York's Indie Food Scene

This September we’re inviting you to enjoy a Taste of York, and here's a few highlights of York’s indie food scene. York is home to a vast array of independent food outlets, each bringing their own interests and passions to the table. The city hosts everything from fine dining to international street food; there really is something for every palate. Tuck in!

Treat yourself to a whole new dining experience at Roots York, the brainchild of celebrity chef Tommy Banks. They’ve developed a brand-new tasting menu, while sticking firmly to their ethos, which adopts a different style to reflect each of Tommy’s growing groups; The Preservation Season, The Hunger Gap and The Time of Abundance. With these, the dishes change as the seasons change and the availability of ingredients comes and goes. The food is made up of the best locally sourced produce: every spoonful is a taste of Yorkshire.  

Michelin-starred chef Andrew Pern’s brasserie-styled The Star Inn The City serves a variety of starters, mains and puddings, and the real star is again, the exquisite Yorkshire produce. The menu features dishes such as Yorkshire Rarebit, Yorkshire Allotment Plot Salad, and seafood dishes with the catch fresh from the North Sea. The Star Inn boasts an unrivalled location, housed in an old pumping station on the banks of the River Ouse, and you can watch the boats drift by while soaked in the sun on their riverside terrace.

The city not only boasts regional cuisine but a wide range of global food, and while traveling is not so easy at the moment, you can still enjoy a culinary adventure. At Fancy Hank’s Bar and Kitchen, you can go on an epic American road trip without leaving your seat. The menu is loaded with good old-fashioned Soul Food inspired by two brothers’ journeys through the 11 states of the Deep South, all of which can be washed down with the Americana tastes of their delicious cocktails.  

Just a short stroll from Europe’s oldest medieval street is the Shambles Food Court. Open all year round, there is a huge variety of street food delights waiting to be tucked into, which will take you all around the world. Don’t miss Los Moros, where you can satisfy those cravings with colourful and modern North African Flavours, Stam and Maria’s tempting Greek treats, including their famous gyros, and the Tasty Turmeric Stop’s freshly prepared, healthy veggie curries.   

Those needing to get a caffeine fix may want to dip into one of the many quirky, independent coffee and tea shops that line the cobbled streets of York. One such is Brew and Brownie, an ideal spot for brunch with brilliant breakfast dishes, perfect pancakes and scrumptious sandwiches. Brew and Brownie, and its sister outfit, The Bakeshop, both also offer a mouth-watering selection of baked goodies which will satisfy anyone with a sweet tooth. 

If you’re out sampling a Taste of York, make us jealous by sharing your foodie photos using #OnlyInYork and @VisitYork. For more inspiration on where to Eat and Drink in York, go to our Eat and Drink pages.