Legacy at The Grand remains just the refined, cool and comfortable space you would expect with plenty of attention to detail in evidence. I particularly appreciated the bespoke printed welcome card on the table complete with York on a Fork logo! There are three variations on the menu which range from £100 to £130 per person, of these we went for “Steel” which is named in honour of the rail industry coming to York and playing a key role in the history of The Grand, which was built as railway offices. This menu plotted a route through many courses of which three required some input from me, while my companion opted for the vegetarian version, making an interesting contrast throughout the evening. As is customary for this style of dining, we kicked off with a trio of snacks presented on bespoke tableware before a soft pillow of bread arrived with flavoured butters that packed in The Grand’s own honey from hives on the roof given a twist by black garlic, as well as a cultured butter dusted with seaweed powder. All this was an effective prologue to the meal alongside a glass of sparkling wine before the first course arrived bringing together bream tartare and jalapeno sorbet with notes of bergamot. This one was packed with clean flavours and neatly presented with some pops of colour from edible flowers to break up the appearance. An intimidatingly large scallop was next across my palate topped with a generous topping of caviar and an earthy backdrop of turnip to bring counterpoint to that sweet scallop.

This was all an impressive start before the pressure shifted onto me to make a decision between spiced monkfish with Thai red curry or pasta with Baron Bigod, which being one of my favourite cheeses proved too hard to resist. The candy shaped pasta was topped with a foam and slices of truffle, an indulgence that didn’t take me long to polish off. Next up, another branch in the decision tree came down to braised King Edward potato or sweetbreads cooked over charcoal. It’s a while since I’ve treated myself to a Thymus gland (actually let’s stick with sweetbread, much more appetising sounding) so I went in that direction and was rewarded with a lustrous sauce covering a tender piece of meat that carried the kiss of smoke from a Konro grill. The penultimate decision came down to Halibut or Lamb loin, with the former garnering my allegiance this time, thanks in part to the promised pickled mussel and fennel notes that would accompany it. This was one of the stars of the evening with perfect fish cookery complemented by a rich fennel cream and a gentle prickle of sharpness from the mussel.

Moving through to sweet dishes the pre-dessert found me presented with Annabel’s Strawberries which are always a thing of beauty, brought to life by ginger and vanilla here with a citrus zing. Finally I went for chocolate with a suitably lustrous touch of gold leaf matching the indulgence of the environment, making this a lovely end point, fittingly giving me the choice to choose chocolate over cherry, which is something I’m not a great fan of. This rather proved the concept of the hybrid Tasting/A la Carte concept which I thought was executed superbly, with well thought through choices and some interesting dishes with produce not seen often enough….I’m looking at you Thymus! It’s also noteworthy that my companion felt like the vegetarian version was no poor relation, with potato, beetroot and celeriac all featuring to great effect. I’ve noted before that Legacy at The Grand seems to have overcome the slightly tainted perception that seems to attach itself to restaurants in hotels outside of London; this is further evidence that Ahmed and the team are continuing to build on an already strong offering with a winning blend of innovation and common sense.

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The menu is split slightly ambiguously between smaller and larger plates, with some of the smaller plates reading like they would function as mains. There are a number of intriguing flourishes which mention the headline elements being joined by a host of intriguing sounding condiments that made it a struggle to narrow down our selection. There’s a distinct Eastern European flavour to much of the menu too, reflecting the owners’ background. The space itself is cooler than I’ll ever be, though no more intimidating for that being the case, and all the details are spot on with bespoke tableware and beautiful joinery that happens to be the work of a very talented friend of mine.

After some in-depth debate about the menu, we settled on Baron Bigod cheese, pierogi, Plaice, Pork Steak, Roasted Celeriac and BWC salad…gambling on our constitutions’ ability to cope with an influx of that magnitude. We selected a bottle of red wine from Georgia to wash it down with and things were underway before we knew it, with Baron Bigod first to arrive. This wonderful brie-style cheese from Fen Farm Dairy in Suffolk is a firm favourite and the two wedges served here were generous and given a hint of caramelisation with a couple of rounds of toasted bread and two pink domes of a gel. This turned out to be chive blossom gel with an alium note at serious odds with the sweetness I’d expected which complemented the rich cheese perfectly; a seriously confident start before the baked potato and cheese pierogi with brown sage butter, sour cream and chives made its entrance. Pushing on for a decade ago, I had pierogi from a street food concept these guys put together and these matched up to those happy memories, with a deep richness from the potato dumplings and brown butter accented by sage and brought into relief by sharp sour cream.

Plaice with turnip, lovage emulsion, pickled agretti and mustard frill oil was a bit of a journey into the unknown for me with a couple of the accompaniments unfamiliar, but no need to worry of course as everything balanced very nicely indeed, with those preserved elements bringing a real zing to the plate before BWC salad arrived. Scattered with dukkah and making a feature of kohlrabi, this was every bit as good as I’d been led to believe, before another vegetable dish dropped into proceedings to celebrate celeriac. This had more dukkah for texture and brought romesco and a squash salsa into the mix too, drawing out all the strengths of one of my favourite vegetables. Last up came what will surely remain one of the highlights of my year, “12 hour pork steak”. This impeccably tender piece of meat was doused liberally with a leek, lovage and bbq sauce amongst which more chunks of tender celeriac were lurking. With a less delicate touch, this is the kind of dish that could easily be enjoyable but end up as an indeterminate mix of flavours. Here though, everything came together to showcase each element with aplomb while also becoming more than the sum of their parts.

I appreciate I’ve used a lot of hyperbole here, but I can assure you it’s justified. I had very high hopes for Black Wheat Club based on my prior experience and the team have absolutely smashed through most expectations, producing one of the most exciting hospitality openings in York for years. This is even more the case when you consider the breadth of the offering, which stretches throughout the day, as well as allowing you to call in passing for a loaf of bread or pastries. Truly a remarkable achievement and a real asset to York.

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Previously home to an Indian restaurant, the new location is a much larger space than the space Corner Grill House previously occupied and has been subjected to a meticulous renovation that’s turned it into an invitingly lit and super-stylish dining space. The breadth of the wine list is obvious from the number of bottles adorning the shelving around the room and with stylish but understated furniture all this comes together to produce a lovely calming dining room with a real sense of occasion. The menu features plenty of traditional dishes but makes a feature of the selection of steaks as well as featuring a number of rich starters that catch the eye. We decided to go for broke and over-order to make sure we got a broad selection of what was on offer, taking home the leftovers of course. I’m never quite sure why people are embarrassed to ask for this, do you think chefs enjoy seeing their hard work scraped off a plate into the bin?

A sharing board of three starters gives plenty of opportunity to make inroads into the starters with lamb kofta, garlic prawns and baked mushrooms forming an appetising trio when served with generous amounts of bread and side salad. I’d happily recommend any of the three that we enjoyed, all generous and rich with no weak spots on the board. The kofta was tender and with a well balanced spicing that didn’t threaten to overwhelm its companions, while the baked mushrooms didn’t skimp on the cheese, which had just started to caramelise on top for an extra punch of flavour. Prawns were given extra appeal from a creamy, white wine and cream sauce with a fresh dusting of parsley lightening things to complete a satisfying start to the meal.

The theme of over-ordering continued with main dishes as I wilted under Radek’s suggestions to try three things and we agreed on ox cheek, pork tomahawk and sirloin steak. We opted for chips to accompany the steak and a salad to go with the pork, though of course they were distributed between the plates at our whim anyway. Ox cheek was accompanied by creamy mash and a generous quantity of small onions with some parsnip crisps for texture and pea shoots to temper this rich dish. Ox cheek really rewards a long, slow cook and the preposterously soft and unctuous texture this example delivered was outstanding. Butter-rich mash brought more luxury and sharp pops from the pearls of onion punctuated the richness neatly. I’m a competent home cook and know how to do justice to a decent cut of meat, something which can be mysteriously lacking in some restaurants. The evidence here puts Corner Grill House firmly on my trusted list with the sirloin cooked perfectly and obviously from a quality supplier. Pork matched up well with a rewarding depth of flavour and tender consistency that stood up for itself against the quality of the steak well. A bold Malbec from the well-appointed wine list was perfect to accompany all this

Corner Grill House has always been a reliable spot to enjoy cuts of meat that are prepared with care and cooked to realise their potential and the King Street location just serves to even further elevate the experience thanks to the relaxed ambience and characterful interior. Service is worth a mention too as the balance of showing attentiveness without pestering was perfectly hit too. It’s been a pleasure watching Radek grow this business over the years and it has a real spring in its step now that should sustain it for many years. We were very full and happy as we strolled home replete with leftovers.

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Making your way into Betty’s feels undeniably special with a pianist gently plinking away in the background and smart servers moving with purpose and grace, though no unseemly urgency. The menu hits across a number of Bettys staples with rosti, rarebit and schnitzel both featuring prominently amongst dishes I’ve enjoyed at Bettys on prior visits. Dishes draw together the Swiss origins of the company, which took seed in Yorkshire. Of these we went for rarebit and mushroom pate to start followed by bacon and raclette rosti, and haddock, salmon and prawn gratin.

Mushroom pate had the gentle, earthy notes that one would hope for and a pleasing crunch from the slices of toast accompanying it. The rarebit was presented as a puddle of molten cheese accented by tomato halves and a few basil leaves. The cheese had a nice tang of mustard and was broadened in appeal by the Yorkshire Ale it’s cooked with, while the toasted bread gave texture. A rosti is a comforting thing as long as its cooking is judged well, producing a caramelised exterior while not robbing the centre of too much moisture. Thankfully everything was on track here with bacon and raclette joined by cream and gruyere for a rich and indulgent dish. The seafood gratin was just as luxurious feeling and packed in plenty of the promised haddock, salmon and prawns along with more of that rosti. We couldn’t resist a slice of chocolate cake to finish things off; it would seem somehow churlish to visit Bettys without eating some sweet, so we forced ourselves to share a slice of the chocolate cake, topping things off nicely.

With so much history to draw on, York has a multitude of attractions and experiences to enjoy. While there’s always space for more to join the fun, it’s nice to see such iconic institutions as Bettys continue to thrive as the world changes around it. In rather discomfiting times it’s a relief to escape into somewhere as reassuringly unchanged as this and see it retain its place in the York hospitality scene with so much confidence.

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The menu lists eight flavours to with which to imbue your wings, which you can order by the dozen or half dozen. We went for a selection including “Shang – High”, “Panang – A – Lang” and “The Honey Monster” as well as the bavette steak loaded fries which turned out to be more than enough for a two person lunch. As I say, I’ve been something of a cynic regarding wings before but these absolutely converted me, to this iteration of them at least if not the less well executed versions. These wings were plump and incredibly tender, a real joy to get smeared all over your hands as you get to work on them in the only practical way to do so. The flavours boldly represented the promised notes from the menu and retained impressive balance, one can just feel the many attempts it must have taken to reach this point. Loaded fries were groaning under the weight of strips of nicely charred bavette steak that remained pink through the majority of its depth. Fresh broccoli topped the plate along with a vibrant chimichurri that rounded things out beautifully.

It must also be said that all this was a bargain, with a dozen wings and the loaded fries being more than enough to satisfy two and coming in at £16.50 a head, more than reasonable in the current climate and all the more so for something of this obvious quality. Even better “Wing Wednesday” brings that down to just 75p a wing, get that in your diary for a great value treat!

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Tykes at Sandburn Hall itself is an airy and relaxed space with plenty of comfortable seating, as well as an outdoor space where some dogs were happily being exercised during our visit. We had a semi-circular booth to eat in, which let Little Fork indulge her mischievous side as she peeked over the back of it to spy on our fellow diners. The menu presents a decent range of choices, with a couple of fish and vegetarian options alongside meat dishes. I find it hard to resist a scallop, so that ended up as one half of the starters alongside a game terrine, both of which were at the table after an appropriate pause to take delivery of drinks. The sweet scallop was accented nicely by the bacon jam and given a touch of sharpness from the pickled shallot rings that adorned it, while the dill notes in the cream sauce added freshness. This wasn’t reinventing the wheel unnecessarily, and was well executed and delicious. The game terrine came enrobed in leek and topped with gently pickled baby carrots with crisps of brioche for texture, as well as elements featuring sage and prune. The earthy notes all came through strongly, and I liked the coarse texture of the terrine, all of which added up to another solid dish doing a good job of showcasing what it promised.

From the ten or so main dishes on offer we plumped for one fish and one meat, with chicken and salmon supremes pushing their respective chests through the tape first. The chicken supreme came with confit onion, onion puree and pomme Anna with some broccoli for a fresh note. Tender chicken did the job nicely and there were notes of truffle to enjoy but the star was the onion; simple things cooked nicely are always going to do it for me. The salmon teamed up with well constructed lemon and dill gnocchi, hemispheres of courgette and a creme fraiche-based sauce coming up with a well resolved balance of freshness and indulgence. With a Bar Billiards match to get back to in the centre of York, we didn’t linger long but did have time to put away affogato for dessert.

All the dishes we had were well conceived with a few points of difference to catch the eye while making good use of quality produce. The restaurant setting is relaxing while the broader offering of the grounds also makes for a nice place to walk off an indulgent meal. The ample free parking also makes for a compelling reason to visit if you live to the north of York Centre given the ever-increasing cost of parking in the city these days. Tykes at Sandburn Hall has a lot going for it.

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The old post office has been subjected to a drastic transformation inside with the removal the counters opening the space up to make an enormous dining area, tastefully broken up by screens and foliage with the kitchen and bar along the long back wall where I previously recall sending off documents and buying stamps. Such mundanity is firmly in the past now though, although tasteful remnants of the previous purpose remain such as signage inside the entrance. As one would expect, the menu here is meat-heavy with a broad selection of steaks and not masses in the way of vegan dishes. The starters hit the usual notes of scallops, wings, baked camembert and so on but we decided to dedicate our calorie allowance to the main event and dived straight into ordering the “Butcher’s Block” as well as indulging in a few extras.

The steak sharing experiences on offer at Miller and Carter York are great ways to make a sharing meal into more of an event and offer good value, when we visited you could get hold of a chateaubriand and sides for two with a bottle of wine thrown in for £100, great value for a premium cut. The sharer we went for comprised ribeye and rump steaks to share as well as a brace of fillets and slow cooked brisket with bone marrow. With lobster tail and scallop on the side, this is one of the most extravagant orders I’ve placed in some time! One of the signatures at Miller & Carter is the serving of a wedge of lettuce as is apparently traditional stateside so one’s required to choose a dressing for that as well as steak sauce. Admin complete, we were soon chomping through lettuce dressed with honey, mustard & bacon and vinaigrette which were both light and enjoyable though, in truth, not why we had come.

Shortly after beginning to crunch our way through some lettuce, the main event did its best to cram itself onto the table, taking up every inch of available space and very much looking the part. We had greens and chips for sides to augment the fried onion loaves that came by default and were richly sweet. Scallops were presented in a small pan with a few token pea shoots and a chunk of lemon, not the most refined presentation I’ve ever seen but still delicious. Similar things could be said of the bisected lobster tail which was a touch overcooked but still a rare treat. As far as the meat itself every thing ticked the right boxes with the steaks being uniformly well prepared, each one cooked appropriately for the cut and perfectly tender while showing signs of having been well rested. Chimichurri sauce had plenty of body while béarnaise was well executed with a nicely pungent shove of tarragon. At £80 to feed two there’s very little to argue with here, adding in the exclamation points of lobster and scallop bumped the reckoning up a little but with a glass of wine each we only hit £130, great value for so many high-ticket menu items.

Regardless of one’s opinion on the changing use of buildings I’m happy to see the old post office back in use and, truth be told, it needed an operator like Miller & Carter with deep pockets to do the place justice. There’re other specialist steak joints in York who lavish enough care on their meat to make every piece a unique experience but there’s no arguing with the value on display here. Combined with a truly historic setting Miller & Carter York make a strong case for repeat custom.

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I’ve long been a fan of Middletons York and felt it rather unappreciated as a place to eat and drink in York, though having got married there some years ago I’m perhaps a touch biased. I’ve eaten there a good few times though and it’s always been solid but now they’ve taken things up a notch, focussing on the restaurant and launching an entirely new menu that eschews the hotel restaurant standards in favour of something much more interesting. Yorkshire Tapas effectively means a menu of small plates that are delivered to the table as and when they’re ready for service. We were advised to pick three or four each so hedged our bets and ordered seven, bearing in mind that this style of menu lends itself easily to appending a dish or two if you feel the need.

Everything Lishman’s of Ilkley make is pretty peerless so a bowl of their Yorkshire Chorizo in red wine and honey reduction was first to be ticked off the list, arriving quickly. In all honesty, it would have been a feat to make this disappointing but the gentle chorizo spice paired with the rich sauce nicely and let the quality of the meat come through. Monkfish cheeks were crispy and with a satisfying chew and a curry sauce which was a bit more aggressive than the descriptor used on the menu, but cautious application of the sauce balanced things back up. Fountains Gold cheese donuts were next to arrive, liberally topped with more grated cheese and with a warm soft centre making a quality bar snack.

Cubes of pork belly with pistachio and a cider reduction were rich and with a sweet tang that leant into the indulgence of this cut of meat perfectly but the true star of the meat dishes was onglet steak served in a parsley and mustard marinade. This cut rewards cooking quickly to serve pretty rare and delivers a deep, meaty flavour with notes of game. It’s a fabulous value cut with a strong personality and coming in at £7.50 represents a bargain on this menu – don’t miss it if you call by. To the side of all this meat and cheese we went for broccoli served with crispy garlic and “dirty” hasselback potatoes, earning that claim of besmirchment thanks to a topping of rich cheese sauce as well as an optional scattering of bacon.

The whole Yorkshire tapas thing runs the risk of dropping into lazy cliche and northern stereotype if not executed with care and a bit of originality, potentially ending up looking like a ploughman’s that’s generating an unnecessary amount of washing up. At Middletons York though every dish hit the brief with Yorkshire produce ably showcased across a range of dishes that put the produce front and centre while elevating them subtly. That onglet steak in particular will draw me back before long!

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Situated on an unassuming industrial estate on the outskirts of York, the Agility York street presence is rather understandably more akin to your typical play-barn than a restaurant but once inside and in the surprisingly spacious upstairs dining area things are just as comfortable as you’d hope and well separated from the more active areas, the noise from which didn’t impinge on our meal. We quickly rattled through the Tapas menu, also ordering from the children’s menu and settled in with a cold Estrella.

First to arrive was a generous platter of Spanish meats and cheeses generously scattered with olives and cornichon that was perfect grazing while the other dishes shuffled onto the table, starting with salt cod croquettes with a saffron dip that were crisped to perfection externally and unctuous inside with plenty of cod present and a deep hit of saffron to add breadth. Albondigas came next with a rich tomato sauce and generous notes of garlic while we also grazed on bread with olive oil and balsamic, a satisfying trio that’s slunk back from its ubiquity a decade ago. Green beans sautéed with more garlic and some pumpkin seeds dropped next along with calamari rings, something that can trip up this sort of menu. No such worries from Sam though as they were blessed with a satisfying crunch, soft calamari and a powerful lemon mayo for balance. That just left patatas bravas which had been executed to the same high standard with crispy potatoes paired against a good punch of heat from the tomato sauce.

This would all have added up to a top-notch tapas meal from a specialist restaurant, let alone a single night in what’s primarily a fitness/play destination but, in truth, knowing Sam and his pedigree that’s hardly a surprise. The menu full of tapas staples was not only well put together but great value and bodes well for the future. Next up is a Greek night on 6th July; on the evidence of this, it’ll be another great evening.

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Named after The family home of Winston Churchill, Chartwell, and with menus given designations based on his preferred cigars and drinks the marketing here invites you to expect the unexpected… Opting to avoid an excess of intrigue we broke the wax seals and buckled up for the “Romeo” 7 course menu, taking its name from the Romeo y Julieta cigar of Winnie’s preference. One of the first things to draw the eye and most striking features of the dining area is a large screen embedded in a mirror that shows a variety of angles from the kitchen, acting as a subtly voyeuristic twist on an open kitchen viewed through a looking glass. The rest of the dining room is bright and welcoming with an expansive (and indeed expensive) feel amplified by slightly reflective table surfaces and swathes of books, which would feature later in our evening. First up was the customary round of snacks: in this instance featuring Lincolnshire poacher, sea trout and allium across a delicate tart; a nori wrapped parcel; and dressed trout. Delicate additions of emulsions, herbs and the odd bit of dehydrated crunch helped them all stand out and make a strong start to proceedings in advance of a bread course. Cheddar brioche with whipped roasted chicken butter sounds like an easy way to win me over, and so it proved. It was nice to see a relatively conservatively portioned bread course too; filling up on bread when there’s so many memorable dishes in prospect being an occupational hazard that can lead to a distressing waste of bread.

Steak tartare came and said its hellos next, using caviar and smoked eel to accent the perfectly uniform dice of meat as well as a small scattering of peppery nasturtium. I’m not sure what it says about me that I’m drawn to raw meat in such a way but this example will stay with me for some time. Barbecue scallop was next on stage showcasing a heady char of caramelisation against buttery scallop sweetness, apple notes and earthy cauliflower. After the tartare, this was another open goal confidently taken!

Next up was the meat course, centred around duck with plentiful notes of truffle as well as asparagus for freshness and lightly pickled mushrooms. The duck cookery was perfect with the fat rendered, skin crisped and flesh still pink and the elements served alongside it complemented rather than clashed with the duck. The pair of sweet dishes on which the menu ended focussed on passion fruit and strawberry with the former represented by a bite-sized, delicate tart and the latter a wide range of textures with the cheesecake element being particularly memorable.

Having finished our meal, we set about having a good nosey around the facilities, taking in the impressive amount of investment that has resulted in a wide range of dining options in addition to the higher end offering of Chartwell. The final surprise of the night came when someone emerged from behind the bookshelves I’d been noting earlier, an entire section of them swinging open without any external hint that they were movable! Making a beeline to check it out I found an entire other lounge bar tucked away. I guess they were right about expecting the unexpected! Fine dining restaurants in an estate such as this can be difficult to differentiate themselves from the competition but Chartwell at Aldwark Manor has done an effective job, not just delivering refined and well conceived food with a recognisable identity but also a dining space with personality.

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