Chopping Block at Walmgate Ale House in York

First came here as a Christmas work team outing in December and loved the food. Took my wife back there for our anniversary and we both loved it. Both times being mid week it wasn't overly busy, the food was great and the service really good.

Found this little gem of a place by default, a couple leaving said it was amazing food so we decided to nip in, and so very glad we did. We only had bar snacks (Yorkshire pudding with pulled beef and dirty fries). Both absolutely delicious, very good cask ales and nice selection of gins too, in a chilled, non pretentious atmosphere with friendly staff! We will be back!

Had my eye on this place for a while. I’m aware it supposedly does the best roasts in York but I’m never around on a weekend, so that put me off.. How foolish of me, for of course there is far more here than roasts… Unassuming premises,halfway down Walmgate, the restaurant stands out for having a butcher’s block suspended from the wall. Downstairs is a, surprisingly large, pub - you go to the bar to enquire about the restaurant, which is upstairs. I booked, which is advised, but there was space for walk ins on a Thursday evening. The dining room itself is cosy, rustic. This is a quirky old building and they’ve made good use of it. Possibly it used to be a cordwainers in the past. Supposedly there is a ghost in the attic - I didn’t see that, which was a good thing. I don’t see ghosts as a selling point… 😆 There was a good choice of beer. A Veltins pilsner was the beer of choice. I like Veltins. First pint served in the wrong glass though. Bah. Let’s blame the ghost… The menu was small, but really very good, with several choices I wanted. Opted for the scallops to start - scallops, with parsnip purée, scallop croquette and crispy bacon. Moreish. I could have eaten this all night. For a main, moule frites - a generous pot with chips and bread. Yes - chips and bread 😎 I haven’t had mussels since 2019 in Norwich, so this hit the spot. The people to my right were tucking into beef and tartiflette, that all looked excellent. I will try that next time. They were some sort of grad students having a very earnest conversation. Room for pudding meant sticky toffee pudding. The best pudding. A decent one, lots of sauce. Overall a really good meal. Service was good and fast. I liked this restaurant and would go back. Price was reasonable, about £40 for three courses. Also, worthy mention for the house bread and the orange coloured butter, that was superb.

We had a wonderful meal at the chopping block. The place had a very chilled vibe and the food was gorgeous!! The rump steak was beautiful. The photos online don't do the place justice. Good value too. Highly recommend!

we had an amazing meal hear will defo come back when we are next in York

We had a great meal at The Chopping Block. The staff were attentive but not intrusive and the food was delicious. Nice touches like bread and water coming automatically with no extra charge and decent quantities in the veg side dish. Thank you, it was all lovely.

Work Xmas lunch with a set price - plenty of choice and the food was all fantastic. Staff were efficient, friendly, and knowledgable. Will definitely go back

Amazing food and atmosphere. Had the scallops and shoulder of lamb which was delicious! Friendly staff as well

Great service from the staff in a busy restaurant

Food is very good but bit pricey. However the main issue that I had was that we had a group of 33 people which we arranged via email and we requested an invoice before hand so we could get the funds together, the invoice we received was £825 for 33 Christmas dinners minus the deposit we paid of £350, Which we were happy with, however once it came to final payment at the end of the meal a mysterious service charge appeared out of thin bloody air. 10% service charge meaning the now total after previously being quoted “£825” was now £942 which my colleague requested to be removed to which he had the response, “you can only remove service charge for groups less than 10 people” which having previously been quoted £825 was a sheer kick in the teeth. On top of that I don’t exactly know what service we were paying for except for fact they brought out our meals and took away our plates they did nothing else, they came round and asked for drinks at the start of the night but never once came up again after, the meals didn’t have the right items such as half the turkey meals were missing roast potatoes. And some people never received there desserts. Upon doing some research on the government website voluntary service charges are purely a discretionary amount and do not have to be paid if the customer would like it removed. If I had been the person dealing with the final payment I would’ve refused to pay until the charge had been removed. A- as the invoice had been sent that stated a different amount. B- there was no notable service to be charged for. C- this isn’t America where service charge and tips are a way of life. Service is everything in a restaurant and this place frankly lacks it. I am absolutely outraged that I took my colleagues to this place and we will definitely not be returning. And I would not recommend it to anyone if you don’t want to be con-ed or have a poor experience.

Had the roast dinner. A big portion, lots of veggies and very tasty. Will definitely be returning.

Came here with a large group of friends for roast dinner and couldn’t recommend it more! Easily some of the best food I’ve had in York :) I’d really recommend the tartifelle. My roast pork sunday dinner was also flawless - the meat was so tender and practically melted in your mouth from the first bite, the yorkshires and gravy both clearly homemade with a real depth of flavour to the gravy, the accompanying vegetables were even delicious! The cheesy leeks were so good and the parsnips were roasted with honey (i think) which made them almost taste like sweet potato (usually hate parsnips). The sticky toffee pudding was average, but three courses plus complimentary bread (also very good, they served two different types of butter with it) for £27.50 is a bargain for this quality of food. We also got a bottle of the house wine to share and it’s a fantastic pick, incredibly smooth. The service was also very good. We weren’t left waiting ages nor rushing between courses, which can be a difficult balance to strike. Overall we had a lovely night with wonderful food and can’t wait to come back!

we visited this establishment on recomendation and WOW. The service was superb and the meal from the specials board for.me was beautiful,.my wife had the Rosbif, both meals were beautiful, service fantastic, will defo be back next time we are in York. Thank you and good.luck to all in the Chopping Block

Only called for a drink, nice enough place.

Have now been a couple of times - one for Sunday lunch and one Friday evening- and both were excellent. Sunday lunch is traditional and good portion size but the main menu and the specials still available. The specials are very worth checking out. The bream fillets were awesome. Nice wine list and a really friendly helpful staff. Highly recommended

Visited here for an evening meal whilst in York and the staff were polite, helpful and the place full of history and charm. However, sadly the food was a little disappointing and underwhelming. It tasted satisfactory but lacked flavour and could have done to have been hotter (temperature wise). The rule we go by is, would we go back, sadly have to say no.

Really really nice food. Servers are all amazing and all good came out so quickly. We were both stuffed by the end of it - didn't even finish the main course unfortunately :(

We came here from a recommendation and it certainly didn’t disappoint. The staff are super friendly, the atmosphere is great and to top it all the food is amazing. Izzy was our waitress and was so attentive. Totally recommend this restaurant.

The staff were friendly and very helpful to my 94 year old dad. The food and service was excellent, no hesitation in giving five stars. The confit duck and dauphinoise potatoes were delicious and beautifully presented. Highly recommended.

Great bar and restaurant. Staff were friendly , knowledgeable and service was excellent. The food was typically French, we had beautiful beef in very rich sauces but it was delicious.

Had an excellent Saturday lunch. The food was great, as was the service. The place is charming and I will be returning frequently.

Enjoyed a terrific lunch with great friendly service. The food was delicious, fairly priced and well presented. The building is quirky and atmospheric. Highly recommended.

From start to finish the early evening experience was superb. Mussels, Rosbiff and chocolate passion fruit mousse were simple yet exceptionally executed. Perfect example of French cuisine done well and without pretence. Excellent - we will be back!!

Fantastic find, full of character. Staff very friendly. Thoroughly recommend. Only had a beer this time.

Gorgeous Sunday lunch and excellent service

The Rosbief was the most melt in the mouth beef i have ever had, the flavour butter was amazing, the mussels plump and the scallops fabulous. The ambience was chilled, the staff delightful. If you go to York eat here!

The best Sunday Roast in York, if not England, if not the WORLD!!

Enjoyed very tasty 3-course meal as part of York restaurant week last evening. Highly recommend eatery!

Amazing Sunday lunch for 12 . Food was incredible, special mention to Kalen (apologies if the name wrong) who was such a credit to the restaurant, and made our meal so much better

Love it here - great food and roasts! Caelan was lovely and very accommodating. A fantastic restaurant would recommend!

Visited during York Restaurant Week, on a very quiet Friday lunchtime. Ate from the specific restaurant week menu @ £30.00 per person, meat fish and vegetarian options for starters and mains, well cooked and presented, decent sized portions, well worth the money.

Ale AND great food & service. Interesting combo that works. Crusted lamb dish was divine. Thank you.

Gorgeous food and great value for money. Lovely building. Would highly recommend

Food was incredible- highly recommend!! Very attentive wait staff

Great restaurant and bar in one of the many historic buildings in York. The service is great and the food is amazing. I have been there several times for dinner and also at an organised event; every time the Chopping Block team did an outstanding job. They are also super accommodating when it comes to special events in the restaurant. I highly recommend this place.

All 3 of my group had excellent meals when I was here on Sunday, was definitely the best Sunday roast I've had in York so far. The service was also excellent and the staff were polite and friendly. Looking forward to coming back soon

Things didn’t start well. Front of house greeted us while still chewing food and the other staff were young and seemed disorganised. However, we had a lovely Sunday lunch. The beef was cooked perfectly, tasty gravy and veg cooked just as it should be. The sticky toffee pudding was a triumph. Top marks for the kitchen. In my opinion the upstairs dining needs a really good deep clean and revamp with brighter but atmospheric lighting. Sadly, the current tables are sticky and the floor looks grubby better if sanded right back and varnished. The food is certainly excellent and deserves better.

Visited as part of the "York on a Fork" walking tour and enjoyed a superb sticky toffee pudding and a great beer.

I think the quality of food was not good My roast beef is overcooked and very difficult to chew.

Excellent well executed tasty dishes with friendly professional staff

Probably the worst Sunday lunch I have had in York. The seasonal vegetables came as undercooked carrot and parsnip with leek covered in cheese. No broccoli, cauliflower or cabbage. I know everybody does theirs different but this was really overwhelming given what you can get for a lower price at other locations in the city.

Absolutely delicious Sunday roast - we had the Roast Beef and Roast Pork, and were able to adjust our vegetable sides due to dietary requirements. Loved being able to ask for more gravy and the meat was cooked beautifully. Will definitely go back! Thought the effort around dietary requirements was super and it meant I could make an informed choice about my meal.

Delicious food. Friendly staff. Dog friendly.

Treat for 60th birthday. Nice location & cosy setting. Allergies catered for. Understaffed & mistakes made bu overall lovely & enjoyable family meal.

Best french food (including in France) I've has for years. The set menu is also very good value. The decor is quite french retro as well, which I really like. The nicest part of our evening though was how friendly and helpful the staff were. They volunteered to help us up the stairs with our pram since the baby was asleep, and when she woke up they got her a cushion for the high chair since she's on the small side. I hope management knows how lucky they are to have such good staff.

The food was good and the staff was extremely friendly and helpful. The upstairs restaurant however was kitschy and is in need of a makeover. There was also a smell of an old, tired building that took away from the ambience and enjoyment.

Very enjoyable meal! Recommend the sunday roast

Good Sunday roast dinner. Service was cheerful and attentive. Atmosphere is more rustic, but comfortable and pleasant.

The best meal I’ve had in a very long time. Everything, even the bread and butter, was absolutely delicious. Service was fantastic and it was great to find a restaurant we could hear each other talk.

Just had dinner here and the food was amazing, chef has compiled a top menu. The food was very well presented and extremely tasty along with being very well priced for the quality of food. Another real star of service was the young lady that served us. The young girl with the septum piercing (sorry I didn't catch her name) was so attentive and managed the dining room like a pro - a front of house dream for anyone in the business. Drinks and checking on us were very prompt and even down to asking how everything was with the food and are we enjoying the food rather than "is everything OK with your meal" like you hear in many restaurants. Top notch service and top food. Would highly recommend it to anyone and will definitely visit again when visiting York!

The food, wine, cocktails and service were absolutely outstanding. We will return next time we visit York. Thanks again Paul and Claire

Great food for your first day in England.

One of the best meals I’ve ever had! Couldn’t recommend this restaurant enough.

Friendly and helpful staff with excellent local beers we weren't eating there hence no food grade

We had an amazing evening at The Chopping block. Eve though the staff were rushed off their feet they still found time to chat to us and provided incredible service. The food was amazing and we didn’t have to wait too long from ordering to getting our food. The atmosphere was lovely it was busy but not too loud that we couldn’t hear each other talking.

Classic, high quality French cuisine. The lunch menu portions were very satisfying (meat, fish and veg dishes alike) and all dishes were expertly executed. We were eating downstairs as we had a small dog, which is a lovely atmospheric location in its own right, so not an issue. We'll be back!

I booked for my parents to have a meal here and called up to see if I could pay for the bill over the phone. I spoke with Georgie and she was incredibly polite and very helpful! My parents said the meal was delicious and everyone was so friendly and helpful there as well. Thanks again, will have to try it for myself when I come to York!

Sunday Lunch was stunning - and the sticker toffee pudding is really good.. Would recommend if you need a last minute Sunday lunch - we got in no problem.

The Gem 💎 of York, very scrumptious food, great service, fantastic atmosphere. Also Haunted by a resident ghost 👻, the story told with great gusto and interest by Georgie (member of staff).

York has too many restaurants but Chopping Block stands out from the crowd. It is one of my go to places, outstanding menu, well cooked and presented dishes, in a oldy world authentic building. The owner has run it with Melton's for many a year and let's hope he's keeps it too! Gold star award the Blackberry franzipan

Food is excellent. A little gem. Been twice now and really enjoyed it

Delicious Sunday lunch (tip: ask for bits not on the menu); great real ales; efficient friendly staff; amazing old building.

It was a Wednesday night so the restaurant was not packed but still had a pleasant atmosphere upstairs. We had the two course option with a surprise appetizer thrown in. All three dishes were beautifully constructed with quality ingredients used. Service was also good and so we left feeling comfortably replete and with real value for money. I hope they have the success they deserve!

You walk into a traditional old English restaurant and are greeted by a warm and friendly staff. A member of the staff explained the menu items to our group so we understood exactly what we would be eating. The meals arrived piping hot and each was delicious. The people at my table ordered the traditional roast pork, the vegetarian Wellington and the meat balls. Everyone agreed it was the best meal we have had so on day eleven of our Best of Great Britain and Ireland Tour. The food was great and so was the service.

Food was excellent and service was also excellent and attentive.

Went on a weekday night, having been to the pub downstairs on several occasions and figured we'd try out the restaurant. Had the set menu which was excellent. Awesome cooking, really nicely presented, and friendly and attentive service. The bread and home made butter extra was a tasty and unexpected bonus. Recommended!

Too quick to fly flags, leaving a bitter taste in the mouth.

Ive eaten at Chopping Block several times and always had good experiences, food excellent, good service etc, which I why I chose to take my family there for a special lunch (my sister and family were visiting from America). Although the food was good, the service was poor, slow and inconsistent. We were left waiting a long time between courses and my granddaughter didn't get her main course until everyone else in the party had finished theirs. There were 11 of us and I appreciate that it is a challenge to serve a large group but this service was disappointing

The food was good but I wasn't impressed with the ales I tried.

Excellent place to eat. The staff were awesome and so inviting. The meal was everything you could ask for in traditional English town.

Great beer tasting.. food was wonderful

We were there with a tour. There were about 30 people in our group. We began by sampling a lager and two ales. Our host explained the differences in the drinks. The appetizers, main course, and dessert were excellent. Even with a large group, the wait staff was friendly and took time to answer questions. It was an excellent introduction to the food of York and the people of York. Well done

Chose from the 2 course set menu yesterday as wanted to experience a Yorkshire Pud in Yorkshire.Had the Roast Beef, Sunday Lunch followed by the Sticky Toffee Pudding. The Yorkshire Pud was amazing, the beef, gravy & vegetables were all pretty good too. The roasties though were very disappointing & over done. I dislike reheated roast potatoes anyway, not sure why I didn’t expect this … I probably should have known better, hence not mentioning to our server, who was lovely. The sticky toffee pud was a triumph.

Very nice service, pleasant atmosphere, it's worth coming here at least once.

Loved it. Excellent grub backed up with equally great service. Thanks!

A group of 9 booked here for Sunday lunch (7th April) 5 Adults and 4 Children. Most of us ordered the mixed roast and 2 Children ordered sausage and mash but changed it to chips which wasn't a problem. We also ordered puddings. There was nothing but compliments from our entire group. The food was served in a decent amount of time, the portion sizes were good and for someone who isn't particularly fussed about Yorkshire puddings I ate all of mine. My Children are both young and could have probably shared a kids sausage and chips as it was a good size portion. They really enjoyed their food as well. The team really took care of us, they were really friendly from the moment we arrived. (I did ask the girls name who took our payments as I wanted to say a big thank you to her but by the time I have got home I've forgotten it - maybe Georgia??) We'll definitely be back the next time we have a family gathering in York.

We spend a fantastic evening tasting the different types of beers and learning about the brewery. Activity with Melton College

Food took ages to arrive. Overpriced. Would not recommend it

Excellent quality food. Had Sunday lunch with French twist. Set menu very good value. Friendly efficient service and all set in an atmospheric old building that was once a rope seller.

The food was exquisite... lovely presentation and not what I expected at all. This is a lovely little pub, with ropes hanging from the ceiling, We had the rosbif on the menu, Beef that was melt in the mouth and the service was excellent. On initial inspection, looks like it caters more as pub than a foody place, so it really surprised us. I'll definitely dine there again. Highly Recommend.

I found friendly the dinner was very tasty

I'll have one beers please. Thank Good Billiards table. See you

Great place for Sunday lunch the set menu is fantastic value

Excellent food and service. The set menu is amazing value. Really nice atmosphere and a great drinks menu.

We ate early so initially we were the only people in the restaurant but later more people began to arrive. Lovely old building, full of history. Very attentive server, food was excellent quality, fresh and very tasty, good portion sizes, we had the tartiflette and then lamb shoulder. Neither of us could fit in a dessert. Good selection of beers and wine. Really enjoyed it, will be back . Thanks

Seems that menu changes regularly. Am sure all choices are as good as mine which was excellent. Ham hock starter followed by one of best presented rump steak I have eaten. Partner equally impressed with duo of sea trout followed by rosbif. Wonderful staff (Monica & Andrew) in interesting dining room. Thank you all

I went with my partner during restaurant week, the food came quickly and the service was excellent. We both had the duck for mains and it was delicious. Well priced (especially during restaurant week) for the quality you are receiving! Would highly recommend.

Fortunately booked online, as it was very busy, it being Mother's Day, that said we met with a friendly welcome, led to our table, service was excellent especially since the restaurant was packed. The food was lovely we selected off the set menu and it was truly excellent value. We'll be back.

One of the best meals I’ve eaten. Supperb

Staff were very attentive. Food was delicious. Great choices. Fantastic service

Great food, great value set menu, well priced drinks, very good service, no fuss casual atmosphere. Just what was needed on a cold Sunday night in York!

Loved the olde world charms of this eatery. Appreciated the detail of the small bread bite sized cubes. Utterly succulent and delicious.Fab service to topp it all too. Already thinking when to return!

Nom. Had slightly french beef and taters and was yum. Then reliably good stinky toffee pudding.

Absolutely gorgeous Sunday lunch, we had 3 courses and were very impressed with each of them. Already looking forward to next time

Great tasty Sunday dinner. Lovely staff. Perfect experience. Thank you 😊

A beautiful little restaurant. Great layout and atmosphere, and the staff are excellent - friendly and professional. Really good specials - went for Sunday lunch but was tempted by them all. Delicious Sunday lunch and starters. Chefs definitely know what they're doing!

Lovely Sunday lunch. Roast Beef was delicious as was the whole meal. Great staff, service and good value for money. Will definitely visit again

We visited Saturday evening during a busy period, but the service was friendly and prompt. All the menu items were tempting but we opted for the rump steak which was cooked perfectly. The cost was reasonable and we will return! Highly recommended.

Lovely staff and excellent food, noisy table of 20 somethings next to us, but staff gave us a 10% discount by way of an apology which was a nice gesture considering it wasn't their fault.

Chose this place for a Sunday lunch on a weekend trip to York. A pretty dismal experience. Creamy garlic mushrooms were thin and sour and the accompanying home-made bread was just a little ball of tasteless carbs. The roast beef was completely flavourless and the roast potatoes and yorkshire pudding just came across as industrial. A shame.