imbues you with a sense of escape from whatever pressures the day has put you under and this was evident in abundance at 22 Yards York as we arrived to just the right ambience and quickly received glasses of fizz. On opening, I’d rather assumed that the food offering here would be limited to platters of charcuterie and cheese but the menu quickly disavowed us of that notion with a tempting range of smaller and sharing plates, though cheese and charcuterie were present and correct also if that’s your preference.

We started with a bowl of charred padron peppers whose punch of bitterness was cut through nicely by the sparkling wine while we mulled over the rest of the menu, from which it quickly became apparent that food is certainly not the afterthought here. We went for a selection to share including Haxby sourdough, herby mushrooms on toast, Toulouse sausage with pommes puree, a cheese toastie to share and a bit of Cobble Lane cured meat for good measure. First up, the creamy and herby mushrooms on sourdough were rich and indulgent with the well-seasoned sauce soaking into the bread for us to punctuate with slices of salami. It goes without saying that Haxby sourdough was perfect as always and bridged the gap to the Toulouse sausage which was served with plenty of beef gravy. The sausage was bold with garlic and red wine that were put into perfect relief by the pommes puree which, while totally smooth, held itself with just the right consistency to collect the gravy. Looking back, I’m slightly surprised by my decision to order a toastie in preference to the rather more delicate dressed crab or cured salmon dishes but that’s not to say it was a disappointment as much as a diversion from my normal preferences. Served with chutney and cornichons on a platter this would make for a great treat of a light lunch for two.

While the food is plenty of reason to visit 22 Yards York in its own right, the wine list holds plenty of temptations too with a huge selection of whites, reds and oranges available by the glass as well as more financially adventurous options that range into three-figure price tags if you’re so inclined. All that makes this a compelling place to make a habit of visiting, picking from the frequently updated menu and pairing wines to sample in the shadow of York Minster makes 22 Yards York a distinctive and valuable addition to the York hospitality scene.

Disclaimer: PR visit at no cost

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Love Cheese has been serving top quality cheese to the people of York for over half a decade now and has earned a place in the heart of many of the city’s residents thanks to a sharp combination of service, quality and a friendly cafe. In common with many other York businesses though the current situation calls for a a good chunk of lateral thinking, so they’ve taken to the internet to start delivering wine & cheese evenings that pair the comfort of your own home with their quality produce against a back drop of knowledge from Harry, the self styled Love Cheese “Big Cheese”.

We signed up without hesitation, thinking that £40 for a couple seemed perfectly reasonable for a selection of 5 paired cheeses and wines delivered to the front door. These arrived as promised the day before the event was due to take place, giving me plenty of time to figure out if I could come up with 10 presentable wine glasses and what constituted essentials to augment the cheese in as far as our permitted shopping sorties allowed.

It’s relatively easy to find time for indulgence in this lock down but little in the way of a sense of occasion to match, so I was very happy to make this an evening staring at the laptop with a more productive outcome than the usual aimless browsing. I lined up some cured meats, olives, crackers and a Tommy Banks chicory & onion jam to go with the cheeses and wines, leaving us ready to join the webcast in anticipation of getting stuck into our evening’s treats. I must confess that, while compulsive, Ritz crackers perhaps weren’t the most appropriate accompaniment to such good produce but that’s all I could find in the cupboard and I didn’t want to push the definition of ‘essential’ far enough to justify a trip for crackers.

Harry broadcast his tasting instructions across Facebook, a platform that gives the opportunity to get interactive and chat via text with both the Big Cheese himself and fellow participants, something I was very happy to take advantage of with a number of friends also joining. The five pairings showed off bubbles, white wine, rosé, red wine and port against cheeses ranging from Pecorino to Baron Bigod and Bleu D’auveurgne. The opening cheese of the evening was a very soft Baron Bigod that in my case was ripe to the point of making a (very literal) run for it. With a quality Prosecco to enjoy alongside it, the scene was set for an hour or so’s cheese related indulgence. Richard III Wensleydale with a light, white Bacchus came next before a Rosé gave pecorino a chance to shine before a finish of soft blue against a Cotes Du Rhone. Breaking those up was a penultimate pairing of a cheddar like Doddington with a Tawny Port that rivalled the opening Bigod/fizz delight for appreciative noises.

Aside from a brief hiccup with the webcast at the start of the event, the evening went without a hitch, doing exactly what it set out to do in providing a convincing impression of socialising in hard times. I’d expected nothing other than top quality from Love Cheese and Harry didn’t let us down, delivering a series of great cheeses and wines that set us up for a tremendous evening and demonstrated that we can still enjoy great food and drink with company in these strange days.

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The Twine & Barrel York is a recently refurbished gastropub on Hull Road at Dunnington in a large building that had previously been closed for some time. It’s somewhere I’ve passed many times over the years, but has never presented a compelling enough reason to break a journey or undertake one specially. The refurbishment has created a comfortable place to eat that balances the need for a relaxing dining experience with the amenity a local pub should provide. While the food is pitched well above run-of-the-mill pub grub, this is somewhere the residents of Dunnington should feel comfortable stopping by for a pint at the bar. The food should hit the mark too with the appointment of Dan Graham as head chef. Dan is an accomplished chef who’s headed up high profile restaurants in Yorkshire as well as making it all the way to the finals of Masterchef: The Professionals.

The January Friday night on which we visited found the restaurant very busy when we arrived and became progressively more so throughout the evening, a mix of drinkers and diners happily creating a welcoming atmosphere. We started our evening at the bar, where we could ponder the menu and place our orders before taking up our table. This was a perfect vantage point from which to admire the surroundings and realise that all the details were spot on: wood burning stove present and correct along with details to reflect the twine branding sprinkled throughout the dining rooms without lapsing into forced affectation.

After finishing our drinks and placing our orders, we were led to the dining area, which while busy didn’t allow tables to be too crammed together. We’d plumped for a soufflé made with Fountains Gold and a celeriac veloute with mushrooms and truffle which were served quickly along with well matched glasses of wine. It’s been a little while since I had a soufflé and the wait was well rewarded here, the dish being just the right balance of rich flavour and light texture. A creamy spinach sauce finished it and left flecks of melted cheese around the edge of the plate to pick at. Celeriac, truffle and mushroom would need something bad to happen for there to be a problem with that combination and unsurprisingly nothing was untoward here. The sautéed mushrooms hid under the veloute to be wheedled out and enjoyed with the fresh bread served on the side. There could have been more of a punch of truffle but we greatly enjoyed both dishes, our anticipation for the main courses only increased by them.

After forcing ourselves to take on a couple more wines to pair with our mains, we were treated to baked cod loin with mussel and winter veg chowder and pork belly with black pudding croquette, creamed cabbage, apple puree and pork sauce. These were both the epitome of well presented, hearty gastropub food that put together just enough refinement with bags of flavour and hearty portions. The fish hit all the notes I had hoped for, the lightly curried broth and generous piece of fish working with spinach and root veg to make a deceptively filling plate of food. Pork belly is one of my favourite cuts when it’s done justice, something that is certainly achieved here. Black pudding bonbons are a great addition to the plate along with a stonking great shard of crackling that could have functioned as a shield in some weird porcine fencing contest. Creamed cabbage and a potent, though not overwhelming, apple sauce finished things off well.

Having already given our appetites a good work out, we opted to finish by sharing a creme brûlée. While not as comment worthy as the rest of the food we enjoyed, it worked just fine as an end point to the experience with a glass of dessert wine and was a happy example of the dish.

It’s really impressive to see a new hospitality business so busy in the traditionally tricky post-Christmas period, all the more so when it’s been busier than expected since opening and still managed to cope with that pressure and not drop standards. This was an extremely enjoyable meal with dishes that combined flavour and presentation without losing site of the need for a pub meal to be appropriately hearty or getting too caught up in over complicating things. I look forward to seeing The Twine & Barrel York continue to flourish.

Disclaimer: no charge was made for this meal. Opinions are impartial.

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You may, or indeed may not, remember a post a little while ago about Bloc Hotel at Gatwick. That stay was actually necessitated by my nervousness at making an early morning flight from Gatwick reliably on our public transport network, though I didn’t mention the details of my quite strikingly cheap Wetherspoons ham, egg & chips dinner in that piece. Suffice to say I’ve never eaten in an airport for such a disposable sum of money with an even acceptable outcome. Yes that is meant to sound like faint praise!

After I woke refreshed in my windowless room and dealt with the practicalities of travelling by easyjet and rental car, I found myself deposited at the door of a building with seemingly innate calming properties. Chateau de Mercues dates from the 13th century, when it was the residence of the bishops of nearby Cahors. After fulfilling that role for many years, it has found its true calling now as a luxury hotel featuring a winery and fabulous food.

As your vehicle climbs a steep hill, you’re presented with a memorable frontage and it’s pretty immediately clear that a stay here will be a unique, luxurious and calming experience. I was met at reception with a cold, refreshing peach based drink to soften the checking in process, not that this was unduly onerous anyway as my luggage was subtly spirited to my room for me to find later. While that was happening, the group I was with were treated to a generous snack to regain our energies.

Having been appropriately refreshed, I took the time to explore a little more thoroughly and grab a few pictures of the grounds and exterior of the building. I enjoyed taking in details such as the hatch through which grapes make their way to the subterranean winery and the swimming pool with stunning views. Sadly it was far too cold to make use of that in November, but would make a peerless summer hang out with a glass of the sparkling Bellefleur from associated winery Chateau de Haute-Serre.

After a tour of the available rooms, I had time to take stock of my own surroundings, finding my room palatial enough to relax into though snug enough to be personable. All the amenities you’d expect were provided and the furnishings were the appropriate standard though a couple of things came as a surprise. The temperature was set high enough to provoke a constant balancing act with the air-conditioning to create an appropriate climate. It also struck me as odd that a few of the rooms didn’t have showers, something that slowed the progress of a couple of members of the group on occasion. Regardless of that, all the robes, towels, slippers and luxurious touches one would hope for were intact.

Having got settled, our next task was afternoon tea featuring a delightful selection of cakes and pastries, notably a meringue swan that used the region’s favourite wine for Malbec jelly and Malbec mousse. I practised a little restraint at this point though, mindful of the impending dinner in the hotel’s bistro, and let discretion take over from valour.

The Bistro is the less formal dining option at Chateau de Mercues but still features plenty of quality and regionality on the menu and sense of occasion in the dining room. I opted for pan-fried mushrooms followed by black pork with chestnut addled mashed potato. All of this was punctuated with extra bites and followed by a cheese course with some rewardingly aggressive and pungent local specialities. I’m on the look out for Rocamadour in the UK now! We finished with a sweet course featuring more of that indulgent local Malbec, this time as ice cream.

The following morning I found myself back in the same room working my way through a predictably high quality and satisfying breakfast, featuring a range of scrambled egg and bacon and so on to satisfy those insistent on something approaching a Full English. With that fuel on board, we made tracks to nearby Cahors to take in the jurisdiction of those bishops for whom our residence had been built. Pont Valentré bridge dates from a little while after Chateau de Mercues was built and is comparably striking, even in the rain. The remainder of Cahors remained picturesque and engaging throughout our walking tour which included a look at an ancient relic said to have been taken from Christ’s body.

Our next port of call was Auberge Lou Bourdie for a selection of traditional local dishes in a quite remarkably welcoming rustic restaurant. Truffle omelette wasn’t a hit around the table sadly, but everything else was just the right combination of flavour and comfort, salsify gratin in particular lives in my memory. As with the previous day though, the prospect of another indulgent meal in a few hours tempered the urge toward too much gluttony.

Before heading back to base, we took the opportunity to take in the sights of Saint-Cirq-Lapopie. It’s difficult to articulate just how pretty this village is, perched on a rocky outcrop, but suffice to say its reputation as one of France’s loveliest villages is thoroughly deserved. It might have been out of season for our visit but we still were able to regroup there with a coffee before heading back to prepare for dinner.

Dinner at the La Duèze restaurant is deserving of its own post, which is on its way. Be assured though that it was as memorable as one would expect. After a night digesting 10 courses of food and creating happy memories, it was time to get moving again, this time to Mercuès’ partner establishment Château de Haute-Serre.

Haute-Serre is a more modest location than Mercues and more open to the elements to allow its surrounding vineyards. We started with a wine tasting that began in challenging fashion for some who had indulged too much the previous evening. We still all managed to sample a selection of wines, which all deserved their strong reputations. Food is still very much on the agenda here though and the restaurant has been awarded with a Bib Gourmand for its accessibly priced food that doesn’t skimp on quality. The meal began with the last presentation of Malbec the trip would see, onions braised in it underpinning a fondue pre-starter. Any restaurant that rolls out fondue before things kick off is fine with me and the dishes kept up with that impression. Pork, prawn, guinea fowl and mushroom followed to provide a memorable ending to our meal before we hit the road to get back to the airport and a, figurative, bump back to earth with Easyjet.

As you can see, this was a packed trip that did a fantastic job of showing off both Chateau de Mercues and the attractions of the surrounding area that it provides access to. Amongst the food and travel experiences I’ve been lucky enough to enjoy over the last half decade, this stands out with the best. The combination of location, gastronomy and luxury coalesces into a unique experience that makes this a very tempting region to visit.

Disclaimer: This was a paid for press trip, opinions are impartial

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Hudsons has been based in The Grand Hotel for some time and has become part of the hotel’s growing ambitions which include more rooms and a cookery school to join the second restaurant that followed Hudsons not long ago. As a result of this shuffling, Hudsons has moved across the corridor from its previous home since the last time I visited. This certainly doesn’t reflect a downgrade in status though and the new dining room is beautifully appointed and relaxing with plenty of space to allow diners their own space in which to enjoy either the five or nine course tasting menus on offer.

We were keen to make the most of the evening, so decided to tackle the full nine course option (£80) and get the broadest idea of what Hudsons offers since its move. Tasting menus offering that many courses are a real balancing act between showing off and over facing the guests with too many courses, so we took a breath before starting. Our first course offered assurance that the meal would stay on the right side of that line, taking the form of a modest cracker infused with seaweed and studded with elderberry vinegar and artichoke. Following that delicious mouthful was a soup course starring startlingly light celeriac that used lovage for range and a few pumpkin seeds for texture. This one was a bit of an open goal thanks to my fondness for all these flavours, but nonetheless executed perfectly and drawing equal admiration across the table.

With more substantial dishes ready to come, we next enjoyed beetroot smoked with hay along with quinoa and egg yolk. This one featured beautiful pearls of beetroot at the bottom of the bowl and beetroot accented buttermilk to go with the larger pieces of beetroot. As with celeriac, it’s a relatively easy challenge to make me enjoy beetroot, but a challenge well met here before we moved forward with some delightfully presented scallops served with potatoes and trout roe. The roe was a really neat addition to the dish, pairing well with the sauce. My only complaint was having to request a spoon with which to finish off the roe as it dropped between the prongs on my fork.

Next we enjoyed our first meat dish that put foraged mushrooms, pickled elderberries and chard with poached venison. The sharp pickled elderberries really accented the rich meat, making up another well realised plate that was appropriately portioned so that we could continue to enjoy every mouthful. The foraged Penny Bun mushrooms gave another welcome dimension to the dish which was presented hiding under chard leaves.

Punctuating the meat dishes was a fish dish that I think is something of a fixture on the menu under Executive Chef Craig Atchinson. Stone bass with langoustine, fennel and buckwheat felt familiar from previous visits and retained its delicate balance of flavours with the shellfish and fish talking happily amongst themselves against the fennel backdrop. A simply presented barbecue duck dish completed the savoury offering, making use of caramelised shallot and shiitake along with radicchio. This completed a happy sequence of dishes brought to life by our server who did a great job of placing context around the selection of wines chosen to go with our food. A blackberry and apple dish set a happy tone for the end of the experience before a dessert featuring chocolate, orange and almond mouthfuls finished things off with a reminder that the Chocolate Orange is one of the great things to come from York.

We felt that the evening struck a neat balance of drawn out indulgence against practicality, packing in a satisfying selection of dishes to a thankfully none too compressed timescale. Hudsons’ move across the corridor hasn’t compromised its character or quality; if anything, the wider context of the hotel’s continuing development gives an opportunity to let Hudsons settle into a broader community of businesses under one roof. There’ll always be a group of people who assume that a restaurant in a hotel is bound to be a lazy opportunity for up-selling residents, but it’s clear that The Grand and Hudsons both have wider ambitions that, on this evidence, will continue to meet the high standards they’re both setting.

Disclaimer: No charge was made for this meal. Opinions are impartial.

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York can be a slightly backwards looking city, happy to rely on existing glories rather than pushing forward. This can be reflected in the restaurant scene. When places are established there’s an attachment, justified in many cases, that can last for some time after the place in question has disappeared which can become unwelcome baggage for new places such as Arras York which, since opening a over a year ago has lived under the spectre of Le Langhe. In fact only today I mentioned how much we’d enjoyed a recent meal at Arras and a friend immediately recalled a meal at Le Langhe. Adam and Lovaine Humphrey ran Arras in Sydney for a number of years before the opportunity arose to return to Yorkshire and set up on Peasholme Green.

Little has changed to the exterior of the building, save for the addition of some frosting on the windows to hide diners from passers by. Internally though, the changes necessitated by the removal of the deli area are more significant and open up the floor of the building around a central table from which servers can dispense wine. There’s been some talk of the interior being too loud, both in terms of decor and music, so I was braced for a jarring entrance, but there was no sign of that. The murals around the room are certainly striking, but far from offensive. It’s possible the music has been turned down in response to earlier comments, but it felt like a very pleasant place to enjoy a meal. We were to enjoy five courses (served blind) from the “Arras Kitchen Menu” that would give the chefs ample opportunity to show off, something they started to do immediately through a plate of amuses-bouches.

There’s a vein of fun through the Arras York experience that we first started to mine with this plate. I loved the delicate mouthfuls of fish and chips with mushy peas that were accented with strands of lemon, while deep fried rigatoni was stuffed with ricotta and dabbed with puttanesca sauce for maximum impact. Glass noodle spring roll packed in the flavour of curry leaf while deep fried camembert did all the good things one would expect of fried cheese. As we polished off these snacks with obvious enthusiasm, we were served a Jersey Royal and nigella seed loaf that would have sated my appetite rather too effectively had we eaten the whole thing. This was as frustrating as it was truly superb, the leftovers following us home at the end of the evening. Our last preview before getting into the first course was a bowl of cold potato and almond soup with gribiche bits grated egg and almond & bread crunch, again it raised expectations of the coming five courses even higher.

The meal started, or rather continued, with salmon and “Greek salad” which topped the perfect, tender salmon with fried red onion and a piece of light feta mousse that was home to a impressively finely diced cucumber salad. With olive crumb and caramel to finish the plate, this was a simply presented plate on which each element, including the paired rosé, pulled its weight. Next up was a risotto that pulled together apple and smoked eel with melon and home smoked bottarga. Restrained presentation did the dish justice as did the Riesling that confidently grabbed hold of the apple flavours.

Pork starred in the first of two meat dishes we were served, with pickled veg and a twist on dauphinoise that shot paper thin slices of potato through with five spice flavours. The wine pairings continued to work brilliantly, a fruity Sangiovese this time accenting the Eastern flavours before “a surprising beef dish” came to play. This was a plate with a sense of humour recalling memories of Aussie burgers that, if you’re feeling indulgent, apparently come served with “The Lot”. Each burger topping extravagance was unfaithfully replicated here with obvious passion and blessed restraint. Slices of bavette steak took care of the burger element while pineapple, gherkin, bacon, onion bounced off one another along with a perfect egg yolk that, when burst, swept around the other components. With a Californian Cab’ Sauvignon and Zinfandel, we smiled our way through the plate and prepared for sweet dishes.

Our dessert was nicknamed “The Veiled Peasant Girl” and threw many variations of apple at us, thankfully without any individual one taking over. This was really just a precursor as far I was concerned though with a show stopping cheese trolley on its way. While the trolley itself couldn’t quite compete with the Mouseman beauty at Harome’s Star, its contents certainly could. Every cheese was sourced from within the British Isles and the passion with which Adam introduced each one was obvious as he reeled off a list of not only the dairy from which they were sourced, but in many cases the name of the cheese makers. The cheeses we chose were presented with crisp breads, an Eccles cake and something resembling one of Betty’s most famous creations. I would happily say that this was a perfect, show stopping, way to end the meal… if it were not for the petits fours. Unfortunately by this point, we’d exhausted the limits of our babysitting so ended up enjoying them at home, but the set of childishly inspired sweets to finish off really was the perfect end.

Over the last five years or so the options for fine dining in York have grown hugely and Arras is more than worthy of a seat at the same table. Adam hits a delicate balance of technique, flavour, visual impact and restraint where it’s needed. Arras York may occupy the site that Le Langhe once did, but it really doesn’t deserve to suffer under nostalgic comparisons. It’s very much its own restaurant which I’m looking forward to watching further establish itself as one of the best places to eat in York.

Disclaimer: No charge was made for this meal, opinions are impartial. The 5 course Kitchen menu is £55, drinks pairing an additional £25

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The name “Pairings” is reflected throughout one’s experience here and can be represented neatly through the option to order flights of a variety of wines, each of which comes presented with tasting notes and a morsel of food to pair. To my shame, I’d not been to Pairings Castlegate in some time (there are so many places to get around these days!) so when the opportunity came to sample a pairing flight came up, I jumped at the chance.

Service at Pairings has always been a strong point, so it was little surprise to find ourselves seated comfortably by one of the friendly sisters whose passion has been key in establishing the venue. With menus and chat exchanged, we got onto the serious business of choosing our wines.

The flights available offer the opportunity to pick and mix styles, which I took advantage of, while Grace (accompanying me for the evening) opted for a “light and fruity red” flight. My selection came to £16 pounds including the paired morsels while Grace’s three 75ml glasses attracted a bill of £11.

First up for me was a Manzanilla Aurora sherry that was paired with some beautifully sharp olives rather than the advertised Manchego. Sherry is a much underrated drink still and surely due a renaissance soon and this example matched the tasting notes perfectly with almond and olive coming through nicely from the refreshing glass. I can’t recall if there was any particular reason for the olive substitution but I’m the last person who’d complain about having to eat olives while drinking sherry. For my second glass, I’d gone for another style that doesn’t get the credit it’s due: a Gewurtz/Riesling blend that butted up against a delicious Picos blue cheese. The Riesling softened off the more floral tendencies of the Gewurtz and both did a marvellous job of cutting through the fat of the cheese. For the final flourish, I’d been more strongly guided by the thought of truffle salami so plumped for the rosé that would accompany it. Once again the tasting notes were easily recognisable in the drinking with peach and grapefruit coming out to play with the wonderful salami.

Over on the other side of the table, Grace was making a good job of enjoying her flight of reds. She noted that the Allegory Pinot Noir that she started with gave up plenty of deep berry flavours; the Beaujolais that followed it was as smooth and fruity as one would hope while being more subtle than the Pinot Noir. The Austrian Thermenregion that finished proceedings had a strong marzipan flavour which Grace found moreishly enjoyable.

Pairings Castlegate remains a lovely place to relax and every mouthful of wine and food we enjoyed was superb. A wine flight here is not the cheapest way to get a glass of wine in the centre of York, but there’s no knocking the quality and the few extra pounds buys you a significant and enjoyable amount of variety to reflect on while enjoying the unarguably relaxed surroundings.

Disclaimer: I was invited to enjoy this evening at no cost. Opinions are impartial.

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