Search the Good Food Guide - Site Settings site

Location

Establishment Type

Cuisine

Price

Clear
New Review
  View all 9 photos
  /9
X

Roots

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

Tasting menu? Consider the lavish Sunday feast instead

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

Beside York’s city walls, this former Victorian inn is home to Roots, the urban outpost of Tommy Banks’ mini-empire. The rather sombre frontage contrasts with the warm and relaxed interior, which is furnished with kilims, Scandi-style chairs and oak tables – their legs a tangle of metal ‘roots’.  Tasting menus swing along in a fashion of small courses that reflect whatever is being harvested at the farm in Oldstead, along with a productive line in preserves and ferments. Similarly, cocktails make use of a range of herbs and foraged pickings such as lemon verbena and woodruff. Wines are selected from an expansive list, along with food-matching packages, by-the-glass selections and Banks Brothers wines-in-a-can. This kind of high-spend, special-occasion, multi-course dining will not be to everyone’s taste or pocket, but you can eat here generously for a fraction of the price by opting for their ‘Sunday feast’ (two sittings at 12 noon ...

Beside York’s city walls, this former Victorian inn is home to Roots, the urban outpost of Tommy Banks’ mini-empire. The rather sombre frontage contrasts with the warm and relaxed interior, which is furnished with kilims, Scandi-style chairs and oak tables – their legs a tangle of metal ‘roots’.  Tasting menus swing along in a fashion of small courses that reflect whatever is being harvested at the farm in Oldstead, along with a productive line in preserves and ferments. Similarly, cocktails make use of a range of herbs and foraged pickings such as lemon verbena and woodruff. Wines are selected from an expansive list, along with food-matching packages, by-the-glass selections and Banks Brothers wines-in-a-can.

This kind of high-spend, special-occasion, multi-course dining will not be to everyone’s taste or pocket, but you can eat here generously for a fraction of the price by opting for their ‘Sunday feast’ (two sittings at 12 noon and 4pm). Proceedings begin with a series of seasonally updated small dishes: a mini taste of Oldstead charcuterie and pickles; a slice of cured salmon served with a creamy pot of whipped buttermilk; a pot of rich duck liver parfait sealed with a layer of rhubarb jelly to slather on slices of crusty sourdough, and finally a warm croquette of Old Winchester cheese and coppa.

The monthly changing roast might be chicken, pork or, for a supplement, rib of beef. ‘Trimmings’ are generous: duck-fat roast potatoes; a rich cauliflower cheese perked up with Tunworth cheese and mustard; carrots glazed in spruce and tarragon; charred hispi cabbage given a wild garlic and parsley crumb, and finally, a puffy Yorkshire pudding which, for a £7 supplement, can be filled with braised ox cheek and caramelised onion. The lavish feast ends with a mini dessert of Yorkshire rhubarb and toasted oats. 

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, Pre-payment required

More like this

    •  

       

       

    •  

       

       

    •  

       

       

    Latest articles