Restaurant-Guide.com
hand picked restaurants

Across its varied locations in the UK, The Living Room group of restaurants have become synonymous with delicious food in a comfortable atmosphere. Soothing music, a relaxed ambience and typical gastropub fare, aptly named Home Comforts, along with European influences have made this into a popular dining destination regardless of the venue. The execution is simple and the presentation, fantastic, so naturally the overall experience becomes something that you cherish and come to savour.

From the á la carte, choose beer battered tiger prawns with a sweet chilli sauce and wasabi or something from the small plates selection which includes chorizo sausage pan fried in chilli and red wine. Amongst main courses, the steak, ale and mushroom pie vies for attention alongside a rib eye steak with peppercorn sauce and chips and the chocolate brownie with vanilla ice cream and raspberry compote qualifies for an exceedingly rich dessert. The drinks list has contemporary and classic wines and champagnes which meet all requirements suitably.

Chef-proprietor Peter Dyrdal has joined forces with a local hotelier to capture and present North Yorkshire's wealth of quality ingredients and passion for great food, in a contemporary, friendly and informal setting.

Expect to see modern interpretations of great British classics such as family-bred Colton beef fillet, from the chef's sister's farm only four miles away, with roast shallot, spinach, cauliflower puree and wine gum jus, or confit of local pork belly with homemade black pudding and a purple potato and white truffle coulis. These could be preceded with sweet miso glazed duck breast or tiger prawn tempura with homemade chilli dipping sauce and prawn crackers, and if you're searching for something sweet, there's a nutty double chocolate brownie with vanilla pod ice-cream

Noir aspires more to be a fun place to eat well than it does for official accreditation and recognition, and it certainly seems like a welcome addition to the dining out scene at York.

'Charming' is just one of the epithets you would use to describe The Black Swan at Oldstead, a delightful gastropub in York with 2 AA Rosettes and a Rising Michelin Star. Their refurbished bedrooms have also won five stars from the AA. Located not too far from historic Byland Abbey, the simple and understated décor with oak floors, Persian rugs, and candles emitting a soft glow from atop their perch in brass holders add favourably to the ambience.

The menu features traditional as well as modern British fare, using fresh and locally sourced ingredients, with meat brought in from neighbouring farms. For starters, you could try the hand-dived king scallops with cauliflower puree, golden raisins, poppadoms and a taste of curry and then move on to the saddle of venison with homemade black pudding and beetroot and horseradish risotto. Finish indulgently with a valhrona chocolate fondant with peanut butter ice cream and salted caramel.

The bar is warm and welcoming with stone flagged floor, an open log fire, oak fittings, window seats and antique furnishings; just the place to relax with a mug of beer in the company of friends.

Russells have two restaurants in the historic city of York. One is in Coppergate and is a spacious area offering everything from morning coffee to the last liqueur of the evening. The other is an elegant and beautifully decorated Victorian building in Stonegate close to York's inspirational Minster, and it houses amongst other things the Carvery for which Russells is so popular.

A meal in the evening as the setting sun warms the stonework of the Minster is an experience not to be missed. Around 15 starters could include hot smoked mackerel with horseradish, a skillet of large shell-on-prawn tails sautéed in garlic butter, hot and spicy chicken wings or spicy potato wedges and dips. A salad platter offers a serve yourself range of leaves and other salad items.

Main courses revolve round the roast table. A choice of roast meats awaits your approval. Vegetarians need not feel left out - there is a nut roast, cooked in a rich red wine sauce. Expect also to find pork Veronique, steak in a copper pot, tuna steaks, and poached fillet of Scottish salmon, all cooked to order and served with vegetables of the season or salad.

A majestic list of hot and cold desserts is there to seduce your appetite, starting with home made sherry trifle, never out of fashion, chocolate fudge cake, sticky toffee meringue sundae and passion cake. Never forget that Yorkshire has some very fine cheeses, and a cheese platter there is worthy of close consideration.

Wackers is undoubtedly one of York's favourite fish and chip restaurants, a pleasant and friendly place that has the residents of Gillygate coming back for more of this traditional well loved dish. Whether you're there for a quick and tasty lunch or with friends and family for a celebration, it's undoubtedly a good option as they have the capacity to hold big parties, but you can also indulge in their delightful meals in peace.

The menu is straightforward and it's a great place to visit in the morning for a hearty breakfast but of course it is the fish and chips, which is the draw there, with options including small, medium and large haddock, cod and plaice. They also have numerous other main dishes such as lasagne, pasta bakes, fish cakes, pies and burgers and there's also a child friendly menu for the little ones. Puddings could involve a foray into cold desserts such as lemon parfait and a range of delicious ice creams.

Delrio's, although described as presenting cuisine from the Mediterranean is Sardinia-specific and, as such, a pretty good gem to have in your city. As though realizing this there appears to be a conspiracy to ensure that you don't find the premises which are, to say the least, obscure. However, these are but tests to discover your mettle and your prize on passing the various tests, is to uncover a wonderful range of dishes, many of them seafood, being served up in this unobtrusive cellar restaurant, which deserves the attention of every gourmet who comes anywhere near it.

In the shadow of York's historic Clifford's Tower, Clifford's Restaurant offers a fine selection of foods from around the world in contemporary surroundings. We offer a la carte, table d'hote and children's menus, all complimented by our extensive selection of wines and drinks.