Il Paradiso del Cibo in York

Best Italian food I've had in ages and the waitress was amazing.

Very good experience, 2 pizza to share. Lovely staff all offering assistance when needed and really nice food.

This place served me a fake Margherita and hoped I wouldn't notice. I ordered a Margherita pizza, which was clearly described on the menu as containing tomato sauce, cheese, and basil. What I received was just dough with tomato sauce and cheese—no basil at all (photo 1). There was no explanation until I asked. Only then did a staff member return with basil oil, saying they didn’t have any basil leaves (photo 2). This isn’t just disappointing—it feels deceptive. If you're out of a key ingredient, you should tell the customer before taking their order. And if you can’t serve a proper Margherita, don’t list it on the menu in the first place. It honestly felt like they assumed I wouldn’t notice or complain—possibly because I’m Asian. Also, not accepting card payments in 2025 is just bizarre. Even street food stalls and buskers in the UK take cards. Totally unprofessional and disrespectful. Avoid this place.

Definitely a proper Italian. Great food. Very large specials board with lots of good things, including vegetarian options. I had the veggie calzone, which was delicious, with really excellent thin dough - but huge. Doesn't take plastic at all.

Always book here whenever we are in York. The food is amazing and it has a real buzzy atmosphere, which we love. This time we had the arancini off the specials board then a pizza and risotto, all faultless. House wine delicious too. It’s a running joke that we always get seated close to the toilet but I am not bothered here as everything else makes up for it! Pay it a visit it won’t disappoint!!

Exceptional! Really enjoyed our meal. We were visiting my parents who live near by. I wasn’t aware that this restaurant existed. Service was great everything we had we enjoyed. I had the porchetta which was amazing. Thank you. We will be back now that we have found you.

Very tasty food for a reasonable price. We especially liked shrimps, tasted very much liked from Sardinian and mushroom risotto. Calamari in seafood salad were very good too. Wine was ok Be aware that you need to bring cash as they don’t accept card payment

The best Italian in York! This place is the best, a must visit whether you’re a local or a visitor. The food is beyond amazing, the staff are super friendly, and the prices are great. I would always recommend this to anyone. A real authentic Italian feel that is hard to find. A special shout out to the wonderful staff, especially Paolo, who make every visit amazing. Cash only, but worth the ATM trip. As it’s so popular booking ahead is worthwhile. Amazing food, amazing atmosphere.

We visited the other evening on the recommendation of a friend. I cannot recommend highly enough! The food is incredibly well priced, the set menu is £20 per person for 2 courses and a drink. The portions are more than generous, we couldn’t finish all of our food. The food is absolutely amazing and the customer service is beyond reproach

A real 10/10. Sardinian family restaurant. Wonderful fresh food full of flavour and warm, effusive hospitality. Absolutely loved it

We love this restaurant and have been going consistently for the past 8 years ever since we moved to York. The staff are super friendly and the food is delicious. If you're looking for Italian in York, this is the place I'd recommend again and again. Yes, they don't accept cards but if you don't have cash, they accept PayPal transfers.

We called in here earlier tonight. Stumbled upon it as was close to our hotel. Chose from the Set Menu which is on weekdays till 7pm and includes a drink. Very good range of choices for a set menu. Well the food certainly didn’t disappoint. Superb quality, really authentic, amazing portions and all in all fantastic value. For the record we shared creamy garlic mushrooms, tomato garlic bread (exquisite), seafood spaghetti and traditional lasagne. Each dish was very very good. Staff were very attentive and friendly. Would highly recommend.

Very friendly and chilled and the food and drink is 👌🏼

Excellent food and service, a great find.

Lugar encantador para una noche en solitario. Servicio rápido y agradable, un ambiente cálido y agradable, y una deliciosa comida. El tiramisú era precioso.

Really good student prices and portions. Tasted really fresh, lovely staff and overall wonderful lunch!

Awful atmosphere. Very loud crowd that seems to be just friends or staff sitting and shouting at the back. It's very disturbing. Please don't think it's a cultural thing and it's how they talk. I have been to over 200 Italian restaurants in my life all over the world. ..this was the worst one. The service is non-existent, and the menu is very limited. I visited years ago and had better experience but would not go back here. Pizza's were average with Very thin and dry base

Lovely small Italian restaurant with a nice buzz and fabulous food.

It is not possible to get food and service this good at this price!!! Amazing!! Don’t miss this little Gem!!

Dining with a tired toddler these guys served up amazing food without a huge wait. They straight away asked if they could get some food for my nephew which was great as he didn’t have to wait. Staff really friendly and the food was 10/10. Very reasonable and would definitely recommend to others visiting York.

What an amazing restaurant the food is out of this world

Really good lunch, I will definitely be back!!

Yo, mi mamá y mi abuela estábamos de visita en York y encontramos este italiano, el personal era muy cálido y acogedor, no teníamos una mesa reservada, pero estaban encantados de sentarnos de todos modos. Nuestra camarera era tan amable, que no podía hacer lo suficiente por nosotros nos sentimos muy atendidos. La comida estaba deliciosa, mi abuela solo estaba decepcionada de que no podía terminar todo. Recomiendo encarecidamente y volveremos de nuevo.

Yummy food in a warm and homely environment!

My favourite Italian restaurant in the UK. The garlic bread is to die for, and I don't actually like garlic bread very much but this one is saucy and flavourful. I dream about it sometimes! The pasta is always fresh and delicious. I don't ordinarily order desserts but the pistachio cake from here is utterly divine. You will certainly not be disappointed, but please note that it's cash only or bank transfer I believe. You couldn't use cards last time I went and I've been 4 times this year.

Absolutely brilliant! Great food and both delicious as well as great value. Even the house red is reasonably priced and not a bad plonk. The head chef is quite a character, too, mixing with his guests and having banter. My seafood risotto was amazing and the lobster was too. Next time we visit York we'll be back. It's a small, intimate restaurant where they make the best of what space they have bit for me, only adds to the atmosphere.

I rly wanted to try their tiramisu, so I did take away. It was bit late but they r so nice and happy to do. The tiramisu was the best one i've ever had. The vibe was amazing, it feels like I am inside the Italian movie haha. Thank you so much

Staff are very friendly and attentive. Gorgeous food & atmosphere.

How do you say 'WOW,' 'bellissima' or 'stupendissima' in Italian? That's the cooking in Il Paradiso del Cibo - its belly pork - Heaven!

Absolute gem of a family ran restaurant. Really authentic place. My husband and I shared the olives and bread starter which was really really good , my main was awesome, seafood risotto, the best I've ever eaten and my husband had the spinach and ricotta cannelloni, it was absolutely delicious. We shared a bottle of house white wine with our food and the bill was just over £60 . The food was some of the best we've ever eaten. When back visiting York we will definitely be returning to eat here again.

Probablemente uno de mis lugares favoritos para comer! A mí y a mi novio nos encanta el italiano, y vimos que no estaba demasiado ocupado, y no demasiado vacío, así que lo probamos. Mejor. Decisión. Nunca. El servicio al cliente fue increíble, cada miembro del personal era muy amable y educado. La comida llegó dentro de los 10 minutos de espera! Al principio pensé que mi comida no se habría cocinado correctamente porque llegó muy rápido, pero mi Lasaña y mis novios Calzone eran tan frescos y sabrosos! Creo que los precios en el menú eran muy buenos también, teniendo en cuenta que la comida era tan sabrosa con grandes porciones. Pagué alrededor de £ 11 por mi lasaña, y £ 4. ¡50 por mi vino! Muy buen precio. Lo único de lo que podría quejarme es de que es solo efectivo, ¡por suerte tenía efectivo encima! Cuando les dije que mantuvieran el cambio (alrededor de £ 7 ) fueron muy agradecidos y nos dieron tiros de limoncello gratis! Mamma mia.

Vibrant and friendly restaurant, main menu has all the comfort food you'd expect from a good Italian. Specials are Sardinian and exceptional, really lovely meal. Good wine too. Staff are brilliant.

My favourite restaurant in the whole of the UK. The Italian food is absolutely to die for. Always a great range of specials. Great atmosphere and always welcoming. An absolute gem of a place.

Couldn’t have felt more welcome if they tried! Great food, great portions, great staff and really good price! The welcome and the attention to detail is spot on! A real family feel! Very rare these days! Thanks you

Found this hidden treasure by accident. An amazing place. Fantastic food and staff

Small and compact but great food. Substantial specials menu as well as the regular pizza's, pasta, meat and fish. You need to book at weekends. Also note its cash only

I don't think I've ever been to such an authentic national restaurant outside its country of origin. We felt like we were in Italy from the moment we entered as the first diners of the evening. The background Italian chat from three staff set the scene. The layout of small tables, plastic chairs and a tile floor with a giant TV screen showing a Serie A match strengthened the Romano vibe. The look of the place both inside and out may be a little off-putting to some diners and, as a result, the restaurant perhaps has to trade all the harder on the reputation of its food. It's first rate. I had a stronganoffy dish of strips of beef fillet with tagliatelli in a gorgeous creamy, gorgonzola sauce with walnuts and porcini. My wife had cod with a superb puttanesca sauce. The food really is "just like mama used to make" and the restaurant the sort of place that only locals know about. The bill including a shared dessert and small beer came to £68. Some non-specials are priced at just £10-12. I have to knock off a star because of a few, admitedly minor things: the gruff waiter who answered the phone when I rang to book (you can't do it online); the spartan interior (I bet it feels cramped and noisy in here at peak times); the superfluous TV; and the cash only payment system. (Guys: you have to move with the times!). I should add that we were given a warm farewell! A meal to remember.

Lovely food amazing staff thank you

Enjoyed our food immensely but the massive TV showing the football was a bit of a distraction. We went with kids and while they were lovely with them the restaurant isn’t really set up for them as it’s so small. Staff were great.

Very friendly, food delicious, generous portions, reasonable priced set menu. Definitely come back.

Nice authentic, family run restaurant. Reasonably priced with good range of specials on the board. I recommend the lobster with lobster ravioli.

A wonderful and cosy restaurant! The owner and the staff are friendly and hospitable. Food is absolutely great, we had a great time here on boxing day! Highly recommend it here!

La comida siempre es buena, pero estábamos descontentos con la factura. Asegúrate de comprobarlo. ¡Nos sobrecargaron 12 libras! Lo enmendaron cuando lo impugnamos, así que está bien.

Superb Italian restaurant. Best pizza ever. Out of town but you won’t be disappointed. Please book to avoid disappointment.

Love this place! The staff are absolutely lovely and the food and atmosphere are always great. It’s like being back in Italy but with the added bonus of Yorkshire hospitality on top. Thank you :)

I think the food here is the best in York, delicious seafood especially and amazing value for money. The seating can be cramped- but well worth putting up with for such great food. I love the house red which perfectly compliments the atmosphere.

Absolutely amazing restaurant the staff are all outstanding so friendly and helpful I highly recommend a visit BUT you may have to book as we were so lucky to go in about 6.00 clock and they managed to find a table for my wife and I

Great set menu at lunch time. Delicious

Very pleasant, staff were great,and food fantastic..what more could you ask for.

A fantastic find. Small restaurant offering high quality Italian cuisine and very reasonable. We went early and it was already packed, creating a lovely friendly atmosphere. The staff were attentive and the food absolutely delicious.

Mediocre food - fishy tasting fiore di zucca (probably from the oil they were fried in), questionable tasting fish and lobster, although we were assured they were fresh. The one who served us was grumpy and angry with life... I could only pay in cash... which I find unacceptable!

I don’t usually prefer places that are cash-only, but this one is worth stopping by an ATM for. A local friend recommended it to me three years ago, and I’ve made it a point to visit every time I’m in York. The pasta is fantastic—I always try the special menu, and it’s never disappointed. The pizza is excellent too. And to top it all off, the tiramisu is beautiful.

Excellent little gem in York proper Italian food ran by Italian's. The set menu allows for a very affordable dining expeirence on weekdays (3 courses for less than £25) with solid variety. Both the pizzas and Lasagna are excellent from what I've tried. Make sure to bring cash as it's cash only.

Absolutely outstanding customer service, fantastic choice and wide variety of dishes.. cooked to perfection. Lovely ambiance and warm friendly place. 10/10 you will not be disappointed if you dine here.

Delicious, authentic Italian food at reasonable prices

A warm welcoming cosy family atmosphere. Lovely food and friendly staff made for a great evening meal. Thank you.

Really nice and authentic Italian restaurant in York. It’s off the beaten track and we only went on a recommendation but it was well worth finding it and eating there. We both had the spaghetti carbonara which was delicious. It is CASH only though so come prepared. There were lots of people there that were obviously regulars which is always a good sign. Reasonably priced.

Such an awesome dinner. Spent 3 weeks in the UK. This was our favourite meal. Owners are so awesome. Cash only!!

Everytime we come here we always say next time we’ll take photos of our food. But it never happens as it gets eaten too quickly. Great food great service and just amazing all around.

We had a very disappointing experiencing after being recommended this restaurant by a friend. We had high hopes but from the get go we were treated really poorly by the staff. One lady in particular was incredibly rude taking our order and was dictating what I should and shouldn’t be eating as a pregnant woman. When I asked if it was possible to change something small on the menu she said no and “cant you just get a tomato pasta” & “should you really be eating cheese”. I said it was no problem and would just need a couple more minutes to decide what else I would like from the menu. Luckily another man had just started his shift and joined the conversation as she was making quite a fuss. He kindly said they could make the dish with the small change to which she replied to him “well you can tell that to the kitchen cos they don’t speak English”. I was so taken back by this service and having worked in the trade myself I knew it was not how to treat a customer. To top the evening off, they got my friends order wrong so she had to wait another 15 mins for her food, whilst mine came and was completely tasteless and the mushrooms were clearly from a tin- not fresh, so tasted awful! Being seated right by the kitchen was not ideal with the constant passing and clashing but also the shouting because they had made a main dish that wasn’t even ordered. The only thing we enjoyed was the garlic bread starter. We could not finish the mains so we asked for the bill and asked to remove the service charge. The gentleman came back over and apologised completely on behalf of his colleagues and our experience which we appreciated. However we wont be returning and feel like we shouldn’t have even had to pay for half the bill.

We visited with a group of 15 of us so it was a challenge for the restaurant! But the service was so fast for such a big group, unbelievable. The food is really good quality and the prices are very reasonable. The staff are super friendly. Only downside is not taking card!

The clams muscles were fantastic. Good place and service. Small, intimate fun.

Yes its popular its not overpriced food or wine ! But they want as many people in as poss ! So be aware . Also always check ure bill as they have " till problems" ??? One litre of house red £19.95 which is value .

All sorts of people, all ages, enjoying great food together (including veggie), with great service. Bright and chaotic. Wonderful!

A place where you pay in cash is, to say the least, picturesque.

We've been coming to York once a year every year since 2015. ( 2020 lockdown notwithstanding). When we come we've always made a point of coming here to eat ! Wonderful Sardinian food. My daughter loves the Margherita and Marinara. I love the Bolognese and Lasagne. The desserts are divine. One of the best Italian restaurants I've eaten in ! Great atmosphere and service. Nuff said.

This restaurant is simply magic! The food is incredible and the atmosphere is brilliant. Paolo and his team really look after you and create a wonderful experience. You must visit!

A very authentic place to eat! One of the pizzas I ever tried! Thank you!

Lovely, cosy restaurant, food was so delicious and portions are big. Service was great, very friendly and welcoming staff.

A very narrow space in high demand that can not accommodate. Heavily packed when sitted. Food cooking is average.

OMG I love this food……… Came across this restaurant just by chance and we were not disappointed. The welcoming was lovely and the quality of the food was amazing. The owner and chef made time to come and chat to us and the 2 course including a drink was amazing value. We had too much so happily took half a pizza home for our supper. Small restaurant but very authentic Italian cuisine. We will be back in November👍👍

Great food & good service. Cannot understand the negative reviews as our meal was great & accompanied by good service. My only criticism is the portion sizes were too big & I could have managed with just the mussel & clam starter. Thoroughly enjoyed the meal & the experience though. Many thanks

One of my favourite restaurants, always my go to for special occasions. Can't fault the food- highly recommend the Carbonara and even more the Cannolo Siciliano! Staff are lovely, cute little restaurant.

An authentic Italian restaurant with lovely Pizza.

Food was delicious definitely will visit again , excellent service

Food was very mediocre at best. Whole restaurant was a little 'tired'. Toilet wasn't clean and had a broken seat which obviously hadn't just happened.

This little place was buzzing, a great sign. Owner was working tables, very hospitable. Good value set menu for my grandson, I ordered from the specials menu on the wall which was far more exciting I thought, so built up my hopes. I will preface this review by saying I was not asked once how was the food. The huge garlic bread was OK, but the ‘crispy’ octopus special was terribly disappointing. Never had such mushy octopus, floppy and almost tasteless. No saffron flavour in aioli, confit tomato was just deep fried grape toms. My grandson enjoyed his spaghetti ‘bolognese’, but my arancini had almost no flavour, underseasoned, no promised smoky flavour, nor Scamorza cheese, ordinary sauce with no basil flavour. Weird. Baked aubergine dish had no Mozzarella and had same boring tomato sauce. Rocket salad had some weird cheese. When I asked what cheese it was the lovely waitress answered “Parmesan” but it wasn’t. She then came back and confirmed some “mix up in the kitchen” they had put Pecorino instead. No, not enough flavour for that either. The cheese offered table side was pre-ground and not good quality. Ordered the ricotta cheesecake and some serviceable gelato. Cheese cake took for ever and when questioned why the lovely waitress said “there’s been a mix up in the kitchen” and she brought a chocolate cake slathered in Nutella as a substitute. All I can say is that the over-promising menu descriptions do not match reality and the quality of ingredients and execution was poor. I suggest the chef gets back in the mistake-laden kitchen and tastes what they’re putting out as it’s about as far from authentic as you’d expect from a tourist trap. The servers just seem to accept all the errors like it’s no big deal, but that’s not their fault as they have to deal with it.

In brief - Seated next to toilets despite having booked well in advance. Given alcohol beer when NON alcoholic specifically requested. Food, just average at best. Over charged for one course. Service charge automatically added!

Lunchtime deal of 2 courses with glass of wine for around £20 is good deal. Have visited before with no issues. On this occasion there was a generous glass of wine. Nice seafood and bruschetta starter . However, pizza main course was literally inedible; sloppy topping sliding all over the place with far too much mozzarella clinging to the cutlery meant it was impossible to eat. Lasagne was a tiny slice bulked out at the sides of the dish with mozzarella. Staff attitude was complete indifference and very begrudgingly took £10 off the overall bill, even though both main courses were left. Guess it's turning into yet another good establishment now out to rip off the tourist trade with below par slops knowing the customer won't be back anyway and will soon be replaced by others to fleece.*Intetesting to note that each time this establishment has a negative review they are followed by a flurry of exceptional reviews from several dubious accounts (as in accounts with locked profiles, people living abroad etc) I've added a picture that clearly shows small lasagne piece surrounded by sauce and pizza with sloppy topping. Guess we'll soon see what happens the next time a negative review is left.....*

Absolutely gorgeous food, incredibly attentive waitress who noticed when my partner dropped his knife and immediately offered a fresh one! Fabulous open front, authentic deco. Came here after being recommended as the “best Italian in york” All round excellent experience - thank you so much! ❤️❤️

I was looking for an Italian close to our hotel in York, and came across this little place. Booking was recommended, so I phoned in advance and booked a table for our first night in York. OMG what a gem of a place! It really is small, but size doesn’t matter (though I concur that booking is recommended). All I need to say about it is that it was so good we returned the next night. And we were only in York for 2 nights! Loved it, and we will be back.

Authentic Italian dining in the heart of York. Amazing Italian food (especially the risotto is quite nice) and excellent service. The staff was very welcoming and nice to us. Can't pay with bank cards though.

Just had a lovely meal here! The food was amazing and our waiter Joe was brilliant. Thank you!

Fantastically good food. Really Italian atmosphere and food. Definitely again 😊

My wife and I had a fantastic meal here. We both selected starters and mains from the extensive specials board. Garlic pizza bread with burrata and muscles & clams with tomato and chilli were followed by tagliatelle with steak strips & porcini mushrooms and swordfish with tomato, capers and olives. All courses were plentiful and beautifully cooked. House red wine was very agreeable and reasonably priced. Excellent service by friendly staff.

The flavors of Italy in York! Delicious and very well attended!!! Lovely atmosphere. Thank you very much!!

Went here on the back of a recommendation from a friend and the food, staff and atmosphere were all incredible. We went on Saturday afternoon for a 30th birthday and I can’t recommend Paulos service and restaurant enough. Will definitely be back soon!

Very nice food, friendly staff, would go again. Cash only

Good place, good food, but they don't have to pay by card and they don't let you know when you arrive and you must go to a nearby ATM Good place, good food, but they don't have card payment options and they don't let you know when you arrive and you have to go to a nearby ATM

The meal ends with sending the client to the cash mashine nearby- no card payments accepted . Is this service ? I rather choose restaurants accepting cards.

This is my favourite place in York, probably the UK, reminds me of Italy, love the staff, the informal and welcoming atmosphere and the amazing food.

This beautiful restaurant is super popular so they do their best to accommodate for lots of diners. Plenty of choice and they take dietary requirements seriously. Authentic Italian food that never fails to satisfy. Fantastic service too. A firm favourite with my friends and work colleagues.

One of my favourite places for carbonara anywhere. Great quality food in general, never been disappointed here.

Amazing authentic Italian food best pizza I've had in the UK, with great service and great atmosphere. Was as if we were in Italy itself . Don't know if that all down to the Italian FIFA game on tv. Brought back many good memories. Can't recommend highly enough!

Incredibly rude. We were 'greeted' at the door with an abrupt 'Yes, can I help you?' Slightly taken aback as we're clearly at a restaurant. I asked if we could have a table for two and he shrugged. He then said 'cash only' when I pointed to the 'No credit card' sign. On the basis of his really pleasant nature we went elsewhere.

Excellent, well tasting food in an intimate environment. Service was great and location central.

A small Italian restaurant run by an Italian family, all of whom are very welcoming to customers. The food is delicious. Payment is in cash only, not by bank card

Called in by chance ( wasn't sure it was open ... had a delicious pizza

We didn’t get to sample the food because, despite booking a table a long time in advance the only free table was only inches away from the open front door on a very cold evening. Apparently no other ventilation so out of the question to close the door. A disappointing customer service experience, it wasn’t handled regretfully or even civilly. We abandoned ship and went somewhere glad to take our money

Absolutely amazing food and the wine was excellent and not expensive. £19 for a litre bottle.