North Yorkshire, Spanish Restaurant Guide

From a small bar in Malton in 2007, Zoe & Tim Sinclair have created a five-strong Yorkshire tapas chain of which this outpost 2010 was the first. It now has two other siblings in the city: “opt for this one if you want more of the old York building vibe”. It’s one of the most commented-on businesses in York in our annual diners’ poll thanks to its “well-priced tapas that’s a cut above the standard, with excellent wines and sherries too” and it “gets very busy and noisy due to its popularity”. Arguably, though, “the menu is far too big – some dishes are poor, some are very good”.

“Decent tapas for the price” – with “all the usual suspects (patatas bravas, padron peppers, tortilla, croquettas)” – win praise for this Hispanic quartet, now well into their second decade. These days the cooking is reckoned “competent”, if “not up to the earlier standards” – perhaps a reflection of improved competition. Top Menu Tip – “it’s worth checking out the vegetable dishes” (“with some left-field options for the adventurous; the beetroot with coffee was great!”)

2023 Review: In April 2022, Leeds restaurateur Joe McDermott opened this paella and tapas specialist at Saw Mill Yard in Holbeck Urban Village, on the city’s South Bank. Named after a variety of rice from eastern Spain, Bomba started off as a paella delivery service during lockdown, operating from Kirkgate Market. McDermott originally made his mark on the Leeds dining scene almost 30 years ago, launching the Arts Café in Call Lane in 1994.