Döner Summer in York

I’m not quite sure what had happened but it seemed like there had been a meltdown at the place so possibly this is a one off? Waiter was very lovely and trying his best but something had clearly gone wrong. We waited 20 minutes for our food and drink order to be taken. Another 30 minutes waiting for the drink to arrive, it never did so we went to the bar to ask for them. Another 45 minutes after that the food still hadn’t arrived, no food had come out of the kitchen for any table in the past hour at this point. The table next to us had their food come out having arrived 45 minutes after us. We asked if our order was coming and they said they had lost the ticket. (Bear in mind when we ordered we were the only ones in the place) At this point we had a tour booked on the evening we needed to get too. So after 1 hour and a half spent sat down, we decided to leave, we asked if the pint and Pepsi could be on the house for the time we had wasted and never getting any food, however, this request was denied. Really disappointed by what had seemed a good place to visit based on reputation.

I'm usually not one to leave a review however its quite possibly the worst dining experience ive had. We came to York doner summer 19/07/24 and it was a hot day, we had to wait ages to be seated as there was no one looking after people coming through the door. When seated, the inside was like a greenhouse with no fans, no windows etc, there was a singular fan behind the bar. Sadly once we sat down we realised everyone was just dripping with sweat and rushing to leave. Youre supposed to grab water yourself from beneath the stairs, there was one 3/4 full jar of water that was warm that was left and had been sat there since we arrived. On a boiling hot day like this no one was looking after and refilling?? Waited about 20-30 mins to be served as the one woman who said she'd be taking our order soon was sat down chatting with the bar staff for half that time. Finally took our order and waited another 40 minutes to be given our food, the drinks arrived even later and I had to go to the bar to ask for them. (It was a singular pint and cocktail 😭) Had to chase and chase and CHASE for anything. This isn't a first time experience with doner summer - the one in Leeds is really great so at least the food itself was nice when it finally arrived. We'd asked for some salt from the woman who brought us our food and she forgot to bring it, we also had to constantly ask for more water etc etc. All tables that were there were complaining they had no drinks etc. The service was absolutely ridiculous, like the bare minimum wasnt even there and there seemed to be no management happening of anyone, and the people that were there could not give less of a f. Insanely rubbish experience and im sure were not the only ones avoiding dining here in the future. I will say there was a woman there who said she was on her first shift and she had literally no direction or management given to her the whole time by her staff members yet she still made the most effort out of everyone - so props to her.

We have been a few times to Doner Summer and will continue to do so. Great food, good size portions, friendly staff, chilled atmosphere, it's all good 😊 Would recommend and also they have a place in Leeds to.If you are in either area I would recommend it for your vegan food fix.

Very dissapointed that it's a cashless establishment, food was ok and new premises were nice and more central, didn't see outside we were upstairs in York which was a run through for kitchen, toilets and constant hand dryer! Love the fact it's all vegan restaurant and staff friendly, lots of vegan competition now so a little overpriced for the food, would've like to see more plant food rather than meat substitute. Nice for a one off.

Great vegan junk food. Been really consistent each time we’ve been.

Rejected unkindly. No walk in possible, even though more than 3 tables were empty. The concept with an attached loud bar and multiple entrances is not consistent and does not offer a feel-good atmosphere.

Fantastic food at great prices, well cooked & beautifully presented.

Great friendly service that really knew a lot about the menu. I really enjoyed the food, but the Hon’y Butter Chicken was fantastic!

Gorgeous food, large portions and friendly staff. We go here every single time we are in the area. My meat eating partner also loves it here.

Jack and Joe. Wow good service! Food? Yummy. Potato chips. Not chicken. York is the city of vikings. Would come again? Yes. Bettermmmi

Exceptional food, really nice staff (shoutout to Joe and Jack)! Has a great room upstairs with windows and music playing. Has a really nice vibe to it all.

absolutely amazing! went to gillygate the day before they moved. the staff were so kind accommodating and funny. And my burger and special cocktail were delicious. i will definitley be visiting the new one! Excellent.

We have been wanting to try Döner Summer for ages, and this weekend we finally went there. It was amazing. Plant based fast food at its very best. We both went for their fried chick'n, one salt'n'pepper the other Korean BBQ. It was just so good. Proper dirty food. 😂 We absolutely loved it. We will be back, this is one not to miss....

Incredibly tasty vegan food. So many options! Portion sizes are also huge so come with an appetite.

This place is very friendly and a bit different, and we did enjoy Doner Summer. In the end I regretted getting the kebab in pita, as my partner's once seemed tastier, saucier and all round nicer as a mixed kebab teller tray. Despite the food having been 'just cooked' and running literally down the road at high speed to our apartment to consume it, the food was between tepid and cold and I needed to microwave mine. I disliked my cold fries. We also asked for and paid for a side order of sauce, which was forgotten. I was REALLY excited to try this place, but was a bit underwhelmed. Perhaps we hit it on an off night.

This place was amazing! I had the bad girl kebab and hubby had Berlin doner. The plates were big and so full of flavour. A great start to the trip!

I had the bad girl kebab whilst hubby had the Berlin kebab, both were absolutely amazing and would recommend. Doner summer is the best vegan kebab around!

This place was amazing! I had the bad girl kebab and hubby had Berlin doner. The plates were big and so full of flavour. A great start to the trip!

Always have an amazing experience here. I was really looking forward to sitting outside in the sun in the lovely outside seating area on the first warm day of the year but unfortunately it was closed today.

Rustic and very good ... although I'm not vegan some of my family are and we came for a family meal. We have had a takeaway meal from here before but this was the first time we attended the restaurant. The restaurant is very rustic as I expected and the food was excellent and we were well looked after. I have the mixed platter which included the fried chicken and this was excellent. As I said I am not vegan and everything in this restaurant is vegan so not necessarily my first choice but for a family outing where some of my party I would definitely attend again. If you are vegan and looking for a place to have a lovely evening meal then this is the place for you.

Absolutely deliciousssss! The ambiance is nice, the service is superb, and the variety of options was a treat. Would definitely come back!

Amazing vegan food. Definitely go if you are near by. Had the best vegan Sunday roast with Yorkshire puddings. Delicious and dog friendly. I visit here every time I'm in york.

Amazing food, haven't had such a great vegan friend chicken in a long time. I also recommend their Sunday roast, super filling and tasty.

We visited here on a trip to York, the Vegan chicken is the best I have ever had! Very tasty food and nice staff. Would definitely have food from Doner Summer again :)

Delicious roast. Lovely staff. V dog friendly.

So much amazing vegan choice ! We had such a delicious meal ~ I wish we didn’t live so far away as I’d eat here ALL the time ! ❤️

We walked in off the street on a busy Saturday night. Staff were immediately friendly and welcoming, and even though they were busy they found space for five of us. Such a lovely atmosphere and the staff couldn't do enough for us, even when my teenager asked to be surprised with his food and drink, they remained unphased. The food was absolutely delicious, and even the 100% carnivore in the party said that the fried 'chicken' was excellent. The burgers were juicy and flavourful and the garlic tater tots didn't last long on the table. Also recommend the mocktails - the one with candy floss on the top was a big hit with the kids.

I used to loooove this place, it's definitely worth going at least once for the fried ch'kn and tater tots. It is proper junk food though, don't wear nice clothes, you'll come away smelling of deep fryer. Big portions and lovely staff though, a must for any vegan stopping by.

I always used to adore DS, but me and my friends have had food poisoning twice now from two different DS restaurants. Something’s not right with the way it’s being made - I’ve read other reviews which have said the same. It’s difficult to get food poisoning from vegan food so it must be a hygiene issue. Contacted DS a while ago when it happened for the first time and was ignored. Sad because it used to be brilliant & I used to eat the combo platter all the time! Service was okay but not very attentive, and the restaurant itself is really nicely decorated but cold and uncomfortable, the bathroom is also not kept well.

Was unaware that it was vegan. It's not advertised very clearly and they snuck an extra 10 percent on the bill without asking. The menu is fairly expensive too for small burgers. They charged £1 extra for a tiny pot of mayonnaise.

Amazing vegan chicken. So glad we came here. Not too busy, lovely friendly staff. Had a great time. 🤩

Made a beeline for this place on arrival to York after rough journey in bad weather - but met with really warm welcome and good vibes! The Gent who served us was a star, attentive, helpful and excellent craic. Felt very much at home and miles of smiles. I am veggie and eat healthy generally but like anyone, enjoy to indulge in something a bit naughty - and I hope no one minds me saying, but it was naughty, and I did indulge. A lot. Awesome simple to understand menu of all manner of faux-meat creations and it comes piled high and you can fill your boots. Had the best time, great start to a fab weekend - thanks guys!

As someone who has visited the Doner Summer in Manchester and York, I can safely say this is the best of them. The staff were so friendly, especially the tall fellow with the long hair, the service was really good, the food amazing (half the reason we came to York), and portion sizes make the pricing well worth it. Couldn't recommend enough!

Update January 2024: Favorite vegan place. Yes, sometimes the service is slow, yes sometimes they get things mixed up, but the food is so good and prices are still reasonable. The food is delicious and I often have takeaway from the Leeds branch. However I thought the portions when eating in seemed a bit smaller than the takeaway offering (unless it’s just variation between branches). The service was a bit slow even though we visited on a Sunday afternoon which wasn’t too busy - we waited almost 30 min for our drinks and after finishing our meal, over 15 min for the bill. The garden itself is gorgeous and I’d definitely be visiting again when in York.

We’ve been going to Doner Summer since they opened up shop in Hull, and now go less often as that one’s shut, but still love it every time! Staff are super friendly and helpful, even wrapped my whole order in foil on my last visit as it’s now a 90 minute round trip for my Doner Summer fix! (Worth it) Highly recommend and will continue to visit for a treat! The specials are always amazing, so much so that I didn’t get a picture last time as it was inhaled too quickly, but it’s so hard to pick a favourite menu item! Only downside is no car park (which is understandable due to location of course), but there’s one pretty much across the road which is pay and display, not the cheapest especially if you’re only stopping by to collect, but worth parking close to keep the food hot!

Excellent place with probably the best vegan food I've ever had.

The best vegan food I have ever had, the restaurant looked really interesting but didn't clock it was vegan. Maddie who was serving us explained and recommended some dishes that were out of this world! We haven't stopped talking about how much we enjoyed the food at Döner Summer! Would definitely visit again!

Fantastic vegan junk food. Delish!

Great vegan food with amazing service! Our waitor was so friendly. Tater tots were amazing and a big portion, I'd go back just for these!

Genuinely some of the best food I have had, make a pilgrimage every time I'm in a city with it in

Delicious vegan chicken 🤤 as well as a cozy vibe inside the restaurant and friendly staff ✨️

Absolutely delicious food. A very good choice range.

Our first visit. Taylor welcomed us, was a wonderful server and we felt so welcomed and happy to be here. I had a banana concoction that was so sweet and creamy. We both had chicken kebab with chips, I think. See pics. Everything was gorgeous, delish! Highly recommend. Modern, arty decor and menu! Craft beers and alcohol too. ALL VEGAN 🥰🥰🥰🥰

Awesome place and fabulous staff. Didn't catch the lovely young lady's name but she was very attentive and friendly. Paul was a legend too. The food was to die for. We asked if they would open a branch near us but we live too far away 🤔

We found this vegan restaurant on Happy cow, we didn't know the area as we were in York for a couple of days. OMG the food was absolutely amazing & really wished the owners would open a restaurant in Hertfordshire/cambridge as I would be a regular. The staff are super friend especially Paul. My favourite was the festive special which I think the restaurant should keep all year round it was that amazing. Thank you to the staff for a nice experience.

Best food, great service, vegan food to die for!

Warning: 10% service charge added It felt frustrating, paying 18 pound(!!!) "Service charge" for a cold table and service that was lacking, we had to remind them about water and sauces multiple times. The food itself was good, the fries/tots are big enough for two people to share and the burgers are tasty.

Great place just outside the walls

Great comfort food, and lots of it! Good service. Portions are huge. Garlic tots are 👌🏻

Doner Summer is EPIC! Love the vegan food and drinks! Incredibly tasty food and fab staff and atmosphere :)

No good to me!! It's vegan only. Avoid here if you like a nice griddled lamb kebab. Doesn't specify on shop front what genre of food is sold here.

Great food as always. Always one of the highlights of going to York for me as there aren't a whole lot of good vegan places around up North (least not where I live). There used to be a Döner summer in Huddersfield, near me, but sadly it had to close down. I now drive all the way to York, specifically to go here so that should tell you how nice the food is.

Lovely food and really friendly staff.

Some of the best vegan food in the North.

We made a booking here on their website and turned up to be told they were too busy for us and couldn't honour the booking. If you are too busy to check booking requests, a) don't make them look as if they're accepted if they're not, b) tell us in advance if it's not possible. We were so disappointed and it kind of spoiled our night if I'm honest.

The food is nice enough and as a vegetarian that misses kebab it did hit the spot however the service wasn’t great, the new server guy was nice and the right amount of attentive but the kitchen were running a delay on food and feeling the stress. Sat with two children (11 & 7) the kitchen staff had mouths like sailors f’ing and blinding, the food did take a length of time verging on unacceptable. I wouldn’t mind but for £70 I felt a bit robbed. I’d of spoke with someone there but time to address my issues would of resulted in longer delays and more stress for them.

Friendly staff and great food! Nothing could be faulted. The portions are great and everything tasted amazing. Definitely recommend

Great place to get some dirty vegan food. Portion sides are generous! The on draught craft beer is so so, probably best to stick to the cans.

Great vegan street food. Really tasty. It was my partners birthday and they made us a free cocktail.

Best vegan junk food I’ve ever eaten and very friendly service! Can’t wait to go back already

Excellant ... the chicken burger was amazing . My partner, who eats meat, also really enjoyed his kebab, a Berlin Donna I think, which is really surprising because he really isn't a fan of veggie/ vegan meat substitutes usually . But this one got a definite thumbs up 👍

I love to buy some food here to takeaway when I visit the North. I wish there was a shop somewhere in the South too. The kebab is really good and the wings too. Food is always hot and tasty. I always use delivery services to order and it’s always quite fast. Never disappointed!

Vegan fast food. Dishes were huge so it is best if you go when you are hungry. I ordered the Berlin doner teller. Which was ok. The fries were nice. Drinks are overpriced.

Love love love food is always amazing

First time visiting. Great food, great friendly service and nice atmosphere. Highly recommended

It’s not often you can say you have a perfect meal but Doner Summer definitely delivers. I’ve been vegan for 6 years and these are the best burgers I’ve ever had vegan or not. The staff are friendly and full of laughs, the type of people you feel comfortable having a pint with. And to finish the decor is something else entirely, art deco mixed with devil may care. Priced very reasonably and guaranteed to leave you full, there no excuse not to give them a visit.

Incredible food, great cocktails and a lovely leafy courtyard with views of the city wall. Thoroughly recommend, whether you are vegan or not.

1st time visiting. Nice location with “secret/quiet garden out back. Very polite and pleasant staff. Spoilt for choice with the food available. Went for the Philly BBQ burger and Salt and pepper tots. Sooo delicious, will definitely visit again at some point.

Fantastic food (and huge portions!), staff were super friendly and lovely to the kids, and the outside space is great. Would definitely come back again!

Great food and excellent staff. All vegan and good and different drinks available. The outdoor area is good, but there is an issue with wet cushions.

Great food and lovely outside area to sit in.

The best vegan food I've ever had !!!

The BEST vegan meal I've ever had! The service couldn't have been better too!

Wow what a perfect spot! The food from here is amazing! Even though I'm not a vegan, and this really does beat 90% of other traditional burger and chicken spots. The food is so fresh and delicious and am told is full of protein! The staff are amazing and the atmosphere is perfect for date nights. Can't recommend this place enough!

I had lunch here with my family and ordered the salt and pepper chicken platter, tots, and garlic chicken kebab. While the portion sizes were good, the chicken platter was too salty and the garlic chicken lacked garlic flavor. The staff was friendly, but the tables were sticky and the glasses had stains. Overall, it was an average experience.

We had amazing vegan food here - they specialize in kebabs and they are delicious. We tried three different kinds and loved all - super flavorful, colorful, and satisfying. They have lots of covered and uncovered outdoor seating as well as some indoor seating. Our server was super friendly and helpful. If I come back to York again I will definitely return!

Fantastic place! It’s located just outside the York walls and definitely a place to check out. The vibe is great, with pink walls and a big outdoor seating area that’s really nicely decorated. The whole place is vegan/plant-based. I got the Bad Girl Kebab on garlic & coriander flatbread, which was absolutely delicious and looked gorgeous too! Also, the waiter was super nice and friendly and our food came quickly.

Food and staff amazing. We had a lovely meal out with the kids. Couldn’t fault and wouldn’t even know it wasn’t meat. Will definitely return

Went for lunch here after the York 10k on Sunday. Cannot rate this place high enough. Food was delicious, huge portions, and service was spot on. The one guy serving was friendly, helpful, and speedy. It was just such a good place. Can't wait to go again!

For vegan food this was a very nice place. Staff were super friendly and I really like the layout of the place. Something different. Only reason I did not gave 5 stars was because it wasn't very clean. The table was sticky and the glass was a little dirty

We went back twice in our short stay in bath. They slipped the kids lollipops and the portions were huge and I don’t think I’ve had better Buffalo chick’n wings!! Outdoor seating had a little heater and a pet squirrel and the staff were super kind and friendly both times. Fast service.

Awesome food, brilliant service. A real treat to have somewhere that is something so good and all vegan.

Very good vegan food. Lunchtime menu is good value

Was welcomed with a smile straight away and promptly seated, service was amazing the whole way through and I even stayed for extra drinks just to avoid the rain😂, the food was the true masterpiece though, I had the “Chick’n Parm Teller” which was more than enough, slightly on the pricey side but all nice food is. Definitely worth a visit and will 100% be back when I return to york.

I rated 4 stars for food because no gluten free options other than fries. I usually eat strictly gluten free but was with 3 friends who had their heart set on the place. I decided to eat gluten and had the salt and pepper fried chicken lunch which was tasty and very reasonably priced. The server was super nice and we met their resident blackbird, Roger, who kept us all company as we lunched. Outdoor seating had amazing heater lights overhead. Great spot overall, just asking for at least one NGCI menu option please.

Delicious "fast food" style vegan stuff And I'm not even vegetarian. Highly recommended

Delicious fast food with good size portions. Very friendly and welcoming service. We sat outside in the beautiful garden area that was really well kept and clean.

Ate here for my girlfriends birthday and was very disappointed. Our server tried her best but the place was severely understaffed and there wasn't a senior team member on shift. Food was undercooked, drinks took forever to come, and staff were mistreated.

Amazing vegan junk food, food for the soul and fantastic service. Chased us down the street for some left behind sunglasses.... top stuff

Amazing vegan street food, which was super-tasty. We ate really early and there were not many people in, hence the limited atmosphere. The only thing that soured the experience was automatically adding a 10% service charge. OK, we could ask for it to be removed but it just made it difficult. I wouldn't mind if the service was incredible, but the order was taken and the food was delivered. There was a small bit of chat and the server was friendly, sure, just not 10% worth. But the food was AMAZING!

Korean BBQ teller was really good

Food was absolutely delicious! So many choices on the menu and the outside seating was lovely in the sun! Staff were very friendly and helpful, will definitely be returning

Beautiful place, wonderful staff, perfect food.

Had a Berlin something kebab with Turkish bread.. possibly the best kebab I've ever had! 🤤 Served by a friendly fellow and we didn't have to wait too long for the food 🙂

We were only in York for three nights but ate here for two of them. I was hanging for a yiros (tried the burger the second time) and found this place near where we were staying. We came in at 4.30pm so it was pretty quiet. I ordered the yiros and my wife ordered the chicken bites. We were given a couple of extra dips to try and the portions were huge. They actually forgot my extra chips which was perfectly fine as we took leftovers with us anyway and didn't need them. We had a couple of beers and glasses of wine. We even got to chatting with the owner and we were given a bag of some vegan gummy lollies to try. This place was awesome. My biggest regret is there isn't a doner summer in Adelaide. Yet. If you find your self in York and need a decent meal come and check this place out.

I’m am shocked how good the “chicken” was, one of the best places I’ve eaten at on my entire trip to England!

Wasn't sure what to expect, but the food was absolutely fantastic! Really great for the whole family.

Really great food. Was lovely to get a different meal with my partner and share because both were delicious. Unfortunately they were very busy and therefore slow on the drinks, but they compensated for that. Would definitely go again

Absolutely love doner summer. Been to sheffiled (rip) Leeds and York. York is by far my favourite. Sitting out in the patio area, with a glass of red wine and the vest vegan chicken around. Would recommend.

Absolutely gorgeous place! Sat in the courtyard and had lunch and cocktails. The food and drinks were incredible (I'm not actually vegan and this 'chicken' burger was too class). The service was phenomenal and we even met Rodg the black bird ❤️