Note: Words by Foodpornnation and myself.

We spent three glorious days in York recently and wanted to share with you what we enjoyed most about this lovely city. York was built by the Romans in 71AD and captured by the Vikings in 866 AD. Rich in history, York has evolved into a quaint English city with beautiful boutique shops, delicious eateries and English pubs.

With our handy YorkPass we experienced York’s top attractions for the price of £49.30 for an adult. This is a 3 day pass which gives access to most of the key tourist sites in York. York is compact enough to make your way around by foot and the 3 day YorkPass is a perfectly affordable way to see it all but at the same time shave a substantial amount off the entry fees. The YorkPass gives you access to some 30 attractions including most of our personal favourites below. There are also 1 day passes or 2 day passes if you have less time.

York Minster is a must see while you are in York. It is the most impressive structure in York showcasing stunning examples of medieval stained glass windows. One stained glass window is larger than the centre court in Wimbledon! We would also highly recommend going up to the tower for lovely views of York, seeing the underground museum for the history of the Romans and taking the guided tour to take in the details of the building, timelines and history of York Minster. The hour will fly by! If you’re interested in experiencing the structure in it’s true form, return for Evensong for a real choir service lasting 45 minutes.

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On our last day in York we headed to Cafe No 8 for both breakfast and dinner. Located at No.8 Gillygate, the restaurant is a relaxed and friendly venue within close proximity to York Minster Cathedral and the many attractions of York. Cafe No 8 is also particularly appealing as its prices are great value for money. Our mini-Yorkshire breakfast was really satisfying and priced at a mere £5.95 (the full Yorkshire was £7.95). We opted for the scrambled eggs with our breakfast and were extremely impressed with how delicious the eggs were. Perfectly cooked, they were the height of creaminess. We easily could have ordered seconds.

Yorkshire breakfast

Dinner was also very reasonable priced with two courses for £19 and three courses for £23. For starters, a peppered mackerel on a slow cooked tomato and cucumber salad with salsa verde was refreshingly satisfying, particularly as the slow cooking of the tomatoes helped to intensify its lovely sweetness. The creamy chicken liver pate with chutney and sour dough proved to be delicious as the pate was rich, smooth and wonderfully tasty.

Peppered mackerel

Chicken liver pate

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Note: Words and pictures by Foodpornnation and myself.

Hudson’s

Located within the Cedar Court Hotel & Spa, Hudson’s offers up a no-nonsense approach to bistro dining, a dining experience that is relaxed and cosy but with a touch of elegance. The Hudson’s menu serves up a contrast of interesting tit bits versus the more traditional bistro favourites. You can take the unconventional vegetarian fish & chips (£15.95), the beetroot Carpaccio (£15.95) or perhaps a more comforting grilled steak.

To get to Hudson’s you first walk through the plush warm interiors of the Cedar Court Hotel & Spa before being welcomed into the warmth of the luscious Hudson’s dining room. It was elegant and plush and oozed a relaxed ambience. Hudson’s might be bistro dining – but smartly done with a fine dining feel.

The Chef’s special spare ribs (£7.50) came with it’s own warning sign. We were warned before ordering, not once, but twice by our waiter, that these were extremely hot. And even though they were hot, a brush of the accompanying maple syrup provided some sweet relief. These got our pick because they were a delectable, fall off the bone, lick the bone clean in one fell swoop type of eating.

Spicy ribs

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The National Park

Ox Pasture Hall

Ox Pasture Hall Hotel is a luxury country house boutique hotel which we visited for one night as part of our three-day visit to Yorkshire. Located just on the outskirts of Scarborough, it immediately charmed us with its warmth, homeliness and rustic style. The hotel is set within 17 acres of gardens and grounds in the beautiful North Yorkshire Moors National Park and was breathtakingly beautiful. With the grounds came a great sense of peace and tranquility that made for an incredibly relaxed and enjoyable stay.

The Gardens

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