Bistro at the York Theatre Royal in York

We called as members to buy our tickets for the summer season. Since it was lunchtime we stayed for our meal. The daily special was a casserole of beef in red wine with mashed potato and green beans. It was excellent all round, including well prepared meat which was plentiful, tender and succulent. At £10 it was also great value for money. Service was pleasant, helpful and quick. This venture deserves more support.

Lovely little lunch in the cafe today. Food was delicious and well presented. Staff were great, really helpful with food intolerance advice about menu. Sat outside in the lovely patio garden area. Indoor area looks nice too.

Pedimos pollo jalfrezi y estaba recién preparado y servido 15 minutos después. Muy agradable. Seguido de eso con un pedazo de pastel de frutas de Yorkshire. El pinot noir rojo estaba bien. Toda una experiencia agradable.

Sopa de tomate y ordenó la albahaca para mi hija pequeña, que era de £4. 95 y cuando pregunté por el pan para ir con ella, me cobraron £1. 50 para una rebanada de pan blanco de un paquete. Así £6. 50 por una ladlefulmof sopa y una rebanada de pan! ! ! La persona detrás del mostrador era muy cortés, pero increíblemente lento. No fue una experiencia fantástica

La comida en el restaurante es bueno, pero dependiendo de lo que la orden puede variar entre bastante pequeñas y grandes porciones, lo que hace decidir lo que tienen bastante complicado! En este día y edad, el café no era tan bueno como esperaba, especialmente con la calidad de su cocina.

Stopped off for afternoon refreshments during city break. Pleasant staff. Lots of seating areas, including bean bags! Little things we liked; the pottery looked handmade, not your average catering-ware, plus the little pots of sugar cubes. Best of all, it was inexpensive. If this review was helpful, please be kind enough to click the button below.

With friends we ate prior to the matinee performance of an excellent production about the York suffragettes. The coffee was very good and their offering of a "Scallywag" was very tasty. A Scallywag is their version of Betty's Fat Rascal (TM). Good value.

Good value lovely well cooked meal and very helpful staff and understand you have time limits to got to the performance

We had a little something to eat before a free dance show. they also had some plays going on. A very nice place near the Minster

Went to the bistro for dinner before seeing a play. Service was a bit hit and miss. Got told to order food from the bar; guy behind the bar said to go to the cafe; guy at the cafe sent me back to my table to wait for someone to come and take my order! For such a small place you would think the staff would know what was going on? Main gripe was they had a special (note 'special' not specials) on a blackboard in the cafe. Liked the look of it but when I tried to order it in the bistro was told it was only available to order in the cafe! I wouldn't mind but all the food comes out of the same kitchen! A bit of common sense rather than 'computer says no' mentality needed. Our food, when it came, was okay, but that's all. When there's a ton of much better places nearby they need to up their game.

Ate here with 5 friends before a show. Staff were friendly and I like the newly refurbished surroundings. Quite a modern, light atmosphere. Menu selection was a bit small. Food ranged from average to good. I had the pork belly and enjoyed it.

Had a sandwich lunch in the new area in the bar/bistro/cafe. The good points, clean place, pleasant staff. The less good, unable to provide a ham and tomato sandwich on a Saturday lunch time, 'run out'. Offered choice of brown or white bread for replacement. Asked for brown, received white! Despite this the sandwiches were good quality bread, and well filled when they arrived. Service was in general very slow, how they cope with intervals I don't know! The quality of the sandwiches will make us have another go in the future, perhaps an off day?

We booked a table for 6.30pm, but arrived early just after 6pm and were glad we did. Although a 2 course and 3 course set menu is promoted, we only just managed to get 2 courses served before we had to leave our table to get into the auditorium. Food was ok but nothing to comment on, and staff were friendly but not enough of them. Inevitably, pre-theatre supper customers require serving in a short timescale and all want their bills at the same time. It was difficult to get the bill, and then difficult to actually pay, and we only just got into the theatre in time. Could do better.

We ate here before going to a performance in the main house of the theatre. We had made a reservation through Open Table but, when we arrived, the restaurant could find no trace of it. The restaurant was full with every table either occupied or marked reserved with the exception of one that had just been vacated. Luckily the restaurant staff was able to reset that for us. The staff is very friendly and hard working. There was no time when they were standing chatting and there were lots of times when they were almost running to attend to everyone. As we arrived at about 1805, the restaurant was aware that we were going to the theatre and we had to rush to pay our bill at 1925 (the performance started at 1930) I feel that it is safe to say the restaurant is very short staffed. (This comment does not only apply to the bistro – when we have been here for coffee or a drink we have also found the service incredibly slow.) The starters were beautiful. My husband had the black pudding and egg and I had the lentil terrine. Both were very tasty and well presented with some interesting accompaniments (oat cakes rather than toast with the terrine for example). My husband had the chicken with leeks for his main course and he said that was good. I had the crayfish risotto and cannot say the same. The taste was OK but not wonderful. The rice was very overcooked and the dish came with liquid on the surface of the rice – a risotto should be fairly dry, had the dish been called a crayfish rice pudding that would have been a much better description. The dish had also been over seasoned. It was quite salty (although not enough to complain) and had far too much black pepper in it. You couldn’t taste much of the crayfish for the strong flavour of black pepper. As well as choosing the main dish there was also an included accompaniment. My husband went for the chips and I went for roasted root vegetables. Both main courses were hot as were the chips, my root vegetables were only lukewarm and not very appetising. For pudding my husband had cheese – three large slabs of cheese, served at room temperature with biscuits and butter (also at room temperature). I had the sticky toffee pudding – again a big helping and tasty. There was also a problem with the atmosphere in the bistro. When we arrived there wasn’t any atmosphere but, as we were only there for a meal before a show, that wasn’t too important. However as the time for the performance got closer the bar area in the bistro started to fill up with people having a drink before the show. As soon as a table in the bistro was vacated it was reoccupied by people waiting for the show. We ended up finishing our meal in a room with a similar atmosphere to a second rate railway station waiting room! Dinner cost £19.95 each for three courses. A bottle of beet was £3.95 and a can of Diet Coke was £1.50 – reasonable for restaurant standards. It’s a pity they couldn’t sell the same Coke at the interval – a post-mix Diet Pepsi from the same bar was £3.00! Overall the meal was acceptable but not wonderful. The service was very slow. I’m glad I’ve tried the bistro but the next time I’m attending a performance at the Theatre Royal I won’t be going here for a meal. There are plenty of places nearby that offer better food for less money and give better service.

Having become a "Friend" of the Theatre, we decided to take advantage of the 10% discount on meals and refreshments by lunching at the Bistro before viewing the afternoon Matinee performance. We both enjoyed the tasty Chicken, Bacon and Leek Pie, served with a bowl of Baby Potatoes and Watercress. . As ever, the Staff were so professional and friendly. An excellent prelude to an enjoyable afternoon.

I tried to go here last Saturday afternoon after a matinee, but they were fully booked, so booked as soon as I got home. As I went up in the lift rather than the stairs, wasn't quite sure what to do to get someone's attention, so went to the bar - was served immediately. I had seen the menu online and knew what I wanted. Ordered fishcakes and the chicken supreme and a glass of wine. Service was quick, food was tasty and ample. Only problem was that I was sitting with my back to what was supposed to be a fire door, but one or two people came in and out, so it was a bit cold at that time. As they got busier, I was attended to by more than one person, which was a bit confusing, but a minor detail. I will go again.

Ate here on 18 February. Pre show dinner in bistro. Couldn't fault it. Service fantastic. Food delicious. Reasonable price. Worth booking if you're taking in a show.

Since my last visit, the Menu has been expanded and varied for all day dining in either Bistro 67 or The Colonnade Café. We chose the latter and enjoyed our snack.

Our first meal here since the theatre was reorganised (we don't live near York anymore and had returned to see the wonderful pantomime) we were very impressed with the improvement that had been made .we enjoyed our meal , service was good ,food nicely presented , vegetarian option was realy nice. Only criticism is that, sitting near the windows can be a bit chilly in January, would come again for a pre show meal

Visited the bistro for a quick 'coffee and cake' as a rare break from the kids. The coffee was hot and a good taste ( always a plus) and the cakes were ok as far as cakes go but nothing that was exceptional. It was a relaxed atmosphere, so why only three out of five. The cost of two coffees ( 'large' which were more like a regular ) and two scone like biscuits was a lot more than I would expect to pay. It would have been cheaper to go into town and sit in a restaurant or bistro. I can understand that it is the Theatre Royal but definitely not a place we will be popping in on the off chance again. We would certainly feel the cost if we took our kids in with us.

Initially I was quite sceptical of the space, I had seen it prior to eating there and thought it might feel quite cafe/canteen-ish. However, pre-theatre, there were a lot of other diners and it didn't feel like that at all! Really nice atmosphere in a great building. Pleasantly surprised by the menu and the amount of choice. I had an amazing Burger (with bacon and blue cheese) which was really delicious! Other members of the family had the risotto and halloumi & med veg salad that both tasted fab as well. Only downside was being referred to as "my lovely" which I know doesn't bother some people but I could really do without! Other than that wonderful quality food, good atmosphere and didn't like a rushed meal before the show at all!

Coffee with good friend. Patronising staff. Friend addressed as 'lovely' or my lovely. Hardly a good start. Cafe counter packed with staff. With ear pieces!! Cafe has been recently renovated giving it an empty hollow feel. Large areas not utilised in a good way. Entry doors changed to odd places. The coffee was mediocre. And the cake very stale. A shame. The place was always packed. It had a lovely area for children an efficient bar. And a buzzing cafe. Now. Not really. Staff were badly trained effete and overly familiar. Sure it is not so well used now. Oh and the theatre ticket counter seems to have gone the same way. Well run for years by 2 ladies and fab service. Now alas not. Seems like our lovely theatre has been taken over by aliens.

This cafe, bistro has recently been refurbished. What a shame, it is a shambles now. The service is sooooo slow, the counter area is dark and well away from the kitchen. They no longer do a mug of tea or coffee, just thick cups and drippy tea pots. They have put their prices up a lot. £1.85 for a cup of tea that takes for ever is too much, even in York. This is not the staffs fault, they try very hard but have to say lots of much cheaper better run places very nearby.

We were keen to support this restaurant in our beautifully refurbished theatre, so booked in prior to the evening show. On the plus side it is light, modern and airy. We booked on line and the table was ready. Fresh flowers on the table. All the serving staff were delightful, prompt and paid attention to detail. The steak was absolutely beautiful, best I've had for a long time. However it was served with a minute garnish and the chunky chips really let it down - not sure if they were oven chips but they were certainly tasteless. Three pudding choices , the bannoffee pie was nice and lovely coffee. The main courses were around £10-15 and the puddings just under £5 so quite reasonable. Menu choice was fairly limited. We booked for 17.45, giving the ideal amount of time before the show at 19.30.

We were 3 friends meeting for lunch and decided to try the new cafe at the Theatre Royal for the first time. We ordered at the counter, I had quiche and potato salad it was really good no complaints at all and reasonably priced, my friend ordered a sausage roll which she also said was fine. My other friend ordered a ham sandwich which at £6.50 I thought was too expensive it came with a green salad and crisps, the sandwich was much too big and my friend struggled to finish it although she said she really enjoyed it. We all agreed the sandwich should be smaller and at a cheaper price. We also had some cake which was very good and reasonably priced at £2.25. The service at the counter was really slow the young lady served the drinks first and then served the food and seemed a bit disorganised, she was the only person behind the counter. Because it had all taken so long at the counter by the time we sat down with our drinks my friend's coffee was only lukewarm. I think they need to sort out a few things and maybe train the staff a little better and then it will be fine. Will definitely go back as we enjoyed the food.

This has the potential to be a great place to eat as well as a great opportunity for the theatre to readily boost its income. The menu is limited but there is something for everyone on there. When the food arrived it was well cooked and presented and my Thai chicken curry one of the best I have had in the UK. Prices are also very reasonable. That's the plus sides, however

If you are going to see a show its a good place to eat before as the service is good and prompt and the food is a good standard. The waitress and waiters looked after us really well.we tried a couple of places to eat but long waiting time for food so tried the theater and was glad we did.

Three of us had lunch in the Bistro. We chose to eat outside in the courtyard and found a table at the rear, away from the road, but were soon forced to move because of the terrible smell from the extractor fan. We then sat at a none too clean table nearer to the road, which was busy and noisy.

Were attending matinee, so decided to have lunch here. Just had sandwiches, but excellent fresh food, excellent service, and good clean surroundings.

second visit since the refurb. Very pleasant staff, lovely coffee and very nice bacon roll. Not too busy which is nice and like to sit in the former arches and watch the world go by. Excellent for coffee and snack and will go back.

popped in here to pick up tickets for Mystery Plays in Minster, decided to have a qick bite to eat Ordered Wensleydale cheese and apple chutney sandwich. which came with mixed green leave and some onion and peppers. The Sandwiches were enormous!!! so much so that I struggled to finish them. Earl Grey tea with lemon completed the meal. which came to under £7.00 ver good value and substantial.

I hope this bistro finds it's feet and starts to deliver simple tasty food. To book a table was torturous and the time given was tight, despite on the evening of the performance on arriving early finding a lot of empty tables. The menu was nothing like the one posted online, lacked balance and as a fairly unfussy eater I was shocked at having to order a fish starter and main. The wrong wine was delivered the corrected bottle was warm when I took it back to the bar a chilled bottle was offered. My friends soup was not hot, my starter was okay and whilst his main was okay my fishcakes tasted of nothing other than potato! The desserts were both better but the service was chaotic! £8.00 was knocked off the bill! I hope this kitchen and service settle down into a pre-theatre asset to the refurbished building.

This was my 3rd visit in 5 weeks to the new Bistro, but this time a rare, glorious summer's evening meant we could sit out. On each occasion the menu format of 3 dishes per section remained the same, but the selection of dishes varied. Glad to say the teething problems of the first night appear to have been sorted out and the Staff created a very happy atmosphere, which was a nice beginning to a thoroughly enjoyable evening watching a performance by English Touring Opera.

We decided to book into the new bistro for 6.15pm, before a 7.30 performance. We were taken straight to our reserved table in the window but then nothing happened. When a couple who arrived after us were served drinks we tried repeatedly to attract the waiting staff's attention. Eventually a waitress took our order and said she had not been told we had arrived. Food came promptly and was good quality. We tried to settle the bill around 7.20 but this could not be done. We stood at the servery but it could not be organised so I left my boyfriend there and went in to the theatre. He joined me about 2 mins before curtain up saying the bill could not be sorted and he would have to go back and pay at the interval! He mentioned to the staff that we were disappointed about the service problems and was told it was a new team and it had been busy. However, a pre theAtre arrangement that means you almost miss the main event is not good enough and we would think twice before doing this again.

Very badly organised. Food is ok but they shouldn't serve a whole scotch egg - half is enough. Could do with a better way of taking orders. Also, there are too many tables on upper level and it is too cramped as a result.

First visit to the Theatre since it re-opened and decided to eat in the new Bistro beforehand. Simply, the service was prompt, accurate and friendly and the food was absolutely delicious. There was complete understanding of timings and all the time pressure was taken away so we could relax and enjoy. Brilliant addition to the Theatre and an experience to be repeated ASAP! Well done and thank you to all the staff.

the space that the bistro and pre-theatre restaurant occupies is light and airy and larger than before. A job well done to make the eating space attractive. The pre-theatre menu is straightforward with a straightforward choice. Starters and mains: one fish, one meat, one vegetarian choice. Three choice of dessert - no cheese board. £14.95 for tow courses and three for £19.95. A reasonable mid range of wines and beers. No high end or fine dining options. Good, average food on the whole. Good ingredients, competently cooked. The smoked salmon starter with beetroot was ordinary - not the best choice of smiled salmon available. Others had the soup and the salad were more impressed. The Thai style cod main coarse was much better and it would be wonderful if every dish was at this standard for the price. The pork was good quality ingredients but just too dry and very simply presented. Ordinary was the verdict. Desserts fared well and the wine choices were good value. This could be excellent but it is not quite there yet. I hope it improves that last notch or two and this will fill all the requirements of a n excellent pre-theatre meal and venue. Good, friendly service, but a bit of a dash at the end to get the bill paid before the curtain rose.

The Theatre Royal is situated in the heart of the City of York, with a number of car parks near-by. As part of the £6 million refurbishment of the Theatre, a new Bistro plus Café and Bars have been created and opened on 20th April 2016. You do not have to be going to a performance at the Theatre to enjoy these facilities. Next to the Bistro is also a dining out garden area.