Guide to York

You really ought to be able to get something nice to eat if you're on a spa break in York, because the city actually lies in the heart of one of the most important food producing regions in the country. Restaurant-wise, York caters for pretty much every taste and budget with a cool selection of up-market restaurants, cafes, traditional pub grub and chilled out bistros serving local produce.

• The Blue Bicycle on High Petergate is one of the most popular places to enjoy a meal in York, with award winning food and a relaxed vibe. The restaurant is well known for fresh fish, scrumptious desserts and a great selection of fine wines. For history buffs the cellar in the Blue Bicycle was once a famous brothel, and you can still see photographs of some of the girls who might have worked there downstairs!
  Address: 34 Fossgate, York, North Yorkshire YO1 9TA
  Tel: 01904 673990
  
• Nestling down an alley, right in the city centre, is ate o'clock - the first go-it-alone venture for Kenny Noble; one of York's best known chefs. You'll find fresh, local produce, all cooked to order and as you like it, and the dishes are 'Mediterranean with a twist of Scouse' which certainly needs investigating. The decor is individual too, featuring clocks all set to 8 o'clock and film sets in the toilets...
  Address: 13A High Ousegate, York, North Yorkshire YO1 8RZ
  Tel: 01904 644 080
  
• 31 Castlegate is a refined establishment set in the former home of a Georgian architect close to York Castle and the Jorvik Viking Centre. The restaurant serves up delicious modern European cuisine, with dishes that involve the freshest, best quality local ingredients. Food is available all day, but after dark expect elegance, candlelight and a menu of a la carte dishes, complemented by an extensive wine list. 31 Castlegate also caters for all dietary requirements, just call ahead and let them know.
  Address: 31 Castlegate, York, North Yorkshire YO1 9RN
  Tel: 01904 621404
  
• A convenient stroll from York Minster and the Theatre Royal will bring you to Strada, where you can find authentic Italian cuisine and a setting inside a grade I listed building that still has many of its original features. Dishes are created with authentic ingredients like Parma ham and Buffalo mozzarella imported from Italy, to bring a delicious Italian experience to the heart of York.
  Address: 75 Low Petergate, York, North Yorkshire YO1 7HY
  Tel: 01904 672 999
  
• Another independent restaurant/bar is the relaxing Dusk where you can try fresh home cooked British and Mediterranean style cuisine. Some of the dishes that Dusk is best-known for are its burgers, breakfasts and the Deli Board which is a range of taster-sized dishes giving you a chance to sample something a little bit different. Smokers and pets are welcome on the outside terrace tables and later on there's music and club nights.
  Address: 8 New St, York YO1 8RA
  Tel: 01904 634 851
  
• For more exotic tastes, you can find delicious Indian and traditional Bangladeshi cuisine at York Spice, which you'll find just outside the city walls on the South Bank. York Spice likes to give discerning Indian food lovers a treat with traditional dishes, and along authentic traditional cuisine they are also happy to cook you a dish that's not on the menu, ingredients permitting.
  Address: 21 Bishopthorpe Road, York, North Yorkshire YO23 1NA
  Tel: 01904 628 886
  
• Tokyo Joes is one of York's most tasty oriental food restaurants, serving up a diverse selection of authentic Japanese dishes in the restaurant which is close to York Minster. Dishes are fast and healthy Japanese favourites, and while the inspiration is exotic, the ingredients are sourced locally where possible. Budding performers will also enjoy the regular karaoke sessions!
  Address: 20-24 Swinegate, York, North Yorkshire YO1 8AZ
  Tel: 01904 640 222
  
• ...and one definitely not to miss is the celebrated Betty's Tea Rooms, which was founded in 1919. Cakes, pastries, cream teas and full meals all jostle for attention on the menu, which is elegant, and the restaurant is a throwback to bygone times. You can even buy cakes, treats and bread to take away.
  Address: 46 Stonegate, York, North Yorkshire YO1 8AS
  Tel: 01904 622 865

York can do fun nights out with the best of them, buoyed up by the influence of its two universities, a constant stream of tourists and a list of cultural events that take place all through the year.

• Music lovers flock to the Stone Roses Bar - named after the iconic band, of course. Opened in 2004, and the only bar and venue in York to play classic and new indie and alternative music, the bar is perfectly placed in the city centre. The Stone Roses has a reputation for supporting local up and coming music acts. Memorabilia fans will love the place, and there's even a classic Lambretta over the dance floor. Popular with students, there are great club nights, football and special events.
  
• Established back in 1992, Fibbers is one of the most successful music venues in the city, boasting that it has played host to over 5000 gigs since it was opened. Just breaking into the scene bands and locals play the same venue as household names, the club stays open until 4am every night with live music and DJs playing everything from Dubstep and Drum n Bass to Indie and Rock.
  
• BoBo LoBo is York's only Latin themed cocktail bar, offering a night out with South American flavours, food and cocktails, Salsa and Merengue music, all served up in an exciting vibrant atmosphere. The decor is as lively as the clientele and the drinks menu includes an extensive selection of tequilas and rums to sample as well as cocktails, wines and drinks.
  
• The Gallery Nightclub is open seven nights a week, offering up a selection of five bars and promising a good night out. Gallery boasts some of the best DJ's in the north and claims to be the premier nightclub for York. Three rooms are also on hand including the exclusive VIP lounge for a special night out and some extravagant partying.
  
• Club Salvation is another major player on the York clubbing scene, and with a recent facelift it's now more glamorous than ever. With two distinctly different rooms the club likes to cater for as many tastes as possible with individual club and themed nights. Top of the range sound and lighting combined with lasers, Co2 cannons and pyrotechnic displays make it a night out not to be missed.
  
• For a more chilled out vibe, head over to Kennedys Bar and Restaurant which occupies a prime spot just a stone's throw away from York Minster. Spread out over three floors, there's something there for everyone, including food, a roof top terrace to relax on and basement music bar with dance floor.
  
• Plonkers Wine Bar is a contemporary drinking spot that's to be found right in the centre of York, close to the River Ouse. You can take your pick from a wide range of beers and spirits, wines and champagnes, and it's a perfect pre and post-performance venue due to its close proximity to the Grand Opera House.
  
• A fantastic cocktail bar with a difference, The Evil Eye Lounge is truly unusual! The layout is quite disorienting and if you've already had a few before you get there you could find yourself walking round in circles. The ground floor bar is decorated with vast numbers of empty bottles of exotic alcohol and interestingly, part of the first floor contains Internet access computers, while the other room is exotic and unusual with Bedouin wooden bed-like structures and tables overlooking Stonegate.
  
• For a more traditional pub night out, go for The Maltings. You'll find it the foot of Lendal Bridge in the city centre. A former Yorkshire Pub of the Year, the pub likes to serve up quality beers and good food, with a choice of up seven Real Ales or four traditional ciders. The resident beer is the Black Sheep Bitter and there are six ever changing guest beers to choose from too.

York city centre has some of the prettiest and most historic stone and half-timbered buildings in the country, some of which have been in use for many centuries. It's also home to Europe's largest single pedestrianised area so there's no pesky traffic to get in the way of your retail therapy either.

• York is a great place to find designer labels, vintage and antique shops nestled among the high street names, and the most obvious place to start is the street that was voted the most picturesque street in Britain - still popular with shoppers after 900 years. Shambles (or The Shambles as you'll often hear it referred to) is small but perfectly formed, and crammed with adorable shops, cafes, restaurants and tourist attractions. If you are thinking of taking any pictures get there early to avoid the crowds.
  
• Some of the 'Gates' - like Petergate and Stonegate, Coppergate and Fossgate, are great shopping opportunities. In 2010, Petergate was awarded the title of the Second Best Street in Britain, and both Petergate and Stonegate are close to the Minster and have a great selection of high-fashion and accessories on offer, alongside independent stores selling a huge variety of interesting things.
  
• Coppergate is a more modern, up to date shopping experience in the city centre that offers a chance to shop till you drop at high street favourites like the Body Shop, Thorntons and Marks and Spencer.
  
• Fossgate is pure heaven for foodies, and one of the top three food streets in Britain for food, but is also worth investigating retro and vintage clothing.
  
• Located a short distance from Stonegate and York Minster, Swinegate is the street of designer fashion, as well as some upmarket restaurants and cafes.
  
• Bargain hunters can get some tax free shopping at the McArthur Glen York Designer Outlet, located on the outskirts of the city. There's over 100 brand named stores with discounts of up to 60 per cent, including Armani Collections, Hugo Boss, Jaeger and Bose.