Roots York

The eagerly anticipated second restaurant from Chef Tommy Banks of the Michelin-starred Black Swan at Oldstead was always going to be a success. Having revamped what was the old Bay Horse pub into a contemporary space for fine dining; Banks has stuck to the ethos that won his original venue so many accolades: everything revolves around seasonal ingredients grown and foraged on the family farm, which are transformed into mouthfuls of pure joy. Nothing is too heavily handled, which allows each piece of produce speak for itself in its simplicity, for full on flavour.

Here, Banks has based his cooking around three seasonal menus: ‘The Hunger Gap’, ‘The Time of Abundance’ and ‘Preservation Season’. Our visit coincided with the latter – an autumnal line-up full of hedgerow fruits, brassicas and root vegetables such as celeriac, crapaudine beetroot and cabbage.

You are free to choose a selection of dishes from an a la carte offering, or can let the kitchen choose for you by plumping for a ‘Roots Feast’, for £55 per person.

To begin, we were offered some beautifully light ‘sour bread’ and seed crackers, although the accompanying Lincolnshire Poacher cheese ‘custard’ was a flavourless let-down. After that, it was success all the way, from sweet and tangy ‘sour pea’ falafel with carrots and pork fat to lamb and fermented turnip ‘bao’ (a perfect pairing), and a dish of buttery ox cheek with cauliflower and kale. Desserts offer twists on classics such as tiramisu (reimagined with carrot and chicory root) or you can play it safe with Mary Banks’ apple cake, which comes with Oldstead honey, crème fraîche and foraged berries.

If visiting during the 'Time of Abundance' you can expect dishes like Thornback ray wing, 'tartare' sauce and hazelnuts or salt beef, mustard, gherkins and Old Winchester cheese.

There are also plenty of pleasant surprises on the helpfully categorised wine list – although prices are a little steep given that glasses are all 125ml. Still, eating here is an experience you won’t forget in a hurry.

Roots York is the second restaurant from star Yorkshire chef Tommy Banks, who first won a Michelin star for his debut site The Swan at Oldstead in 2013, at the age of just 24. Now with more than a few years of experience under his belt, Banks has turned his attention to York and his efforts have paid off - in 2021, Roots became the first ever York restaurant to be awarded a star.

The restaurant sits on the former site of the old Bay Horse pub and the restaurant still has some of the homely characteristics of a countryside boozer, featuring wood panelling, original fireplaces and patterned rugs. The smattering of tables around the room make it clear that this is a venue for feasting though, while large windows flood the space with natural light and cosy banquette seating peppered with colourful scatter cushions make the space warm and inviting.

Knowing his strengths, Banks has stuck to the same food philosophy that brought him so much success the first time around - Roots York serves a menu of seasonally changing and uncomplicated dishes, in which fresh ingredients that have mostly been sourced direct from the family farm are given the chance to shine. Diners are given the sole choice of a tasting menu for both lunch and dinner and thanks to the aforementioned dedication to seasonal produce, you are likely to find that dishes change between visits.

Whatever is on the menu when you visit though, you can be sure it will be something that is simple yet remarkably effective- from a main course of scallops with sour honey and pickled mussels, to an intriguing pudding of rhubarb served alongside raw milk and Jerusalem artichoke.

Prices are as you’d expect from a fine dining joint, and if you have the budget, it’s worth perusing Roots extensive list of global wines.