subject: Great places to eat in York [print this page] International visitors may not immediately associate England with great cuisine, but things soon change when they sample the delicacies of traditional restaurants. Visiting historic cities such as York can be the best way to enjoy classic British cuisine made with locally sourced ingredients in the time-honoured fashion, while looking out over some of the most spectacular views in the North East.
York is a popular city with tourists, but the fact that so many locals choose to eat out in the big-name restaurants is a testament to the quality of the meals. If you're visiting York to explore its historical sights, from the Roman city walls to Viking treasures and the elegant York Minster cathedral, you'll find plenty of options for enjoying authentic pub grub in the city centre. Some of these restaurants have been operating for centuries, while others are housed in equally historic Georgian and Victorian buildings, to add rustic dcor to the view outside.
It's not just the food that can decide where you eat out, of course, and you'll find that York's central restaurants are very well stocked with international wines and ales, depending on your tastes. While you'll find the usual chain pubs and restaurants ubiquitous in many city centres, York is a great place for tracking down unique and authentic gastronomic gems, so you can be confident you're helping to support local businesses when wining and dining in the city.
Even if you're not a fan of hearty English cuisine, such as gammon steaks or pies, York's cosmopolitan nature means it's just as easy to find more exotic tastes on your trip, with everything from Mediterranean to Oriental cuisines being widely available. You don't have to stick to the city centre either, with some of the preferred restaurants among food connoisseurs being located on the outskirts, easily reached by car or using the city's reliable bus system.
York is also well-known for its quantity of so-called 'greasy spoon' cafes, the perfect places to tuck into a filling meal of sausages, bacon, egg, mushroom and other fried assortments after rolling out of bed in your York hotels and getting ready to start the day. Many of these eateries open sufficiently early for tourists and workers to make sure they take care of the most important meal of the day, giving you plenty of time to head out and hit the big attractions before the rest of the world wakes up.
