Atithi Contemporary Indian Restaurant in York

Below average food and lacklustre service. Food had zero flavour and even lacked in salt. None of the dishes were prepared well ( we ordered Lamb, dal tarka, gobi and chole) There was only 1 waiter and he was slow , unsmiling and asking him for anything seemed too much work for him Please do not visit - it is not worth it

Absolutely delicious curry and brilliant service, would recommend a visit

Walking the walls in York, we needed a light supper before a sunset trip to the illuminated millennium bridge. Atithi fitted the bill perfectly. There was a very good choice of vegetarian options, with some vegan too. Attentive, but not pushy staff took care to get us just what we wanted.

Great food and a great service. I would definitely recommend.

Oh , the food was brilliant.. so delicious and authentic.. I would recommend it to everyone who loves North Indian food… Well deserved treat .. a soulful food…👌☺️

Had a nice meal here with family after a night out in York.Reasonably priced with friendly service that i would highly recommend.

Very nice food. It has a very Indian taste with a very nice atmosphere.With a nice story with the origin of the chef.

Lovely place - great food and atmosphere

We've been several times, and have tried most lamb and veg options, all were excellent as were desserts and drinks. Great staff and service, very friendly and polite. Great option for date nights or family meals.

Great place with good food! Wasn't expecting to find such a place in York but glad we did. Lot of effort has been put into the place and it reflects. Highly recommend!

A lovely atmosphere, very friendly person greeted us and took our order. The food was delicious - very fresh and tasty.

We booked for 6pm and were not in a rush; this is pertinent because although it says it opens at 5pm on a Saturday, there was no sign of anyone at 5.45 when we arrived a little early. I've since searched for the one-spot reviews, and the most recent was for poor service when in a hurry; this is not a fast food restaurant, or even medium-paced. Be warned. We came back at 6.10pm and were the first to be seated in a small restaurant. By the time we left closer to 8pm all tables were taken; it's clearly a popular place and for good reason. The food was excellent - but also it was different. It's not often we've chosen 3 different vegetarian options, none of which we had had served as the Atithi has done. I'm familiar with Palak Paneer - spinach is my go-to anyhow; but the Baigan Bharta (smoked aubergine curry) and the Malai Mushroom were new. We had chosen well, as the combination with rice and garlic naan worked well. Good balance between heat and flavour - but ask if in doubt. But for the value for money - reasonable not excellent for portions which were not as large as some would wish (we had to order a 2nd rice, which is unusual) - this would be a 5 spot review. The service was attentive, but not hurried (see above!!). This does feel like a small family set up which prides itself on the food. If you go, savour it.

Best curry in york! Lamb cooked to perfection, naan also incredible ❤️

A pre-concert-at-the-Barbican meal. I usually go on the street next to the theatre, but took a chance on one street over. A good choice. Food is evidently cooked to order, but served hot and very well presented. One of the best curries I have had for a very long time. The lamb nihari was divine. I wish I had had more time to explore more of the menu, but I will definitely be back.

Really bad, saag aloo was frozen and the curries hated bitter and overspiced, Easter of over £50, just went in the bin.

Good food and a nice restaurant. Menu is interesting and varied. I have had a good meal twice now and can recommend it.

Fast service don't get the chips

The worst Indian food I've had in my entire life, absolutely shocking. The price was high in pounds and also higher for the stomach. Outstandingly Awful.

My wife and I had a meal at Atithi prior to going to a theatre show on 19th March 2024. The service and food were excellent. There were no faults. We both very much enjoyed the experience. Nice relaxing ambience and great food. This was our second visit to this lovely restaurant and both visits were faultless. NB: We had 2 starters, 3 main courses(2 lamb and a vegetarian) between us and my wife had a roti. We also had 2 beers each to explain the final bill total which was £69 including 10% tip. The food alone is reasonably priced. A big thank you to the staff from us both. We'll be back soon.

Delicious food and quick, friendly service.

Popped in before the concert at the Barbican,didn't book,was given a table by luck,next couple in were not so lucky. Had a really great meal and a few drinks, service was excellent .Great variety of meals and a cosy atmosphere. Would definitely recommend and suggest you book a table as not to be disappointed.

Beautiful decor, friendly and efficient staff. Food is delicious and cooked to perfection. Highly recommended. By far our favourite restaurant in York. ps do try the desserts! 💫

I've enjoyed every visit I've made to Atithi - the most recent being last night. The Early Bird deal is a lifesaver at the moment, but all the food is really good and there's a good variety available. Some of it seems closer to standard fare for an Indian restaurant, but then there's the more contemporary side - I tried the haggis curry on my first visit (before turning vegetarian), and that was gorgeous! More recently, I've particularly enjoyed paneer kolhapuri and sindhu rice 🤤

Very sorry deeply disappointed with the food.We ordered authentic Indian dishes like samosa and beetroot cutlet. Beetroot cutlet was crumbling down and didn't bind well because of which it was oily. Samosa filing was similar to cheese onion pastry filling except for the fact the filing is made of potato. The pastry is filo pastry. Chana dal didn't look appetizing.

Contemporary Indian food in York! Last night we tried @atithiyork as we‘ve driven past it so many times and always wanted to try it, we’re so glad we did - they had such an extensive but interesting menu… we’re definitely going back, they had a curry made in a giant Yorkshire pudding😯 The only thing we would say is the service was on the slow side, it took us an hour to get our starters, but at least the food was nice and fresh and our waiter was very pleasant. Here’s some of the things what we got: Poppadoms & Pickle Tray Flaming Lamb Chop 🌟 Bhindi Masala Indian street style Lamb Buna 🌟 Chicken Sindhu curry 🌟 Overall, we’ll give it a 8.3/10 as the food was delicious

Lovely food and restaurant but service leaves something to be desired. 30 min wait before popadom and pickle arrived. A further 40 minutes before the starters and mains arrived. Had to push several times to get the food to come out and only when threatening to cancel the order did it come out within minutes. Several others in the restaurant had the same issue with some even walking out. I would say if you’re going, leave plenty of time for the meal. We had an hour and a half before our show at the Barbican and even arrived 10 mins early to the restaurant but apparently it’s not enough to be served on time, we ended up receiving our food 20 mins before the show started, had to rush the food and run over.

Fresh, tasty, delicious food in a cosy atmosphere. Walked past many times in the last year and meant to call in so glad we did. Cosy atmosphere great service and superbly tasty and aromatic food.. our new favourite.

I took advantage of their advertised early bird evening meal deal, starter and main course for £9.95. Only to find out the main course does not include rice or a bread. What a con and I said so. A garlic naan cost another £2.50. They weren't open either earlier for the Saturday brunch they advertised. Disappointing. Hasn't come near to replacing the Noor I used to visit regularly when I lived here.

Food wasn’t great, naan was really good though, but the curries that we had were not great.

we came as a family and we all agreed that we have never tasted a curry as amazing as this. It felt as though we had gone to an Indians home so light and full of flavour, best ever xxxxx

Booked two weeks in advance for twenty people. It took an hour and 45 mins for food which was like warm and quite bland. Naan breads came out twenty minutes after the food was served

Visiting York just nipped in for some starters to take back to hotel. Wow. Best onion bhaji, chicken pakora and somosas I've ever tasted, no word of a lie; and ive been to a lot of indians

I went here while on a visit to York, and was really impressed. You can tell straight away how much care has gone into the place, decor, menus, even the cuttlery is lovely. It really is beautiful. Service was great, food arrived promptly (despite my ordering four things), presentation again was really nicely done. The food itself was delicious, some of the best I've had and I am a frequent eater of Indian cuisine. It managed to incorporate little fresh elements and the balance of flavours was delightful. Overall, it felt like a truly special occasion for what, to me, seemed like an extraordinarily reasonable price. I'd highly recommend the restaurant to any enjoyer of Indian food, or anyone just looking for a special experience.

Had meals from the early bird menu. Portion sizes were a bit smaller than is expect but the quality was very good. Would definitely return.

Fantastic location Friendly staff Economical price And an extraordinary taste. When everything works, its a great experience and would definitely recommend to anyone, a come back to this restaurant is a no-brainer. When you eat at certain places, you just feel sometimes the food varieties seem similar or its very heavy in fat/oils, but this tasted so fresh and yummy and delicious. It was a wholesome thali after a long time. Apparently they were trying newer lunch options, our verdict = taste+service+location+price = deservedly 5 stars.

I have been here first time spontaneously, few years ago when I was visiting York. Food was incredible. Today I decided to visit that place again . I had a lamb with spinach and mushroom rice. All what I can say is that this guy is still cooking from bottom of his heart; food taste beautiful.👍

We’ve been looking forward to trying here for ages and was disappointed. Chicken tikka masala didn’t even taste/look like one - quite spicy not creamy. We had mushroom rice and what looked like was rice just cooked then tinned “plastic” mushrooms added. Best thing was the nan breads. Unfortunately we won’t be returning. Just seen that it’s been fined for dirty kitchens!!!

Good food with good price. Special offer for early birds.

Hi My husband and had a two night stay and dined at the Atithi, it was so good we went back the second night. Staff were welcoming and attentive, food was amazing hands down best Indian meal we've had in a long time. Would recommend a visit from anyone who enjoys this type of cuisine.

Really nice little place, service was great! The lemon rice was really good, as were the starters. However, I found my curry (it was the one with rum) to be lacking in flavour, and the peshwari naan also didn't have a lot of flavour to it, tasted a little plain. Planning to come back and give it another go and try something else.

Hands down one of the best Indians I've ever been to. The chef is someone passionate about food which is reflected in their unique and diverse menu options. Will 100% be back.

Decided to try this small Indian restraunt in York, I love Indian food and I must say the food did not disappoint. Starter well presented and main was the chefs special Sindhu chicken curry, followed with boiled rice and garlic Naan. . The Sindhu was lovely, well presented and enough for 1 person. Fair priced and followed with coffee. . As I'm traveling on business I make sure I follow as close to the £25 mark so the starter, mains came to £20 and for the quality that's fair. . I them topped off with a coffee... one business supporting another. Small and well laid out with a good window view, very nice indeed. I would recommend this place for young love couples as it has a romantic side to it and groups. I will be attending again. Chris unwin 'From one Business to Another'

Love it here. The food is amazing and its a lively cozy atmosphere with great service

Unbelievable! Magnificent flavours. Great service. Perfect.

Popped in to this restaurant after attending a concert at the Barbican. A good choice. Polite, attentive staff and well cooked food. Reasonably priced too.

Variety and quality of the items on the menu is what makes this place special.

Delicious Indian cuisine is what atithi brings to you. I am a starter and dessert person. And this place gives the best starters in York (according to me). I ordered "Tandoori chicken Leg". It was well cooked, juicy nicely grilled, and the smokey tangy taste was heavenly. I ended my meal with soft , sweet and hot gulab jammun (had a home-cooked taste). Lastly do try the mouth melting coconut ice cream served in actual coconut shell. If you are looking for good Indian food and and seeking amazing starters, Atithi is you place in York. (Main courses are good too as told by my friends)

Loved the River Ouse Curry paired with a fluffy butter naan. Would definitely return to try other dishes.

Excellent chicken and chorizo curry. Real nice place.

Excellent service and the different choices of dishes makes it a 5 star rating from me. Good,tasty food served well. Worth a visit.

One of the most amazing meals I have had in a long time. The staff are lovely and the food is delicious and tastes beautifully fresh, thank you for a lovely meal we will definitely be back again soon!

Authentic Indian food, perfect blend of spices and culture

Only best thing was the Staff was friendly Food is average I can't believe restaurant like that haven't got salad and then we ask for main vegetarian dish Black lentils guess they haven't got that one as well which put us very down

Went to this restaurant this evening, it has to be one of the best Indian meals I have had in a very long time it was absolutely delicious 😋 The service you get in there is outstanding, wish I lived nearer would be in there all the time.

Chicken masala warm tasted like tomato soup not seasoned Samosas were covered in sweet brown relish tasted awful Whole experience was a let down Was expecting a real authentic curry Very disappointed!! Customer Service Poor, abrupt at times , not a pleasant experience x

Beautiful vegetarian options! Would definitely go back.

Lovely Indian fantastic service very tasty food and amazing value.

Worst Experience i ever had. Non-Respectful Staff. Need to change Staff. Slowest Service. Even 1 start is too much for this restaurant. Not recommend to Any INDIAN FOOD LOVER. No Quantity in Food.

Worst experience ever Disrespectful staff Quantity is very very very less Food is also bed

A great experience. Delicious food and good service. Ate on my own and felt relaxed and comfortable there.

Hands down, the best curry I've had in York! I won't be going anywhere else from now on. The food was truly excellent, you can tell that the chef is really talented and uses fresh ingredients. There are interesting specials the chef has created on the menu that I fully intend to work my way through. I had the lamb kebab starter which was cooked to perfection. For the main I went for the Sindhu curry which again was excellent. I can't recommend Atithi enough! You will not be disappointed.

Had the best Indian ever.Menu was good. Everybody was friendly Love the deco. Lovely place to have a meal Sandy

Stumbled across atithi while have a walk looking for places to eat stuck our head in and the staff were friendly and helpful the service was very quick food was amazing best naan bread I have ever eaten.

Friendly staff, good atmosphere, good food and service.

The food was excellent the wait staff was brilliant

Indian restaurant in York, small number of covers, very busy. Food astounding, not your usual Indian menu, stuff you'll not see elsewhere, one of the best Indian meals I've had. Not expensive, if in York, book a table, you'll not be disappointed!

Hard to rate. The good points are that the ingredients are high quality. It's not a bog standard Indian. It does NOT include loads of colours and too much oils. It's very different cuisine from most Indian restaurants. This I think is South Indian food whereas most Indian places are actually Bangladeshi. We had to wait 90 minutes just for our delivery to be prepared and I ended up picking it up myself. My family who are South Asian didn't like it but then South Indian food is different to what they're used to. If you like South Indian food you might mark it higher but for my family none of the family liked the flavours much. Given it is more expensive than the average Indian restaurant despite not tasting that great I've only given three stars. If you like this specific type of cuisine you might love it but I'll still go with Mirchiz just down the road which costs the same with good ingredients but just has better flavours.

We ate last night 19/9/2012 . Just around the corner from the Novotel, literally a 3 minute walk. The choices on the menu were plentiful with probably something to suit everyone’s taste . Service was great and attention to the guests in the restaurant first class. The starters and main courses were fantastic, (we didn’t have a sweet as we were too full) very flavourful and beautifully presented. A excellent experience and one we will repeat when we are back in York.

Freshly cooked food that was a dream to eat. Staff are very friendly and the chief has made some dishes using a fantastic range of herbs and spices and you can also order the classics but I would definitely recommend trying something new. 10/10

Possibly the best Indian food I have eaten. Attentive staff with excellent service. Would 100% recommend.

Whilst visiting we happened upon Atithi purely because it was close to our accommodation and we were not disappointed! Simply superb food perfectly spiced and just the right portion size. Highly recommend!

Great service, lovely food, all in all no complaints! Be sure to get some naans as they are lovely you can tell they are made in a tandoor, also the lassi (sweet) is delightful!

Really fantastic wee find on my trip to York. The reviews are not wrong food was amazing, service was excellent too! Get it booked!

If I could rate this restaurant more than 5 Stars I would without hesitation. The restaurant has a delightful ambience and a really knowledgeable owner who guided my wife and I through the menu. It has dishes I've not seen in England so we were able to experience new delights. The food was simply the best we've tasted outside of India and the whole dining experience was superb from our starters to the Matka Kulfi and coffee to round off our meal enhanced by the brilliant owner. I can't recommend this restaurant highly enough and next time we're in York it will be where we go for our first meal. Please go there you won't be disappointed!

Food was horrible and once we had finished the mains they asked us to leave before we had finished our drinks to free up the table. Absolutely disgusting service

Amazing food & staff very attentive

Stunning food!!! Lots of veggie options. Would definitely recommend!!!

Collected food to eat at home. Good diverse menu. Will eat in next time

It was ok a little bit lacking of spices

The Ambience is good, it’s a good lit place. Service is little slow. I would rate food as 3 there was something missing in all the dishes. Main dishes were generous portions. Didn’t have options for whiskey to offer.

One of my favourite restauranta in York! Great vegetarian options

I would definitely recomend coming here for mouth watering indian food. As you read this review... don't read any further just go! It will definitely be worth it!

Ordered food from Atithi during lockdown and the selection of vegetarian dishes was overwhelming! It was lovely to be faced with so much choice! The good arrived quickly and piping hot, all of our dishes were lovely and well made. I’m looking forward to visiting and eating in the restaurant - easily my new favourite Indian restaurant.

It's been a while ...what with lockdown...but oh...that first mouthful of chicken dana - a tender leg of tandoori chicken baked with the most delicious masala sauce - yummy and light saffron rice that practically floats, it's so light... a fresh home made naan with bubbles of air .....We have missed this SO much - it's even nice having tables set apart too - but make sure you book!

Staff are so kind and caring, would define recoment to anyone coming here. We came in for a family meal and they definitely made us feel welcome

this restaurant had excellent customer service with very nice food. Very friendly staff and very nice restaurant with great atmosphere.

The place was really nice so I would give 5 stars, but the chicken molie I had was very nice but not amazing. All in all a good place though and would go again.

We were craving some authentic Indian food when we chanced upon this gem and were completely sold when we saw the menu.The food is really fresh and tastes like something that is out of an Indian home with flavours that are rare when you are so many miles away. We ordered the beet root and paneer cutlets and the hara bhara kebab for starters which were hot, soft and melt in your mouth, and we polished it off really quickly! For mains I got the paneer karahi masala, dal makhani and chicken bhuna, along with chilli garlic naans. All delicious! We asked for really spicy food- and a word of caution here, they actually do dial the spice up when you request that. We thoroughly enjoyed it, but make sure you tell them to lower it for you if extra spice doesn’t suit your palate. The service was warm and friendly, and we will definitely make it back whenever we are in York again.

We were craving some authentic Indian food when we chanced upon this gem and were completely sold when we saw the menu. The food is really fresh and tastes like something that is out of an Indian home with flavours that are rare when you are so many miles away. We ordered the beet root and paneer cutlets and the hara bhara kebab for starters which were hot, soft and melt in your mouth, and we polished it off really quickly! For mains I got the paneer karahi masala, dal makhani and chicken bhuna, along with chilli garlic naans. All delicious! We asked for really spicy food- and a word of caution here, they actually do dial the spice up when you request that. We thoroughly enjoyed it, but make sure you tell them to lower it for you if extra spice doesn’t suit your palate. The service was warm and friendly, and we will definitely make it back whenever we are in York again.

I’d like to start by saying we don’t often leave negative reviews but felt we needed to in this situation. Staying in York overnight, we decided to We came here for one of our first meals out in months. I really wish we had gone elsewhere. We received a conformation email after our online booking for the restaurant, which when we arrived, we were told by the hostess that it had not been recorded. This didn’t seem to be a problem as the restaurant was literally empty and it was 5:15, but we were made to feel like we were an inconvenience.The hostess was cold, blunt and dismissive the entire length of our stay, and seemed to stare at us throughout our meal, which was highly offputting for a romantic evening out. I leave two stars as the popadoms and pickle tray, and starters on potato dumplings and onion bahji were lovely, to their credit. However, the menu did not mention any ingredients or how the dish was cooked, only how it was founded. We asked about the sweetness of dishes a few times, but were consistently told it was ‘mild’. This should have been a sign to leave in hindsight, but I ordered a korma (thinking it would be standard korma served in other Indian restaurant) and my husband ordered a duck curry. The curries arrived, and what I received was not a korma. It was thin, gravy like and not sweet. I could not taste coconut, almonds or any of the classic korma flavours. I was made to feel like I couldn’t complain due to the hostess’s attitude, and this was my first meal of the day so I was starving, so quickly ate some of my dish and left. Rice and naan were good. Husbands dish was also just OK. It is absolutely fine to vary some dishes with clear descriptions of what the customer can expect - but some dishes should be a staple and consistent with other restaurants - I felt this was the case with classics like the Tikka and Korma, but was sadly disappointed. Would not recommend due to terrible server attitude and unexplained adaptations to meals.If the owner does respond to this, I have read your responses to other trip adviser reviews. Please note that this is not a fake - It is an honest review, in line with trip adviser policy, that I feel should be shared so people are aware of the service and food they can expect here.

Although small Atithi has amazing food, had some Onion Bargies and a crab curry, some very unique dishes for vegans and meat eaters as well as perfect customer service.

Had a lovely meal here, very friendly server and the food was beautiful.. I had the Chicken and Chorizo curry and hubby had the haggis curry. Both were unbelievably tasty. Would definitely recommend.

Exceptionally good food. Cosy and homely interior with affable and attentive waiting staff. The menu doesn’t give much away but every dish is prepared with great care and a beautiful blend of spices. Highly recommend.

Well looked after by our attentive waiter. Individually cooked meals, lingering flavours and naan breads to die for. As good a meal out as we've had in ages. There's an early bird special too extended to each day of the week. A real treat if you're in the area. You won't be disappointed.

Little out the centre but so worth it. Lovely decor and we had the most delicious vegetarian food. They recommended something neither of us had tried before and we were so glad we’d tried it. Great service too and everything cooked fresh. Definitely visiting here again next time we’re in York!

Went here on our recent weekend away and have to say it was one of the best Indian meals I've ever had. Excellent friendly service and the bill was extremely reasonable for food of this Quality. My compliments to the Excellent chef.

Fuimos aquí en gran parte porque nos quedamos a la vuelta de la esquina y no queríamos ir demasiado lejos de lo que definitivamente estábamos de pie. Lo bueno fue genial, la decoración agradable y el personal muy amable.Siendo escocés tuve que probar el Haggis Masala y esperaba algo sofisticado, pero funcionó y fue realmente agradable. La mayoría de los platos del menú parecían tener un toque individual. Hablé con el chef / propietario. Un tipo realmente amable y claramente genuinamente apasionado por su comida.Mejor y más original que la feria de restaurantes indios estándar y vale la pena ir

My Indian friend took me here to try some authentic food, and it was amazing!! I'm eating meat normally, but we ordered only veggie dishes and still got so full and was absolutely satisfied with the food! The customer service was excellent (who was serving us was really nice), we didn't have to wait too long for our orders and I really liked the interior design as well. 10/10 would recommend and for sure I will come back to eat here.

Después de llegar a York para pasar la noche, encontramos esta pequeña joya escondida justo al final de la calle de nuestro hotel Novotel.Honestamente puedo decir que estoy muy contento de haber reservado una mesa aquí ahoraLa comida era increíble y el personal fue muy amable y educado tanto conmigo como con mi prometida.Toda la comida tenía un pequeño giro en un curry estándar que realmente muestra la inspiración y el carácter que tiene este restaurante.Te recomiendo encarecidamente que visites este lugar si estás en YorkMuchas, muchas gracias al personal aquí y también a los chefs, sigan con el increíble trabajo.Reseña de Mark Roberts16 de octubre de 2020

Amazing food. Had a starter and main course. Great portion sizes and quality food