York Dungeon Walking Tour

Throughout 20 years of living in York I’ve tried to be proactive in looking for new ways to explore and interact with the city that I’ve come to love, with treats such as the Snickleway Tour of York and more recently the Treasure Hunt York Tour proving their worth. Without getting too much into talk…

Middletons York

It looks very much like dining out in 2021 will, for a good portion of it at least, mean exactly that. Even after we’re permitted to return to the warm embrace of a restaurant’s interior, I can see many people retaining a preference for outdoor dining as long as the British weather can be tricked…

Treasure Hunt York

After twenty years in this wonderful city I think I know York very well. I’ve never lived more than 20 minutes’ walk from the centre of the city and have spent a great many days happily mooching my way around the city, taking in its history, sights and businesses. On occasion I’ve joined more formal…

Getting to grips with Vegan Fried Chicken

“I don’t get meat substitutes. Why would you want to pretend to eat meat if you don’t want to eat meat?” How many times have you heard that parroted about meat substitutes by bemused omnivores when presented with vegan versions of commonplace meat products? To some extent it’s a view I, as a meat-eater, can…

Reflections on 2020

Well, that didn’t quite go according to plan did it? This time last year I was reminiscing on the preceding 12 months and commenting that “it’s been quite an eventful year”, blissfully ignorant of the incoming tsunami of unwanted eventfulness that would make 2020 a pretty bruising experience for all of us, including a now…

A sense of occasion at The Ivy

For the sake of our collective mental health it’s important we keep finding positives in the midst of this mess, no matter how small, so in the run up to Halloween I took some minor comfort in the idea that I wouldn’t have to deal with a bunch of trick or treaters this year. The…

Estabulo Rodizio York

Retail parks don’t tend to make fertile hunting grounds for interesting food. They tend to be identikit offerings geared toward the safest possible meal to appease the largest number of people possible while still turning a profit, and all without too much distraction from the day’s spending. While there’ll always be a place in the…

Shambles Kitchen bring fire to Shambles Food Court

While we’ve been blessed thus far (excepting for some irritatingly unpredictable days) with a summer reasonably conducive to outdoor entertainment, we’d be foolish to think that will be a continuing state of affairs. That being the case, as we come into autumn and winter, it’ll be correspondingly important for businesses to establish new bridgeheads into…

Hog and Apple at Thor’s Tipi

I don’t think many of us are doing the things day to day that we expected to be doing six months ago. Even if we are, I suspect we’ve all seen significant changes to how we carry out those activities such as working from home or going about our business separated from customers by a…

Welcoming back The Star Inn the City

I’ve recounted before how The Star Inn the City was a tantalising view from my desk while under construction many years ago. This may or may not be a trick of my memory as I age but the sight of an exciting new restaurant from Andrew Pern emerging while I was subjected to the various…