Search the Good Food Guide - Site Settings site

Location

Establishment Type

Cuisine

Price

Clear
  View all 6 photos
  /6
X

Roots

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

Overall Rating: Very Good

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

Deliciousness:How delicious is the food? Exceptional

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

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

High-profile chef Tommy Banks and his family (the team behind the Black Swan at Oldstead) have renovated and transformed what was the old Bay Horse Inn in York (the name is still carved over the door) into a destination restaurant. The restoration of this rambling, Grade II-listed Victorian inn has cleverly retained enough of its original character while adding a relaxed, contemporary feel with wool kilims, Scandi-style chairs and oak tables – their legs a tangle of metal ‘roots’. Having experimented with small plates, large plates, sharing plates and a successful business in takeaways, they have settled on a tasting menu making use of ingredients and foraged pickings gleaned from the 20-acre family farm and the countryside around Oldstead. Diners are likely to find the likes of pine, sea buckthorn and hyssop scattered throughout the menu. The signature menu swings along with a dozen small courses presented and explained by a young, well-drilled team. Naturally, ...

High-profile chef Tommy Banks and his family (the team behind the Black Swan at Oldstead) have renovated and transformed what was the old Bay Horse Inn in York (the name is still carved over the door) into a destination restaurant. The restoration of this rambling, Grade II-listed Victorian inn has cleverly retained enough of its original character while adding a relaxed, contemporary feel with wool kilims, Scandi-style chairs and oak tables – their legs a tangle of metal ‘roots’. Having experimented with small plates, large plates, sharing plates and a successful business in takeaways, they have settled on a tasting menu making use of ingredients and foraged pickings gleaned from the 20-acre family farm and the countryside around Oldstead. Diners are likely to find the likes of pine, sea buckthorn and hyssop scattered throughout the menu. The signature menu swings along with a dozen small courses presented and explained by a young, well-drilled team. Naturally, it reflects whatever is being harvested at the farm, along with a productive line in preserves and ferments. In spring, this might mean a brined and barbecued onion, garnished with wild garlic buds, shallot powder and lemon thyme leaves – all embellished with earthy chanterelles and a rich whey and fermented onion sauce and a mushroom beurre noisette. Venison loin is cooked in minerally juniper and served with smoked beetroot purée with sweet notes from a flowering currant jus, while crab ‘custard’ gets a vibrant green parsley and mussel sauce, complemented by a finger of lightly fried brioche topped with crabmeat and finished with a parsley and elderflower emulsion – a sort of posh toastie. Drinks are taken seriously, with an imaginative menu of pre-dinner cocktails utilising a whole range of herbs and foraged elements including lemon verbena and woodruff. Wine-matching packages are offered, as well as by-the-glass selections from an expansive list that starts at £45 (or £13 for a 250ml can). It’s a three-hour tour de force that, like many multi-course menus, can get arduous, but there is no debate over the skill, originality and sheer chutzpah shown by Tommy Banks, head chef Will Lockwood and his team.

Read full reviewSee less

VENUE DETAILS

68 Marygate
York
North Yorkshire
YO30 7BHGB

View opening times

Make a reservation

OTHER INFORMATION

Wheelchair access, Deposit required

More like this

    •  

       

       

    •  

       

       

    •  

       

       

    Latest articles