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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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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The building on Castlegate was previously home to Source but has been transformed with Clucking Oinks York signature bright pink and hip-hop graffiti motifs bold and prominent everywhere. The layout hasn’t changed hugely but it very much feels like home already. The menu features a bunch of the greatest hits from Spark but has allowed the team to bring back a good number of the popular specials on a more permanent basis including one of my favourites, the “Bombay Bad Boy” which features amazing coriander mayo. Another unmissable fried chicken burger is the “Dean Martin” that forces truffle, pancetta, parmesan and hot honey into wonderful harmony. Having settled in and got the measure of the place, it’s now time for a bit of a rethink to broaden the menu and give you even more reasons to call by.

I went along to a preview evening that gave me an improbable amount of food to get through, though of course I made sure to try everything and put the leftovers to use the following day – we don’t waste food in this house! First up was the Bombay Bad Boy with lashings of my favourite coriander mayo and now featuring a beautifully put together onion bhaji for extra indulgence. Next was the “Chippy Tea” burger, a faintly ludicrous concept executed with commendable conviction that puts homemade chips, chip shop curry sauce and pickled onion alongside the signature fried chicken. Yes it works and yes it’s delicious! Last of the burger triumvirate I was presented with was “Number 28” that focussed on char sui pulled pork which was amplified by pickled slaw and given a textural intrigue by the addition of prawn crackers. There’s been a bit of a lack of “oink” on the Clucking Oinks York menu for a while and this brings it back in style, as do the “Number 28” loaded fries that use the same superbly executed pork as a topping along with spring onion. Also among the topped fries are truffle fries that benefit from a generous topping of parmesan to temper the earthiness of the truffle, something I could eat an unhealthy amount of.

I also got to try a few of the sides too such as buffalo wings that were tender and as well executed as everything else on the menu, if a little boldly spiced for my preference. Corn ribs are a relatively new trend and not something I’ve huge experience of yet but the examples here seem like a pretty good place to start, with a kick from sriracha butter to work with the sweetness of the corn as well as coriander and spring onion to add a touch of complexity. Finally there was a hash brown that was, arguably, the highlight of the meal thanks to topping of parmesan custard, parmesan crisp and smoked bacon to turn it into a carbonara of the type that would deeply upset some Italians. No such reservations here though; I’ve been craving another ever since – don’t miss this when you visit.

As I say, the Clucking Oinks York team have been friends for some time so it’s a great personal pleasure to see them spreading their wings and confidently take over their first bricks and mortar with a load of old favourites as well as some inspired, slightly unconventional, new dishes. Clucking marvellous.

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Tasca Frango can be found looking onto King’s Square on Colliergate in a building that was previously a cafe and which has been subjected to a thorough titivation that’s rendered it visually unrecognisable and festooned with tasteful details and decor. The core item on the the Frango menu has always been Peri-Peri chicken which has always been characterised by consistency and flavour with a well judged heat and delightful smoky char every time I’ve been lucky enough to eat it. The move to bricks and mortar has allowed the kitchen to stretch its legs and introduce a whole bunch of new dishes, the selection of which I left to the kitchen when we arrived for lunch.

Alongside a portion of the unmissable chicken, we were soon navigating a table full of prawns, patatas bravas, sardines, tomato salad, bread and Goan curry that all looked vibrant and tempting. We got into the prawns first, accepting the messy fingers necessitated by this dish (a finger bowl was automatically provided), which had all the smokiness from the chargrill it needed to balance the sweetness of the prawn that lingered as we cleaned up ready to tackle the other plates. Sardines were served whole with lemon and plenty of fresh herbs scattered over them, all of which helping the flavours come through. It’s too much of a novelty to see sardines on a menu, so on rare occasions such as this it’s a relief to see them done justice. Running alongside this was a beautiful tomato salad with olive oil and just enough seasoning to let the produce sing. Combined with the seasoned, oiled and charred bread, this pairing did a great job of letting the ingredients core qualities show their best.

Goan curry was described as “pretty spicy stuff” so given my poor tolerance for spice, it wasn’t a dish I’d have naturally alighted on but the kitchen insisted I give it a whirl, which turned out to be a great decision. Tender chunks of chicken and a fiery sauce that remained aromatic and balanced turned this into the perfect thing for a dull October day in York. It goes without saying that the peri-peri chicken is has lost nothing in transit and is still as delicious as it is consistent and the patatas bravas were laced through with a roasted pepper sauce with plenty of depth.

It’s been a real pleasure following “Chicken Ted” and the gang to this point and Tasca Frango feels like an ideal home for them. I’d expected the food to clear any hurdles I mentally placed in front of it, which it did, but I hadn’t expected this to feel so quickly like such a polished, restaurant style experience. It’s still great value and casual but I’d expected more a casual experience, not to say it’s over-formal. Congratulations to the team on such a strong start!

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Leeman Road is still awaiting the gentrification that’s swept through other parts of the city, which given the ever-buoyant housing market is something of a surprise to me. Found down a slightly unlikely looking alley though is the new events space from which Pastelle Events will be hosting regular meals and events. I went along to their launch night to check it out and get a handle on what they would be offering. I have to admit it took me a few minutes of aimless wandering to find the sign directing me down the back of Livingstone Street to the venue, which presents a striking contrast to the rest of this area. With a horse box bar, generous space outside and plenty of glass to connect the interior and outside space, this is an immediately welcoming area that invites comfort and relaxation.

Pastelle Events don’t release a menu in advance of their pop-ups so I didn’t really know what to expect as we were seated and enjoyed canapés featuring anchovy, fig and saffron chicken which all did a great job of whetting our appetites while serving as starters. A colourful selection of mains were presented to the table for sharing and nobody was polite enough to waste any time getting stuck in, quite apt for this sort of informal dining experience. A pair each of meat and veggie dishes were available, all beautifully presented and looking like they made the best of the produce involved. Confit chicken with prunes and preserved lemon sang with olives and a generous whack of garlic while clams, tiger prawns and pork shoulder came together in another sharing dish which would have provoked disagreement had the portions not been so hearty. My favourite of the veggie dishes was the generous strips of satisfyingly charred aubergine with pepper with sun-dried tomato, while generous quantities of lemon aioli and toasted almonds over tenderstem broccoli is unlikely to make many enemies amongst people who appreciate food.

With all that in the book, it was time for a trio of cakes for dessert including chocolate torte, frangipan and a Basque cheesecake. These continued the theme of broad choice, enticing presentation and generous servings and were all extremely well executed; an opinion backed up by the rest of my household after my appetite was defeated and the leftovers came home with me.

This was a thoroughly enjoyable event that really let Pastelle stretch its legs and show what it can do. As I say things are tough at the mo but enterprises such as this that nail together value with taste and a sense of occasion should surely be bound for great success. All the dishes served were hearty and a touch rustic while still plenty refined enough and redolent with big flavours. I’m already planning to get booked onto their August event!

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Head chef Peter recently got in touch to ask me down and try out their menu, which on inspection had a broad range of intriguing dishes sounding very much worthy of inspection. We gathered up some friends and made our way over on a Tuesday evening to check things out and test drive a few of them. It’s a welcoming and funky space that wasn’t too busy for our visit, with the lovely outdoor area that’s perfectly suited to people-watching left unoccupied. The menu features a broad range of small plates, sharing dishes and main plates as well as a variety of burgers but thankfully with four of us plus child in tow so we had plenty of stomachs to fill and check out the breadth of the menu.

Chef Peter was obviously keen to make sure that we sampled as many dishes as possible so we ended up with a hearty amount of starters including the shredded chicken bhajis I’d been keen to try along side a sharing platter, chicken and chorizo skewers and some cured fish. These would have all functioned perfectly as bar snacks to pick at with a few friends as well as a precursor to mains, the onion and shredded chicken bhajis were everything I’d hoped for with a satisfying crunch and curry mayo on the side to top out the headline ingredients. The board threw together bitter padron peppers, a dish of salami, pickles and a few small and perfectly tender ribs to get our fingers dirty over. Prawn and chorizo skewers benefitted from a good squeeze of lime to season the flavours into happy harmony and the pressed purple potatoes with beef dripping substituted for chips to soak it all up perfectly.

On to mains and lamb tacos, rump steak and spatchcock chicken all gracing the table. I particularly enjoyed the steak, served with more of those beef dripping chips and chimichurri with rounds of yellow courgette to lighten the medium cooked steak. Lamb tacos had plenty of cucumber and mint yoghurt to temper the rich lamb while the spatchcocked chicken was well cooked, with tender meat and a nice crisp to the skin and skinny fries to enjoy with it.

I was impressed by both the breadth of the menu at Kennedy’s York and the way it was executed; it made for a much more civilised experience than my previous encounters with this place. Everything was delivered quickly and professionally and it made for a great value experience, all the more so bearing in mind periodic offers such as 2 steaks and a bottle of wine for £29.95 on Wednesdays. It’s worth noting that our early evening midweek visit felt perfectly child friendly too. Kennedy’s York is deservedly a mainstay of the York hospitality scene and the food here showed a willingness to evolve while still offering plenty of choice and great value.

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The Chopping Block York is well known for serving up one of the best Sunday Roasts in the city, to the extent that it can somewhat overshadow the real breadth of its qualities. The menu reflects the experience of Chef-Proprieter Michael Hjort and features a range of anglo-French dishes that use quality Yorkshire produce to put a local twist on some French classics. Walmgate Ale House is a striking building to arrive at and the welcome is encouragement enough to stop for a pint downstairs but we were hungry so quickly made our way upstairs to the restaurant space and took our table.

The main menu has roughly half a dozen each of starters and mains with a few nibbles available too, and there’s also a set menu which represents cracking value at £20.90 for 2 courses. It goes without saying that I’d thoroughly inspected the menu prior to arrival but in the event it was a couple of the specials that caught my eye along with a pair from the usual menu. With bread on the table livened up by beetroot butter, we were quickly on our way with starters of scallops and a mushroom and asparagus tartlet. I’d resolved recently to order scallops less frequently but the addition of a scallop croquette here piqued my interest enough to pierce my resolve. The pair of scallops were simply presented on a pea and herb puree with a few pea shoots and the croquette tying things together visually. The cooking did the scallops justice and the croquette was a refreshing change from bacon or black pudding, making it a light and original dish with the fresh pea underpinning things. The starter from the specials board was a pastry tartlet of asparagus and morel mushrooms with a confit egg yolk. This was original and interesting texturally with the yolk adding a note of indulgence to the boldly earthy mushrooms and fresh asparagus, I’d happily order this one again.

Mains followed on quickly with lamb shoulder and rump paired with spring veg and an indulgent Dauphinoise on the side and sea trout supported by new potato and broccoli with a tomato and herb butter emulsion. Both dishes were eye catching without needing to resort to tweezer-fiddling levels of presentation and followed through on the visual promise. Bursts of fresh pea and fresh vegetables tempered the indulgence of the lamb, which was superbly cooked and tender. The side of potato Dauphinoise felt equally indulgent and rounded off a well conceived and executed dish that did justice to the excellent produce. The herb crust on the hefty piece of sea trout lifted it in just the manner intended, dialling up the fresh flavours and pairing with the potatoes well too. While a much lighter dish than the lamb, it still felt very much a treat and gave full voice to everything on the plate.

For dessert we went slightly off-piste from my intended French theme and picked up a sticky toffee pudding, which while slight veering from the brief was as unctuous and sticky as it’s reputed and was an entirely appropriate end to the meal. The Chopping Block York combines the great value that I recall from the Melton’s Too days with well resolved and satisfying dishes that combine the best of Yorkshire and France. Its momentum was perhaps unfairly interrupted by the pandemic but it really has found its groove now and both restaurant and Ale House are distinct from one another with quality offerings. The Chopping Block in particular offers an unusually good value set of dishes using produce from quality suppliers; it gets a firm recommendation from me.

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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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