Roots
York, North Yorkshire
This is the second venture from chef Tommy Banks and his family, who took their flagship (the Black Swan at Oldstead) from remote country pub to destination restaurant. Now have done the same for the former Bay Horse Inn in York – the name is still carved over the door – a rambling, but substantial Grade II-listed Victorian inn that had been empty for years. The restoration has cleverly retained enough of its Victorian character while adding a contemporary twist with wool kilims, Scandi-style chairs and oak tables, their legs a tangle of metal ‘roots’, and while the menu is exclusive, the vibe is relaxed. 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 taster 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. With it, 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. 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 £41 (or £15 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 the whole team at Roots.
