Blue Barbican York in York

Lovely people and very good food, recommended.

Nice atmosphere, maybe I personally don't like this type of cuisine very much but you have to try it, the desserts are beautiful and tasty

One of my favourite restaurants in York!

Went during restaurant week. The service was superb. Very polite, friendly and helpful staff from start to finish, they are a credit to the restaurant. The menu is clear and a good choice of foods. The food was well presented and delicious. We had a starter and main and everything was perfect in every way. Will definitely be back. 😋😁

Excellent full English and delicious cakes.

Good food and a nice selection of beers, the food is always good but if you're not early (which we never are) there's always something off the menu, but thay doesn't matter as all the dishes I've tried so far have been good.

Walk past all the hipster place-to-be-seen type spots, eschew their ridiculous queues out their doors (which are an immediate no go if you are a young family anyway) and head to the Blue Barbikan. We have only eaten here for brunch, so can’t comment on their lunch/evening offerings, but what a brunch! Portions are generous, quality is outstanding, and service is impeccable. Small Polish additions only enhance the traditional English options and their more traditional Polish brunches are hearty and moreish. Oh, and kids eat free! We make a point in heading there every time we stay in York. Exceptional!

We had an early lunch here. Upstairs/ pavement level was full so we ate downstairs/ river level. The ambience and decor were relaxing with fun colours. Cosy booths with big comfy cushions. Our food took a little longer than expected and we got a bit cold waiting. But the food was good and tasty. They have some very interesting items on the menu and a few choices for vegetarians. I would return but would book in advance to ensure a good table at pavement level

Excellent excellent excellent. The Shoushuka was fantastic, the full English a delight. Washed down with great tea (leaves) and fresh squeezed orange juice. Bloody marvellous.

We came here for breakfast and it didn’t disappoint! Authentic food that tasted absolutely delicious! We ordered the Shakshuka & buckwheat Polish sausage waffles. Hubby also tried iced coffee with tonic which was surprisingly nice so definitely do try something different off the menu, you won’t regret it! Will definitely come back next time we’re in York!

Ate here twice and it's amazing! Would recommend to anyone for sure. BOOK IN ADVANCE. York fills up quickly and this place is always almost fully booked.

Great place and nice people something different very good for gluten free food was very tasty and enjoyed by all prices were good nice location and worth a vist many thanks guys

We ate here on Saturday evening and the place had a lovely atmosphere. I had the vegetarian pancake rolls and they were absolutely delicious. It’s so nice to eat somewhere where vegetarians aren’t an afterthought and the meat free meals are really tasty and enjoyable. The staff were so lovely and welcoming. My only complaint is that I was too full for dessert and the cakes looked amazing 😉!

I like places which tell a story & this is one of them! The bread was fresh, the fish cakes were luscious, with a side of fresh sauerkraut. The Potatoes Pancakes with smoked salmon and poached eggs was delightful. The decor was vibrant! The beer was alright.

Lovely breakfast with top quality ingredients. Full English came with toasted brioche, everything was cooked to perfection. French toast was light and fluffy with a gorgeous fruit compote, again with top quality fruits and lots of flavour. Staff more than happy to help and the kitchen team obviously show great attention to detail. Will definitely be back.

AMAZING!!! Honest review of this place. Food, Atmosphere, service, all of impeccable quality. Visited here with my Wife to be for breakfast and from start to finish, the staff looked after us. Food was amazing, and you could tell our happiness meant a lot to the staff. If you are looking for a place to eat, look no further.

I would definitely encourage eating here, freshly cooked, hearty, tasty food. Traditional English breakfast was rated highly, I would also highly recommend the shakshouka. The colourful interesting decor, it feels charming and relaxing, there is added history of the building.

Went as a group of 7 after a conference. Got there by accident, but that was the happiest we've been! The staff is very sweet and shared with us the history of the place! Didn't take photos of the food, but wish we did, because it was amazing! The most tender Lamb I have ever tasted! The food is truly worth the price!!! Highly recommend!

We booked a table for two and were seated downstairs in a large, mostly empty dining area. For the first 40 minutes, we were the only couple there, which made the atmosphere feel quite dull. To make things worse, the room was uncomfortably cold—I even had to put my jacket back on. The food itself was decent but had room for improvement. The starters were the highlight; the fish cake with sauerkraut and the pierogi were both very tasty. For mains, the bigos stew was disappointing—the Polish sausage and beef were quite dry, and there wasn’t enough sausage, which made it feel like a bit of a letdown. In contrast, the turkey schnitzel with a fried egg was much better, well-cooked and enjoyable. Both dishes came with mashed potatoes and green beans in a nut dressing, which complemented them nicely. Dessert was a definite win—fresh cream cakes that were indulgent and filling, ending the meal on a high note. Service was excellent; the waiter was polite and friendly, with no issues there. However, the cold and lack of atmosphere made the overall experience less enjoyable. A bit more warmth—both in temperature and ambiance—would make a big difference.

Heaven on earth!! Amazing staff and service, not to mention the food

Great food and service - celebrated my moms 60th birthday there. Friendly atmosphere and traditional Polish cuisine. Highly recommended 💫

Found this place passing through York. Really enjoyed it, never tried Polish food before but it was genuinely one of the best meals I've had for a while. Bigos is highly recommended, it's served with lovely fresh crispy bread.

Decent food if a little basic. Staff were lovely and quite helpful.

While searching for a place to have breakfast, we stumbled upon The Blue Barbakan - and we knew right away we’d found a gem. From the moment we walked in, we were given the warmest welcome. The restaurant has a quirky, vibrant atmosphere and an impressive selection of food. We decided on the full English breakfast, and having tried many over the years, we can confidently say this was one of the best - if not the best. Every element was cooked to perfection, but the mushrooms and tomatoes were particularly outstanding. The portions were generous, offering incredible value for money. Highly recommended!

Plenty of food, but not very tasty.

Delish food, great service, and an absolutely lavish seat right next to a radiator. The pierogis were cheese and were so good. The weekdays meal deal from 5-7pm is great value, and we were allowed to pack up our cakes to take home... We didn't have any room left for them by the end of two courses! I had Bigos and my husband had the turkey schnitzel which were both very yummy. Our dog was very welcome here and was kindly given water!

Absolute fantastic ❤️ The best ever traditional Full English Breakfast I’ve ever had. Extremely knowledgeable, passionate, attentive staff with attention to detail. Unbelievable value for central York. Looking forward to returning when I can sample their main menu.

Superb restaurant. I ordered rabbit&cranberry dumplings for my main and Scottish mussels for starter. I will definitely come again. Try Polish wine. They have a big selection. Even an orange wine 😀 There is more space downstairs. The manager is called Miguel. Very helpful and friendly.

£14.50 for 5 pierogi was very expensive. The value of the raw materials on the plate was probably less than a pound. I don't expect to be still hungry after eating a main course at a Polish restaurant. It would have been nice to have some kind of bread or nibbles when reading the menu, which might have filled me up a bit. I know it's expensive to run a restaurant in York city centre, but the markup in value, of the cost of food on the plate relative to the price charged, was too extreme. However, if you have a lot of money and a small appetite, this is a perfectly good restaurant .

Warm and welcoming atmosphere, lovely food and great service!

Excellent food! Traditional polish cuisine. Whilst you are there pop over to the dessert counter and oogle the cakes. They look fantastic and taste just as nice.

Awesome place no need to review, get on it!

Nestled in the heart of York on Fossgate, The Blue Barbakan is a hidden gem offering exceptional Polish and European cuisine. From the moment you step inside, the warm and welcoming atmosphere sets the stage for a truly memorable dining experience. The food is outstanding—freshly prepared, served piping hot, and bursting with authentic flavours. The menu boasts a fantastic selection of traditional Polish dishes, alongside a well-curated range of European-inspired options. Complementing the superb food is an impressive drinks menu, featuring carefully selected wines, beers, and soft drinks to pair perfectly with your meal. The service is second to none—attentive, knowledgeable, and genuinely passionate about the food they serve. The staff go above and beyond to ensure a seamless and enjoyable experience, making you feel like a valued guest from start to finish. If you’re looking for exceptional food, warm hospitality, and a fantastic selection of drinks, The Blue Barbakan is a must-visit in York. Whether you’re a lover of Polish cuisine or simply seeking a delicious and satisfying meal, this independent restaurant delivers on every level. Highly recommended!

Had a lovely time heretofay amaxing food and beautiful interiors

Food is very good, I'm vegan and they catered for me well.

came here on a sunday evening, nice and quiet (: service was fast and friendly, food was super tasty! we had the schnitzel and dumplings, and then the blueberry cake and the white chocolate and strawberry cake for dessert, as well as the vanilla sky cocktail! everything was perfect, great portion sizes too. will definitely be back! thank you (:

Went here yesterday for breakfast and what a great find. My husband had a full English i had the Polish eggs. Washed down with Earl Grey tea and a cappuccino. Food was excellent, staff were welcoming and friendly. Playlist was good too. Would recommend a visit, I think this is my new favourite eatery for breakfast in York

Staff went above and beyond today and provided outstanding service and care for a hangover! The most perfect breakfast and Bloody Mary you’ll find 🥰

Delicious comforting dishes with really kind and attentive staff.

Very nice service and really good food.

Decided to go for Polish cuisine today. We are from Manchester, both with different Eastern European background (Hungarian, Ukrainian, from Toronto) and we loved it! The rabbit dumplings and Bigos, hunter’s stew were excellent. The mushroom soup of the day and tomato soup were amazing as well. Bread is warm and homemade style. Portions are just perfect size - the soup and the second dish will def be more than enough for each person. The spiced wine will warm you up ♥️ Servers were kind as well.

Amazing restaurant. Outstanding food, service & atmosphere. Very authentic Polish restaurant with very large portions and very fair prices.

Being of Polish descent I came to the Barbakan to sample some Polish delights. Inside is lovely and cosy and the staff are very friendly and welcoming. I had the homemade mushroom soup which was delicious and piping hot. For main I had the stuffed cabbage leaves in tomato sauce with mash( Golabki) which again were very tasty. Washed down with a Tyskie beer and a shot of tummy vodka and I left a happy customer. Only down side is £18.50 for the cabbage leaves which in my opinion was somewhat excessive, but this was a one off. In Poland this would be half the price. Definitely recommended for a visit.

Nice place. Visited December on the way to a candlelit concert. My friend ordered belly pork and I a stew in a hollowed out bread boule. The belly pork looked a delight and the feedback was as such. The basket of bread and alioli was also delicious. There was a hint of dill to the bread which was most welcome. Unfortunately my stew was lacking sauce and the bread was therefore difficult to eat when dry. Good beer selection. Honey beer and cherry were both good. Nice ambience. Curious to try as recalled it being the Blue Bicycle many moons ago. Felt pressured into the service charge on paying, we would have left a tip anyway of course, but felt being reminded was a little pushy. Enjoyable evening.

Great ambiance, amazing food, staff happy to answer all our questions and share about the food. Recommend trying the lamb and beef cheek main courses, as well as the pink sling and polish wedding cocktails. Will definitly go back when in York!

Great Polish food! Both breakfast and dinner/lunch were wonderful.

Chose this place as we wanted to eat something we wouldn’t normally have and it was so good. Lovely variety of dishes to choose from and very helpful, friendly staff. I had the beef cheek with mash and my husband had the cod special. Both were generous in size and delicious. The side orders of gherkins, sauerkraut and beetroot were perfect accompaniments. Highly recommend

Lovely staff, and a yummy breakfast.

Couldn’t recommend this restaurant enough. The food was delicious (and great value), the staff were friendly and gave great service and the whole interior is so cosy and nice. Will definitely be returning when I next come to York.

Such a delicious hearty meal, thank you, and a dedicated gluten free menu which I always love. Benjamin our waiter was great - attentive, warm and funny. Great spot!

Amazing polish food. Very tasty, generous portions and friendly staff. I eat here every time i visit york

The Trip advisor summary is created by an algorithm so ignore that … we popped in for brunch today on spec and couldn’t be more welcoming, great menu and service, the pots of tea are huge and the freshly squeezed orange really hits the spot … Hope to return to check out the dinner menu soon !!

Great food and fantastic atmosphere. And if i could id give it a million stars or more. Excelent service for Nataniel!!!!

The buckwheat waffles and they were fantastic. Staff was very friendly and all the food was delicious. Will definitely come again.

There food was absolutely delicious!! The buckwheat waffles and French toast couldn’t be better. They put so much love in there food and the service was amazing. Couldn’t recommend more

Great staff, place, atmosphere! Delicious food, finally!!! This is such a rarity in England that it is a miracle in itself. Thank you for this wonderful evening. We'll come again)

It is not a typical Polish place, but a substitute for Polishness. The food is delicious, although it is expensive! As for the food, only the dumplings were poor, the rabbit, bigos, borscht, croquettes and cheese were very good. 10 out of 10, dumplings 4 out of 10. Great service, Mr. Rafał was very nice and helpful and the waitress (a young blonde) was also very nice 😊

Really liked the Eastern European food. A great part of the York food scene.

I'd never had Polish food before so I wasn't sure what I'd think. The food was amazing - we're still talking about it this morning. So flavourful and really good portion sizes. We had 3 courses and Joanna was really attentive to us and we felt very looked after. Thank you!

Great food and good service. Not the cheapest, but we'll worth experiencing.

Good food, decent prices, great service.

Incredible food, the fishcakes and sauerkraut were amazing and our server was lovely. Will definitely be returning to try the rest of the menu!

Great food, good value and friendly staff. As a local will be back!

Staying local saw reviews so thought try it out very good service food excellent had mulled wine owner? Showed bottle got good kick too it will return when vist york again

Absolutely the best restaurant we’ve ever been to. Service, food, ambience all provided an excellent setting. Olivia and her colleagues were extremely professional, personal and friendly!

Liked how friendly this place was. But sadly had to walk out as zero vegan breakfast options. Shame and a tad surprised for this otherwise reasonably vegan friendly city. Note we were offered kindly some lunch time menu vegan dishes, just didn't quite fancy a cabbage roll at this stage. Strange though, this place has a reasonable choice of vegan friendly dishes lunch times, but not breakfast? Maybe I'm meant to skip this meal as a vegan?? Anyway meat eaters will love this place as felt vibrant and nice folk. Just not for us

Great food, flavours with depth, everything homemade, friendly service and nice vibe. No reason not to strongly recommend

Ben was absolutely brilliant, we had the best meal and experience with our family. He was attentive, knew the menu well and generally had an excellent conversation and professional friendly attitude. The food was super yummy. We will certainly come again, thanks so much for a lovely weekend and please do pass our thanks on again to Ben. He’s a credit to the restaurant.

Excellent restaurant. Loved the Borscht.

Probably the best restaurant on earth, I love this place almost as much as my girlfriend!!! The staff are always so lovely and create a great relationship with customers, the food is unbelievably good and in perfect portions. Also the crockery they have is low key sexy af 😍

Top-notch, charming service. We had the hunter's stew (bigos), Hungarian potato pancake, and blueberry + hazelnut cheesecake. Portion size was perfect. The food was high quality and very tasty. Will definitely return.

Great food and lovely staff, will definitely return. Thanks guys

Really enjoyed my beef dumplings, sour cream and the sauce were great. My friend liked her vegan dumplings as well. Beautiful plates, nice atmosphere and friendly staff.

Arrived for lunch and welcomed by Staff who were very friendly. Quite a good menu and staff able to explain various ingredients and were helpful regards food allergies. Highly recommend and hope to return and sample the evening menu soon.

Difficult to book on line, thought I'd done it, but when we got there,there was no reservation . They eventually squeezed us in.

Lovely little restaurant in York city with great Polish food. Pierogi were lovely but cucumber side salad was delish. Will return.

Lovely place, which is surprisingly historic! The staff were very friendly, the polish inspired food was tasty & the atmosphere was buzzing. We found ourselves eating in the “bedroom” (you’ll have to go to find out why). I would recommend you to book if possible, as they get quite busy!

Had a great breakfast and coffee here! Very unique and delicious.

Pre-booked a table although it was not busy the night we went. Staff very friendly and willing to chat (I am half Polish). Food choice was good and plentiful. I went for something that I don't make at home and had borscht followed by sausage and chicken skewers (which I couldn't finish). Would definitely recommend it for a traditional taste of Poland.

We had a recommendation to come here and we are so glad we did, had one of the best meals we have had for a long time! The staff were lovely and very interesting, my husband had the stew and I had the dumplings, we absolutely loved it and would highly recommend! We will be back when next in York. Lovely quirky building and really interesting to hear the story behind it, great location along the river, very romatic!

Overall a fantastic experience, the food was incredible. Had the beef cheeks, A mix of Pierogi and Croquette with Borscht. Nice Honey beer to go with!

Being a polish person, I was very excited to find out that there is a polish restaurant in York upon my short visitation but it shocked me to the bones. Quacking in my boots how much of a DISGRACE this place is for polish culture. Kurwa ja pierdole this was such a sad experience. The sausage in my bigos was mush..not even a real sausage plus the fermented cabbage was literally not seasoned. My boyfriend hax gołąbki and that looked even more depressing. The minced pork was just low quality mush with barely any seasoning. The cabbage in question was barely even there. The tomato sauce? Watered down mistake with no seasoning either. I'm sorry but please avoid if you want actual polish food. This restaurant would go bankrupt in poland. I'm sorry. I don't know how this place is getting good reviews. Maybe I got different food than the other reviews or all who go are uncultured but everything was mush. You could tell they are trying to cut costs extremely without putting care to quality standards. Cheap and sad of them to do. This does not represent Polish food so anyone who tries it as a first time experience of my culture, please take my words seriously. Vodka was nice though.

Extraordinary experience, tantalising tastes. Must visit when you’re in York!

Fantastic food and lovely drinks. Pros: - pierogi - totally recommend this as a main - turkey schnitzel was divine - generous portions Cons: - meat board was lacking in variety & flavour - bigos only had 3-4 pieces of meat - horseradish in mash was unpleasant -roast potatoes needed more crisp

We spend a lot of time in Poland and were really missing the food so booked a table here as a treat as it's somewhere I've wanted to try for a while. The restaurant has a really rustic feel to it with an eclectic mix of decorations on the wall, scenes of Krakow, Paris, London, little signs, figures and old photos cover inch of the walls. The table runners and crockery are nice too. Service was effective but lacking some charm, the dishes came promptly. We ordered Pierogi (a full and a starter sized portion) and the Croquette & Borscht along with a small £4.95 bottle of still lemonade. All the food was "ok" and the pierogi very delicate and served nicely but I felt the portion size a little miserly for the price paid. Maybe I'm too used to prices in Poland and I appreciate they have no competition in the area but 5 pierogi for £14.50 doesn't seem that generous. The kids portion of the same is 3 for £6.50. The croquette and borscht combo impressed more, the soup had a nice sweetness to it but the mushrooms in the croquette were the stars of the whole meal, very flavourful. Sadly the breaded pancake encasing them was very dry. All the other dishes being served to other diners seemed to be more generously sized so perhaps the pierogi was a poor choice? I won't rush to revisit but I'm glad we gave it a try, if you've never experienced the delights of Polish food it's an introduction but expect the real thing to be more flavourful, come in far more generous portions and be 1/2 the price in a higher end restaurant or major tourist trap.

Había reservado una mesa aquí, ya que había leído que era uno de los lugares más románticos de York, además, sirvieron Borscht que estaba muy emocionado! El personal era atento y servicial, nos permitieron sentarnos un poco antes de la reserva y el ambiente aquí era muy agradable. La comida que se sirve es fusión polaca / europea del este y el menú tiene un montón de platos creativos interesantes. Pero con toda honestidad, en nuestra experiencia nos desengañaron con nuestras comidas. El borscht era soso y el resto de la comida estaba "bien". Un lugar interesante con personal apasionado, pero probablemente no volveremos.

Busqué el mejor desayuno para nuestra segunda noche de estancia en York y esto llegó a las 16! ¡Definitivamente debería ser el top 5! Desayunamos aquí en nuestra primera mañana y sin duda volvería de nuevo! Servicio y comida fantástica! Gracias.

A great Polish restaurant we highly recommend! We loved the atmosphere here with the walls covered in interesting pictures and artifacts. The staff were lovely and very helpful. The food was definitely the star of the show, we haven't tried Polish food before but it was so tasty and great portion sizes. We even got some cakes to takeaway and they were delicious too.

Great food, generous servings, friendly staff and lovely decor - have never been disappointed eating here. Would heartily recommend!

Wow. The food here is out of this world and the service is excellent. My wife and I cannt recommend it enough. Will certainly be back.

Muchos amigos recomendaron el desayuno aquí, pero esta es la primera vez que hemos estado. La comida era excelente, el servicio era alegre. ¿Qué más necesitas?

Really lovely atmosphere and service! Great food, absolutely delicious polish and international dishes!

Fantastic night, the staff are really helpful and the food is amazing be warned the portions are very generous. One of the best meals we have had, thankuou for our complimentary liquors to celebrate my husbands birthday/retirement a lovely touch 😋

Lovely lovely lovely. Great service with pleasant staff, brilliant polish food, cleanliness perfect of course and good pricing. Would 200% recommend as a place to eat in York.

Great polish food, taste just like homemade and Barszcz z uszkami ...homemade dumplings is for 5 stars.💥💥💥💥💥

Excellent brunch! (Spinch waffle to die for). Will be back.

Hungarian cake, lamb shank amazing. Tyskie beer. Thank you

Maja served us and we had the best service, food was spectacular and the pudding was beautiful! Definitely recommend to anyone coming to York!

Food superlative. Large, very fresh and perfectly cooked and presented. Courgettes and peppers in the shatsuka al.dente, streaky bacon thick and finger eatable. Quiet on a Thursday morning.

Best bistro restaurant. Good food and best staff