RestaurantsNorth YorkshireYorkYO30

Breaking news

August 2021: Head chef Sean Wrest has left after two years.

Harden's says

'Great British Menu' winner Tommy Banks and family, who run popular restaurant-with-rooms The Black Swan at Oldstead, have opened a new restaurant in central York. The PR info for Roots says: "Make a choice. Order as much as you like, eat, drink and be the creator of your own menu."

survey result

Summary

£179
£££££
4
Very Good
3
Good
4
Very Good
* Based on a three course dinner, half a bottle of wine, coffee, cover charge, service and VAT.

“Combining skill and originality in equal measure – with a menu that’s is unexpected and exciting”; Tommy Banks’s converted pub in the city centre is applauded in all reports as a “fabulous” destination: “knowledgeable service coupled with the beautiful presentation and amazingly flavoured food makes for a truly unforgettable meal”. However, even those who acknowledge that it’s “excellent” still often feel that “bills are simply excessive” (“we love Tommy Banks, but won’t be returning”). The overall verdict? “Excellent… but at a price”.

Summary

£164
£££££
4
Very Good
4
Very Good
4
Very Good
* Based on a three course dinner, half a bottle of wine, coffee, cover charge, service and VAT.

“We went the day after having eaten at The Black Swan and all enjoyed this more!”“Tommy Banks continues to surprise, amaze and delight in equal measure” at his family’s converted pub in the city centre, which nowadays is the most talked-about place in town, and one of the most commented-on restaurants nationally in our annual diners’ poll. Head chef, Will Lockwood, moved here from The Black Swan in late 2021 and his tasting menus showcase “the Banks ethos of local produce and sustainability”. “Each course is a work of art starting with lots of foraged and locally sourced ingredients”, all “served impeccably in a relaxed manner by knowledgeable and friendly staff” and “complemented by good wine pairings”. “The location even allows a gentle post-prandial stroll along the river bank – assuming York's legendary floods are not present!". The experience is, however, decidedly “not cheap” and as a result even some who rate it as “exceptional” feel it’s “a one-visit-only job”.

Summary

£153
£££££
4
Very Good
5
Exceptional
4
Very Good
* Based on a three course dinner, half a bottle of wine, coffee, cover charge, service and VAT.

“A go-to-restaurant in York!” – Tommy Banks continues to inspire delight at this converted pub in the centre, which is one of our most commented-on destinations in this ever-more foodie city. Central to its appeal is a menu that fans “love, love, love as it’s so creative and sophisticated”, using ingredients grown on the Banks family’s 20-acre farm. There’s only one caveat, and that’s increasing concern over creeping prices: “not sure the Tommy Banks hype is improving things at his two restaurants, and value for money is certainly reducing”. The team is not standing still, though: in November 2021 Will Lockwood transferred from being head chef at The Black Swan to run the kitchen here.

Summary

£53
   ££
5
Exceptional
5
Exceptional
4
Very Good
* Based on a three course dinner, half a bottle of wine, coffee, cover charge, service and VAT.

“A magnificent addition to York's burgeoning food scene”“Tommy Banks does amazing things with the most simple of ingredients” (“how can anyone make a humble brassica such as kale so bloody tasty that we were all fighting over it?!”), at his family’s “converted pub, close to York city-centre”, which – in one short year – became the survey’s most-mentioned destination in this increasingly foodie town. “The intense flavours and imaginative combination of sometimes-unlikely ingredients are a delight” and “the wine to match is excellent, and very well thought out”. “Young, friendly, helpful and enthusiastic service” contributes to a highly impressive debut. “Get in quick, before the prices match those at his Black Swan in Oldstead!”. Top Menu Tip – “his best-known dish is the epic crapaudine beetroot, the beetroot cooked in beef fat”.

For 33 years we've been curating reviews of the UK's most notable restaurant. In a typical year, diners submit over 50,000 reviews to create the most authoritative restaurant guide in the UK. Each year, the guide is re-written from scratch based on this survey (although for the 2021 edition, reviews are little changed from 2020 as no survey could run for that year).

Have you eaten at Roots?

Restaurant details

No dress code
10

Roots Restaurant Diner Reviews

Reviews of Roots Restaurant in YO30, York by users of Hardens.com. Also see the editors review of Roots restaurant.
Susan P
This restaurant is now so expensive even an...
Reviewed 10 months, 10 days ago

"This restaurant is now so expensive even an annual visit hits the purse. Tasting menu gets ever more expensive, now £145, or £95 at lunch. The details of the menu should be written as the staff recite them at great speed. The casual style has become over friendly; referring to diners as “my loves” is too much. On the food front, the flavours continue to be stunning but there were three courses bread based, sourdough, a croissant and a special bun. More vegetables would have been good. Perhaps again in two years!"

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Prices

  Cost Availability Courses
Menu1 145.00 Dinner only 11
Drinks  
Wine per bottle £32.00
Filter Coffee £2.00
Extras  
Bread £0.00
Service 10.00%
68 Marygate, York, YO30 7BH
Opening hours
MondayCLOSED
TuesdayCLOSED
Wednesday6 pm‑8 pm
Thursday6 pm‑8 pm
Friday12 pm‑1:30 pm, 6 pm‑8 pm
Saturday12 pm‑1:30 pm, 6 pm‑8 pm
SundayCLOSED

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