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Pearly Cow York

North Yorkshire, York - Modern British - Restaurant - £££

Overall Rating: Good

Uniqueness:Does the establishment stand out in the context of the local area? Good

Deliciousness:How delicious is the food? Good

Warmth:How warm is the service and the hospitality in general? Good

Strength of recommendation:How enthusiastically and widely would you recommend the establishment? Good

After three decades under the same ownership, The Grange (a go-to spot for weddings, christenings and funeral teas) was put on the market in 2022 and snapped up by Tristan, Tom and James Guest. The brothers have transformed the original Regency townhouse into a quirkily decorated boutique hotel now named No.1 York (part of their GuestHouse collection), with Pearly Cow as its standalone restaurant. While there's a nod to vegetarians, the kitchen majors in 45-day salt-aged steaks, cooked over charcoal, served with a marrow bone and paired with peppercorn or béarnaise sauce – perhaps with a side order of the crispest beef-fat chips. There's plenty of seafood too: hazelnut-crusted halibut with saffron potatoes, fennel and orange was spot-on, although a sauce would have finished it off beautifully. Opening dishes are rather confusingly lumped together as ‘snacks, ‘ice’ and ‘small plates’, which can lead to over-ordering and an unexpectedly large bi...

After three decades under the same ownership, The Grange (a go-to spot for weddings, christenings and funeral teas) was put on the market in 2022 and snapped up by Tristan, Tom and James Guest. The brothers have transformed the original Regency townhouse into a quirkily decorated boutique hotel now named No.1 York (part of their GuestHouse collection), with Pearly Cow as its standalone restaurant. While there's a nod to vegetarians, the kitchen majors in 45-day salt-aged steaks, cooked over charcoal, served with a marrow bone and paired with peppercorn or béarnaise sauce – perhaps with a side order of the crispest beef-fat chips. There's plenty of seafood too: hazelnut-crusted halibut with saffron potatoes, fennel and orange was spot-on, although a sauce would have finished it off beautifully. Opening dishes are rather confusingly lumped together as ‘snacks, ‘ice’ and ‘small plates’, which can lead to over-ordering and an unexpectedly large bill. That said, a snack of creamy salt cod in a crisp taco and a wonderfully fresh tuna tartare (with soy and bonito wrapped in sour cream) both hit the high notes. Other winners range from charred mackerel with pomegranate and fennel to their signature beef tartare embellished with oyster cream, beef jam and Exmoor caviar. For afters, our textbook raspberry soufflé outshone a rather prosaic white chocolate parfait. The well-spread wine list includes a Yorkshire sparkler, and we like their original take on afternoon tea, too: billed as 'afternoon sea', it delivers oysters, mussels, prawn cocktail, crab on toast, garlicky scallops and smoked salmon scones for £38 (add £20 a head for bottomless rosé). Despite a few minor misgivings, Pearly Cow is a very creditable addition to York's restaurant scene.

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L Mosley

17 February 2025

Excited to enjoy their Sunday Set Menu, my partner and I shared a smoked salmon starter and a beef tartare (+£5 supplement). Both were tasty, the beef tartare was good quality, a nice oyster cream and a (very) small amo...
Excited to enjoy their Sunday Set Menu, my partner and I shared a smoked salmon starter and a beef tartare (+£5 supplement). Both were tasty, the beef tartare was good quality, a nice oyster cream and a (very) small amount of caviar on top. The smoked salmon was pretty but simply just five dials of smoked salmon on the plate with a tiny drizzle of English wasabi cream.

For the mains, we both had the Sunday roast beef sirloin. Unfortunately, both our meals came to the table cold. ...
Excited to enjoy their Sunday Set Menu, my partner and I shared a smoked salmon starter and a beef tartare (+£5 supplement). Both were tasty, the beef tartare was good quality, a nice oyster cream and a (very) small amount of caviar on top. The smoked salmon was pretty but simply just five dials of smoked salmon on the plate with a tiny drizzle of English wasabi cream.

For the mains, we both had the Sunday roast beef sirloin. Unfortunately, both our meals came to the table cold. However, this was quickly rectified and replaced. All in all, the Sunday roast was okay. Beef was good, nice sized Yorkshire pudding, but the seasonal veg was overcooked. The roast potatoes and cauliflower cheese were just okay.

For desserts, we shared a crème brûlée and bread and butter pudding. Both were delicious and a good portion size.

Drinks: we had a glass of Rioja Blanco, a Session Bitter and finished with a ‘New Fashioned Marmalade’ cocktail. The wine and beer options were great. The cocktail, again, was okay. It felt like only half a glass arrived, and the balance of flavours was off.

The service was fantastic, especially from the host/manager.

Overall the experience was okay, but in comparison to the reviews I have read and the total bill, I expected something a little bit more.
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VENUE DETAILS

1 Clifton
York
North Yorkshire
YO30 6AAGB

01904 946299

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OTHER INFORMATION

Accommodation, Private dining room, Separate bar, Wheelchair access, Parking, Electric car charging, Family friendly, Credit card required, No reservations

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