The Michelin Guide represents the pinnacle of culinary merit, with its prestigious accolades bestowed upon the world’s most respected restaurants. Each Michelin star signifies a level of exceptional quality, with judges employing criteria such as food quality, creativity, consistency and overall experience. If you’re a gastronome in search of innovation and excellence, these are the Michelin Star Restaurants to visit in and around York.
This is the place for Michelin-starred food in York city centre. It’s the work of Tommy Banks — who you may recognise fhelas the three-time winner of the BBC’s Great British Menu and host of The Big Family Cooking Showdown — and his right-hand man, Will Lockwood. Roots’ tasting menus are constructed on the principles of seasonality and sustainability, using ingredients from the kitchen garden, Banks’ family farm and local producers.
Each course is imaginatively and impeccably presented and can be accompanied by a choice of no fewer than 130 wines. Roots offers a dinner service from Wednesday to Saturday, with lunches on Friday and Saturday. You’ll find it housed in a heritage Arts and Crafts building, adjacent to the Museum Gardens and beside the river.
It’s well worth the 24-mile journey from York for a meal at this 14th-century thatched inn in Helmsley, on the perimeter of the North York Moors. Packed with character, the building survived a fire at the end of 2021; its charred beams remain as a testament to its endurance Fortunately many of its features are intact, with low timber ceilings, dark wood furnishings, oil paintings and a roaring open fire creating an old world ambience.
The dining room looks out onto The Star’s enchanting onsite garden, from which many of the dishes’ ingredients are plucked on demand. Choose from an a la carte menu with daily specials or a tasting menu, the latter with an optional premium wine pairing. Alternatively, book for the Sunday roast with impressively fluffy Yorkshire pudding. Chef Director Stephen Smith oversees the kitchen with classical-meets-modern flair.
This restaurant is found along a rural lane in Tommy Banks’ village home, 23 miles from the city centre. It was in and around Oldstead that the local celebrity observed the process of farming from a very young age, through his own family. In 2006, the Banks clan purchased the then down-at-heel village watering hole, breathing new life into it and adding a food menu. Within six years The Black Swan had received a Michelin star. And when a year later Tommy took the helm in the kitchen, retaining the star, he became the youngest-ever chef to receive the gong.
The Black Swan has gained international acclaim for its innovative and skilled approach to farm-to-table cooking, with almost no wastage thanks to the chef’s range of preservation techniques. Offering fine dining in a rustic setting (think exposed beams, flagstone floors, candlelight and an open fire), its menu showcases the best Yorkshire food. The venue also boasts a Michelin Green Star for its eco-credentials.
These culinary treasures reflect the region’s rich food culture and evidence of its strong relationship to the terroir. They’re perfect for a special occasion or as a highlight of your stay in the county. Early booking is recommended due to each of the restaurant’s enduring popularity.
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