Ambiente Tapas in York

Exceptional food and service, could not fault, wine I asked for was a Rocha and superb, staff friendly.

I generally love the place. Maybe I've been too often. Anyway, whilst the sharing starter wheel of tapas was good, as was the pork cheek (though it arrived after we'd eaten the accompanying food). The other food was rather meh. They've also moved the tables around, and those near the window are far too close, not intimate at all. A bit disappointed.

Fabulous food & drinks with friends. The menu is extensive, was delicious & good value. Friendly & efficient service.

Great selection for Tapas choices, including deals and dishes for vegan eaters. I was pleasantly surprised to eat such a delicious selection, beautifully presented. We also chose the sherry tasting, which was nice but not something I'd go for again. For lunch we ate Foccacia bread, shelled prawns, Pork belly, Battered shrimp, Butternut squash, meatballs and chorizo, YUMMMMMMMMM!!!! And the desserts......burnt basque cheesecake and almond cake, totally delightful but to be shared after such a rich meal. Defo try their Acorn liqueur after food, super delicious. Kudos to the chef and the friendly staff.

We went there for dinner. The tapas were amazing, service was really good as well. Really enjoyed our time there

Met our daughter in York for mothers day meal last Sunday, our drinks order was taken then our food order, when the food started coming out they noticed drinks hadn't been brought to us, they got the drinks order wrong but rectified, food was nice but when we ordered drinks again they got the order wrong again, then slapped £18 service charge on our bill, we got them to remove as service was very poor. Probably won't return.

Unfortunately card only - the only negative. Excellent vegetarian selection. Different from the norm provided on most vege menus. Plenty of choice in cocktails & well made, from scratch. Price was good value for money. Staff really nice & helpfull. Will be returning next time we visit York.

Food was excellent and the service was very good . But this restaurant is in need of a major repaint it's looking very tiered that is my only complaint

It was a great find while visiting York. Authentic Spanish Tapas. The service was excellent even though they were an extremely busy restaurant. The food from succulent Prawns alioli and in the risotto with Chorizo, the Albondigas in a superb sauce and some great Patatas bravas, and my wife discovered Datiles con Serano. Do yourself a favour go try it

been here twice really great food but the second time i came i had seafood paella and a few hours after eating i threw up and felt really unwell… won’t be coming back

Really food that not even remotely reminds of Spain, prices in the norm, dishes really badly executed, Galician octopus there were only a lot of potatoes done badly, indecent patatas bravas, only the paella is a bit saving grace. For four slices of bread on the bill I found 4.75 pounds, are you kidding? In all this the waitress spilled oil on her jacket, to be thrown away!! Terrible experience

Pleasant setting, if a little bit disjointed in terms of the decor. The food is good, but felt over fancy, like tapas that was trying to hard to be posh. They do gluten free and have the items containing gluten marked. They don't have the items fried in the same fryer as gluten containing items marked on either the menu or the allergen listing on the web version of the menu with allergen filtering. The staff are very good and knowledgeable, but you will have to get more details if you are coeliac. The staff are very good and attentive.

Great variety and very accommodating to food allergies. The rose sangria was top notch.

Absolutely delicious tapas, we arrived before 5 and got their 6 for £25 deal and my goodness it was one of the most delicious meals I've had. The freekeh salad blew our minds. Lots of vegan options which was great news for my partner but I wasn't limited as a meat eater myself. If I'm in the area I'll definitely come again!!!!

Loved visiting here. Lots of great vegan options. Will definitely be back again 😀

The service was fantastic along with the interior of the restaurant. We got the 6 tapas for £25 and it was great value and incredibly good quality and tasty food. The house red wine was delicious and I would recommend getting the fried goats cheese!

Fantastic reception, warm welcome helpful staff great food ☺️ Thanks to Craig for starting the night off right and the team for delivering through the evening

My husband and I had a wonderful evening at Ambiente on Walmgate, greeted very warmly by Jim and his team. Jim was especially gracious, as I had booked at Fossgate Ambiente, but he managed to squeeze us in. The teams' enthusiasm & knowledge are incredible & we were so pleased with everything we ate & drank. (Too much to list!) Ambiente has a fabulous atmosphere and can't wait to return with our son who is also a foodie. Next time we will keep space for the Burnt Basque Cheesecake!

Some of the food was passable, but mostly poor. The worst was paying £9.95 for a plate of Jamón Ibérico and getting what was presented in the photo below…. Carrilladas were okay, but mash was lumpy and cold etc. I won’t go on. Non of it was fresh and the quality of the ingredients seemed poor.

I have been previously to Ambiente in Leeds on a couple of occasions but never this one. I’m so glad I decided to pop in with my daughter for lunch yesterday, as it was just as good as the Leeds one, if not better. We had the 6 tapas for £25 deal and added one more dish and everything was delicious. We also had the sangria and 2 sherry flights to finish with. The staff were great, so friendly but also professional and knowledgeable. We will definitely be back.

The paella was not a paella at all, it was was super spicy with peper and chilly at the point that i did not taste any other flavor, without any saffron and paprika taste. It was dry and the mussels had sand on them. The jammon crocchetas did not taste of jamon at all. I have been in Spain a lot of time and I never eat a dishes like this. Please do not call spain disch when is not.

Great meal- all food was lovely and the service from Clara and Mateo was exceptional! Thank you!

A great experience. Helpful staff, lovely atmosphere in spacious restaurant. Menu had lots of choice to suit everyone’s tastes and preferences. The tapas was brought out as and when it was ready which was perfect. Everything was tasty. Would recommend the patatas bravas and the humous.

I had a lovely meal here, the staff was very nice. Kudos for the lovely waitress we got.

Best meal out for a very long time. 6 or 7 tapas dishes ordered and they were all outstanding! Cannot wait to go back.

We spent a lovely fun evening here. We arrived about an hour early as we were cold and York was very busy. The member of staff at the counter said we could have our table early. We ordered drinks and then asked if we could move upstairs. The same guy took our many shopping bags and coats upstairs and showed us to a table. The service was brilliant, the waitress was knowledgeable and advised us on wine from the extensive wine list and on which tapas to order. The dishes just kept coming, they were delicious. Thank you Ambiente, we had such a good time.

Found this fabulous restaurant a few weeks ago and been back 5 times. The food, staff and the atmosphere are amazing. It’s such a friendly environment and the staff so efficient and friendly. We travel from Harrogate by train an easy walk from the station. The food and wine are superb. Well done guys keep up the excellent work. See you soon Phil and Tim

Very nice seafood tapas, generous portions, good service , , nice place to relax and

Everything was great except for the choriza and potatoes dish...the chorizo tasted rubbery.

Delicious menu, not too varied but with enough for a good choice. Great and friendly service

Unbelievable food, brilliant service and great atmosphere, such a shame we don't live closer as we'd be here all the time!!

A lovely meal in a very pleasant restaurant, with great, attentive staff

Amazing two hours spent in this lovely friendly restaurant.Great friendly , knowledgeable staff.Great wines and tapas !

Fabulous night, food and atmosphere fantastic and staff great. Highly recommended.

This place is an absolute gem in York! From the moment you step inside, you're enveloped in a warm and welcoming atmosphere. The staff go above and beyond to make you feel special, and their attentiveness truly enhances the experience. The food is simply divine – every dish is a testament to culinary excellence. I especially enjoyed the informative and fun sherry tasting; it was a delightful introduction to the world of sherry, and I discovered some new favorites! This place consistently delivers a top-notch experience; it never disappoints.

I came to York to visit a friend, and he took me to this restaurant that tries to imitate our Spanish cuisine. I’m Spanish, so I obviously know how each dish should taste, and unfortunately, I didn’t find that flavor in any of the eight dishes we ordered today. For example, we don’t eat prawns battered and certainly not with aioli; they are made with garlic and a bit of chili. The potatoes with chorizo shouldn’t have sauce, and the potatoes should be fried. In short, if you’re Spanish and expect to reconnect with the flavors we grew up with, forget it. And if you’re from another country, I want you to know that this is not our cuisine. On the other hand, the staff’s service was excellent, and the waiter even asked me about each dish when I told him I was Spanish.

Delicious food and perfect Service

Made use of their 6-dish January deal - as did a lot of other people seemingly, so booking a table is a must! Good range of offerings, including options for vegetarian and vegan which meant we actually had choice. I'm always a bit nervous about tapas being overly oily/greasy (some might call it rich!) but that wasn't an issue. We also had a drink and a dessert each, came to about £30 each. The only downside was that we were sat closest to the door so it got a bit draughty every now and then, but the staff were attentive enough to ask people to close the door when waiting. You could ask for a different table if you're bothered/there are other tables.

We often visit Ambiente and the food is fairly consistent, tasty and a reasonable variety. On this occasion there was an 'offer' advertised. It was only after our meal that we were informed of a special 'offer' menu and not the main menu. Im sure we were not the only group to have fallen for this.

Visited as a walk-in on Saturday evening so appreciate the effort made to find us a table, we were only waiting for a couple of minutes. Great wine selection - we shared a couple of bottles. Food was lovely, the beef rib was unavailable which was a shame - would have loved to have tried it. I have knocked one star off for the food because the patatas bravas was over cooked - some were very black and over crispy on the edges. Other than that the food was beautiful. The Moroccan cuscus was absolutely gorgeous!! Will definitely return!

Stumbled across Ambiente by accident! Absolutely lovely food and wonderful service! 10/10!

Tasty tapas, friendly and helpful service and who knew sherry flights were a thing ...

Lovely food, we ordered 6 tapas dishes between 2 which was perfect. Lovely sangria as well. Would definitely come back again.

Great service, great tasting food and wine. Waiter didn't just hand over the food he was enthusiastic and friendly and explained where the food was from and interesting facts about it. Decor was lovely and private booth seating is brilliant.

We went again for NYE and had a wonderful evening. Greeted by friendly staff of this vibrant restaurant which was quite packed Altnough this didn’t impact the first class service. The food was excellent, I’m a coeliac so require Gluten Free (gf) food. Whilst the choice is limited for gf, there is still ample choices. Take a pen or pencil to circle your choices as it can be difficult to remember what you want, when the waitress comes for your order. Some tables are upstairs, so ensure you make staff aware, if you need a downstairs table, when you book. Thank you for another great experience, we would definitely recommend this restaurant 10/10

Amazing food, lovely atmosphere and fantastic service 👌 10 out of 10

Super vegan friendly, loads of yummy options. Freekah salad my fave thing. Very cool and unusual for a tapas place to be so vegan friendly ❤️

Tapas with a bit of a mix of eastern Mediterranean. Good vegan and veggie options and great service. Recommended for an affordable dinner early evening.

I just wanted something small to eat and I popped in and I had a good time there. In York, it is one of the best Spanish restaurants 👍

Absolutely beautiful foods, couldn't fault s thingaFirst class service from our lovely waiter Will who was helpful and knowledgeable.Would highly recommend,and would definitely return.

Great food and great customer service. Craig in particular stood out. He was so lovely and chatty and witty. He couldn’t do enough for us. I would highly recommend this place

My first visit with a friend who recommended the restaurant, having dined there before. It was amazing. Some of the best waiting staff I have experienced anywhere in the UK - professional, knowledgeable, with a great sense of humour. Service was efficient. Food is great and there is a vast choice of sherry with advice from staff if needed. We couldn't have had a nicer start to the Christmas season. Despite being busy, everything was perfect. Would definitely dine there again.

Eat out in restaurants most of the year, everything about this place is top draw.

The tapas were plain.. if you are looking to taste Spain's cousin this is not the place to go.. the service was good though..

Food was so bland and tasteless that I will have to pay a second birdhday date to my husband tomorrow in a better place. And we don't have a strong palate, we're Argentinean. Sad. Service was amazing though.

Food was excellent, Service could not be faulted, very informative staff. We will definitely return when in York again.

Used this place in July 2024 on the off chance . The floor manager was welcoming and seated us without a booking. After seeing how busy this place was getting I was realising why it's busy. Food, Service , Value & Quality was well worth it. Hence we came bk to York in December and again came here for Evening Meal with Family Ect. Again 10th December 2024 around 8pm we were welcomed by we presume was the Manager who advised us there was a slight wait and we hadn't booked but again git us seated within 10 minutes or so. Again Great Service , Great Food, A total excellent place to visit in our opinion if your visiting York and the food is fantastic. 2nd visit and again spot on ..

Found this place on Google and so glad we did. Lovely atmosphere , really friendly helpful staff and absolutely fantastic food

The only issue was the Paella that took over an hour but was taken off the bill

Good menu, good food, good service. A great evening.

Great food and excellent service in a wonderful ambient setting. We love this place.

great city, great place, great food.

Had a excellent meal in a lovely setting

We had a lovely meal here. The service was excellent with great attention to detail. Recommend the sherry flight and the cheesecake.

We came in last night and it was one of the best meals out we ever had. The host on the door was welcoming and helpful, all of the waiters were brilliant and the food was excellent. Also the seafood special (the whole brill) was the loveliest fish we have ever had, we haven’t stopped talking about it. Will defo be back next time we are in York.

Lovely evening spent with a good friend in a super restaurant. Food was delicious (sharing platter tapas) excellent service from Oliver and Natalia. Would highly recommend and will return.

What a fabulous place to spend a Tuesday night with a good friend in York! Natalia and Oliver provided first class service, along with the rest of the team. The food was great - we had a sharing platter, then tapas plates of chicken, prawns and patatas bravas, washed down with some excellent lager (the sherry taster options have been noted for a return visit!!) A lovely atmosphere. Thank you!

Good value and solid food. Had a great time, service was friendly

Fabulous meal at a lovely restaurant. The patatas bravas in particular were superb. Our waitress, Bri, was so helpful and attentive. I can't eat citrus, Bri helped me choose dishes that were suitable for me. Where there was lemon in sauces, she arranged for these to be served separately so that I could share all the dishes. Thank you so much to Bri and the team

Amazing food, service and atmosphere

We were given a warm welcome by Will at about 3pm on Thursday 24th October. We did not pre-book as it was only myself and my Mum eating. Will explained how ordering worked and sherry was our drink of choice and he chose well. The menus choice is extensive with a good variation of meat, veg and for those with intolerances. The food really was fantastic, arrived fairly quickly and it was piping hot. I have booked in again for Friday 15th November for my birthday and I can't wait!

I love the look and feel of the restaurant but some of the food leaves a little to be desired. Some dishes were hot and looked freshly made, others were lukewarm and very overcooked - in particular Pork Belly was burnt and dry, Calamari was barely edible it was so over cooked, Patas Bravas wasn't hot. A real shame of a meal.

Excellent food, great service, nothing not to like

Had an amazing lunch at Ambiente York! The food was fantastic, we could have ordered the whole menu. The staff were absolutely lovely, making our experience even more enjoyable with their relaxed, friendly and attentive service. A must-visit for anyone in the area looking for a delicious meal and warm hospitality!"

We’d visited the Hull branch for our first date years ago so thought we’d try this branch whilst we were on a staycation and it didn’t disappoint. Our American server was amazing and very attentive. The food was lovely…especially the calamari, prawns and meatballs! Good price too!

Really lovely staff and great food/wine

5 stars all round. Ambiente was a recommendation from a colleague as I am not from the area or city. Amazing food, authentic flavours, perfect wine list all combined with a friendly , professional team. A must visit if you are in York.

Brilliant food, wine and absolutely fantastic service.

Well… not dog friendly but wonderful wine via bottle. The white rioja. Shared plates are more than enough for two and the Paellas are cooked to perfection. Our third time visiting. Gets very busy so please book. Frasier Crane (not the tv star) was excellent - really friendly and attentive.

I really can’t fault my visit, food was amazing, rose sangria refreshing, the chocolate and blood orange ice cream with a glass of sherry just finished off the evening, we were served by Mercedes who was absolutely lovely, thank you

Absolutely love tapas and Ambiente hit the spot. Had a great time and the food was terrific. Recommend going, probably one of the best spots in York.

Recent visit...12-10-24. Warm welcome on arrival and shown to our table on a busy night glad we booked ! . .. Our waitress was lovely and gave full explanation of the menu..... Food came in the familiar serving style, a few tapas plates at a time which is good... big disappointment after the first 3 plates ( ordered 12 ) the food arrived in a rush by various waiters BUT wasn't hot enough some were only just warm but we were hungry so didn't complain. The SANGRIA was very weak strength and had the taste of a blackcurrant cordial and wasn't fizzy... So the 4 of us left disappointmented. NOT VALUE FOR MONEY on this visit. ------------------------------ Nice greeting on arrival, waiter explained clearly the menu to all three of us..... Fantastic quality food and attention to presentation was great. Good value. Better service at Fossgate than the other Ambiente restaurant. Thank you. * UPDATE 20th Sept 22.** good greeting, once again great food and service. All dishes were explained as we ordered them . Food was tasty and good value. on the negative side could be a little brighter lighting upstairs .. 10/10 for consistency food and service....

Thanks a million Ambiente Fossgate for accommodating (putting up with) our rather rowdy table this Saturday afternoon. Food was awesome - as was craig (barry!) for being patient, professional, funny and very welcoming. Hasta la Vista Barry!

Food was tasty. But most was only lukewarm.

Food was delicious. We called in adhoc on a Monday around 4pm so it was very quiet. We could sit wherever we wanted. The food was really good and tasty.

Called in with my wife on an evening with no reservation. The staff could not have been more welcoming or accommodating and the food was absolutely delicious and cooked to perfection. Great choice of wine and draft beer. Will definitely be returning and would recommend to anyone. The prices are so reasonable and the portions are perfect. Thanks so much for the lovely meal.

Excellent lunch and a very friendly and helpful server

Fanstastic tapas, food incredible, service amazing, great vibe and atmosphere. Throughly enjoyable experience. Thank you!

Recently visited this restaurant while on a 3 day holiday in York. On entrance we were greeted and shown places where we could sit, after a small wait the waiter explained perfectly to us the best way to do their tapas, the waiter was very knowledgeable and kind to us. The food was just amazing, the chorizo and potatos in a red wine reduction was one of my favourites along side the battered goats cheese, croquettes and calamari. Would highly recommend this place for family’s and couples.

Very authentic Spanish food served. Delicious and fresh. Very attentive staff. All reasonably priced too. Lovely atmosphere. Wish we had one of these restaurants in Solihull or Birmingham.

Always authentic tapas well created by an established chef and while the foh staff rotate like a revolving door, they are always well trained and likeable.

Called in on Saturday lunchtime for a selection of tapas to share. It was nice and relaxing and the food tasty. Would definitely visit again.

Excellent food and service. Will definitely visit again. Highly recommended.

Great experience here. Knowledgeable, informative and welcoming host, friendly staff and great atmosphere. The food is wonderful, as is the sherry!

Food was tasty, atmosphere was fine but temperature was cold and staff absent. Took about 30 mins to get a drink, despite asking several times.

Fantastic food, attentive staff, very popular. You should go.

Undated 24th. Received call from Rob, general manager, couldn’t have been apologetic and raise my issues with manager and staff. For this I will now give 3 stars. Poor from the moment we sat at the table. Had to call waiter to take our food order, no offer to pour wine, 2nd dish arrived with a hair in it, apology given. Food generally bland. During meal no one came to ask if everything was ok. Last dish arrived 10 mins after we’d finished. No apology when paying, did not ask had we enjoyed the food, no offer to discount/remove cost of dish with hair and then to top it all added service charge which we had to ask to be removed. So disappointing. Should have gone round to the street food market looked really nice and a fraction of the cost

Food and service were excellent Lots of different tapas and good selection of wines..

Fabulous! High quality, authentic tapas in a wonderful atmosphere - a great night!

A really lovely tapas restaurant. It was full every time we visited. Staff (especially Oliver) were very attentive, polite and friendly. Plenty of choice on the menu and the deserts were a good size. Everything was delicious.