Restaurants

Middlethorpe Hall Restaurant

Middlethorpe Hall has so many seductions that it will definitely make you stay here. It is a fine country house hotel built in 1699, overlooking York racecourse, with lovely gardens, a spa, and excellent food. The wood-panelled dining room overlooks the beautiful gardens, and is adorned with white linen, candles, marble fireplace, and silver cutlery. Gentlemen should plan to wear a jacket and tie in the evening, but the atmosphere is unstuffy and relaxed.

The modern British menu features many starters like courgette flowers filled with goat cheese, ratatouille and gazpacho dressing, and layered terrine of goose and apples, green grapes and verjuice. Mains include Whitby cod with tagliatelli pasta, baby leeks and ragout of mussels and scallops, or fricassee of lamb with baby artichokes and truffles. Chef's gourmet menu changes monthly. Good selection of pudding wines. Average price - £35; open daily but Sunday

Blue bicycle Restaurant

Situated not far from the famous York Minster, the Blue Bicycle has become one of York's dining landmarks. With a French style English menu heavily weighted towards fish dishes, an unpretentious, welcoming atmosphere, professional French waiters, and charming decor, it is no wonder this eatery is often packed.

The downstairs is particularly poetic and romantic -- it is allegedly a former brothel and the decor is true to its blue period. Menu favourites include the chef's own spicy fish cakes with pineapple salsa, and grilled scallops with sweet chilli sauce to start, followed by a steaming bowl of monkfish and prawn chowder, or tuna with red onion, lime and coriander salsa, open daily but Sunday

Villa Italia

This fine Italian restaurant is a relative newcomer to the York Restaurant scene that looks set to become a fixture. The chef has had twenty-four years tossing pizzas, and his father has a bakery in Sardinia. All that experience, along with the family-friendly atmosphere, with highchairs and colouring books, the great service, the freshness of the ingredients, and the lively mix of diners add up to a terrific restaurant.

The restaurant has a relatively huge menu. Try the stuffed red peppers to start or the fungi mamma mia, which are mushrooms with white wine, cream, garlic and cheese. For mains there are risottos, pastas, great pizzas, fish and meat dishes - try the sirloin with mushroom, onion, pepper and tomato sauce. Average price is £16; closed on Sundays.

Bars, Tearooms, Cafés

After a long exhaustive day spent by walking and watching is always great to sit down, relax in a nice, friendly atmosphere over a cup of tea or coffee. Here is a list of the venues you should know about.

Betty's Cafe Tearoom

Betty's Tea Room is located in the very heart of York's picturesque town centre. The café and tearoom's design is based on Betty's founder, Frederick Belmont's travels on the maiden voyage of the Queen Mary. The elegant café perfectly reflects the splendid design of the ship with huge curved windows, beautiful wood panelling and ornate mirrors.

Betty's Tea Rooms are famous in Yorkshire, with a wide range of bread, pastries, chocolates and cakes to choose from. Guests can enjoy one of several varieties of teas and coffees in the tearoom, or visit the café and enjoy a mouth-watering snack from the menu. For those who don't have time to sit down and relax at Betty's, there is an excellent shop, which means you can take a delicious treat away.

Kennedy's Cafe Bar

Kennedy's Cafe Bar is set in York's Old Latin Quarter. It's a late licensed gastro bar/bistro, serving fantastic food and wines which attracts a broad clientele from artists and young professionals through to distinguished types who look like they've parked their yacht somewhere on the river.

This gastro bar/bistro offers the complete experience, a rooftop terrace, an exclusive restaurant area, the up-market ground floor bar, a secluded VIP room and even a basement bar/club. Stocked with the hippest alcoholic brands and a fantastic modern, internationally orientated menu with well matched fine wines, this venue definitely belongs among the York's number ones of this group.