Kennedy's Bar & Restaurant in York

We booked out the back space for a 50th bash a few weeks ago and it was absolutely superb with most of the credit going to the staff they're always great, very friendly and helpful. The place was rammed all night but service at the bar was quick. As for the DJ he was unbelievably good absolutely banging tunes, we had 18 to 70 years old and everyone was dancing!! Top night.

We visited yesterday and it was amazing. The drinks and service impeccable. All the staff are amazing and so welcoming. We can wait to visit again. 10/10

Terrible. . Don't not visit this crap on a night out. Door staff are dickheads, allow drugs on site yet local residents are not allowed in or are kicked out for questioning why drugs are allowed on the premises. DO NOT GO HERE!!

Amazing staff, the blonde woman who seemed to be the manager/owner was super attentive and friendly and handled lost property and collection amazingly 🫶

Lovely bar with delicious food. Gets quite busy for the live music so recommend booking

We came for steak night (2 steaks and a bottle of wine £39.95). The quality of food, service and atmosphere was fab!

What a fantastic evening we had at Kennedy’s. We opted for ‘Burger Wednesday’ which meant 2 for the price of 1 on their exceptional homemade burgers! Absolutely delicious and with a price tag that couldn’t be matched! The service was brilliant! Arty, the young bar man, was a marvel at cocktail making and even created a special mocktail for my six year old, which she loved. All of the staff were so friendly and could not have done more for us. You don’t often get this level of service and it was really refreshing! Thanks so much for making our evening really special! 😀

Regularly come in on a Wednesday for their buy two burgers for the price on one. Staff always lovely, food always brilliant, if you haven't been you should!

After looking around trying to decide where to eat in York we popped our heads into Kennedy's to see what it was like and stayed for 2 hours, very nice atmosphere, lovely staff and amazing food, will definitely be back next time we're in York.

Rude blonde waitress when came to pay bill told her there was blood in my chicken, she snapped at me saying do you want to pay or not pay..... no apology whatsoever, needs a course in customer service.

Sunday roast absolutely spot on, great atmosphere and staff

Had the burger top drawer. Staff fantastic Music, we watched the echos on Fri 14th feb brilliant band the dance floor was packed super night.

Brilliant food and service. Great deals on drinks and food with really friendly staff! We took advantage of the 2 steaks and a bottle of wine for £40 deal, the steaks were cooked perfect and wine was lovely. We also had a few cocktails on offer, the bar staff were really knowledgeable and the drinks were lovely. If you looking for somewhere with great food and drinks with a lovely atmosphere look no further!

Great place to end up when your pissed and want to dance 😆

We had our belated Christmas do upstairs on Saturday. It was superb. The staff were lovely and the buffet was outstanding. Would definitely reccomend if you want a small party. Added bonus was the great DJ downstairs too.

Came here with our kids on a Christmas market trip from Gateshead. It was a perfect place for lunch. Reasonably priced and lovely food. I’m usually disappointed when eating out, but not today. Amazing 🤩

My friend and I ate here on Sunday 15th December 2024 about 5.30pm. Lovely Sunday dinner and my friend really enjoyed her Irish coffee. Beautifully presented.

Really cool atmosphere there, but the bartender was in a really bad mood and this was not very professional.

Worst cocktails I’ve had And expensive as hell!!!!

Visited Kennedy's bar when staying at the Fort. Staff were mostly rude and made you feel like a hinder for wanting to order food. Very much aimed for the drinking and party side of night life in York. Open till 1am blasting music. One male waiter was nice and very friendly, engaged in conversation while he was cleaning and re-arranging the tables. I wouldn't recommend Kennedy's bar simply for the reason that they lied about the food on offer. We wanted to order a Sunday roast and was told that they had stopped serving. Only to find 2 hrs after we returned, that someone had ordered 2x roasts so they did have some left they just didn't want to serve us. Very disappointing to have this level of service.

After waiting for a table to sit and drink we were rudely aksed to leave the table to set up for a DJ, which is fine if this had been explained to us or via some signage on the table. The attitude of the staff member clearing tables was not avveptable and really needed to relieve his stress somehow before coming to work.

Food was good value for money but service could be better. Bartenders are really nice and helpful though.

We went on a Wednesday (2 for 1 burger night). It was relatively quiet. The service was slow and, once the burgers finally arrived the chips were cold and the burger was ok but unimpressive. We were brought a further portion of chips with no charge but the second portion was covered with spicy paprika seasoning. It was almost as if the chef wanted our second portion of chips to be 'extra hot'.

Had the Sunday lamb roast. Food was excellent but there was a bit of a wait (45-60mins) for the food to arrive. We were warned of this when sitting down and it was not a problem but it was a Sunday so felt like it could have been prepped for. I would also note that up the stairs as you walk in takes you to a different restaurant so be aware.

This place was packed out and everyone was dancing and good vibes

I was in August. Despite the number of tourists, the service and quality were excellent. Very friendly waiters and warm atmosphere. The location is quite practical

Loved the side plates. Great service and were very nice with our grandsons.

Really gone down hill. Poor service cold and dry food. Don't bother going

The staff excellent especially Zena what an amazing young lady so kind friendly and helpful 😀

A nice cosy pub with really friendly personable service. The roast dinners looked amazing, but I found my halloumi burger to be quite dry. Would return for a veggie roast if back in York but skip the burger!

Absolutely amazing Sunday roast! Must be the one of the best I have ever had! I have booked the table in advance but there was no need for it.

Omg amazing food popped in for lunch and the small plates Korean chicken is to die for.

Stopped off for a sit down. Was a lovely venue. Nice and comfortable. Had a pint which was good. And had the garlic cheese bread which was to die for. The staff were pleasant and the place was clean and tidy

I went to this bar on my birthday cellabration on Saturday 21st September2024, we had already bought a round of drinks and sat to the right if the bar, I decided that I would treat my friends for coming on my birthday so I asked the barman on that afternoon for eight baby guiness which he did then he said that would be £42 when I said omg that is very expensive he said you are in York love, I have forgot to say that the barman had already seen I had got cash out of my bag?? I am asking you the owner of the bar if this is actually the cost of eight baby guiness and if this is not the case then I really do think you need to look at the staff you ate employing........might I add this is definitely not the fault of the barman with the long hair behind his ears he was not part of this possible scam, I will awit your reply. Thankyou

The food and service were okay. We paid the bill before food arrived. once we were ready to leave we were publicly embarrassed when a member of staff accused us of not paying for our food, the member of staff went to check then nonchalantly apologised and shrugged his shoulders when he realised he had made a mistake. Won't be visiting again.

Fabulous food ,lovely helpful polite staff .only criticism is it's a bit dark but that is only my observation

Not busy as it was only just opened. Food and service were excellent My wife was in a wheel chair and although they had disabled toilets u had to go up 2 stairs (no ramp) to get to them .Also not sure if menu's r different from lunch to dinner.We were visiting York from Scotland. Would defo usebar again nxt time we visit

Didn't have food so can't rate that but the cocktails were great and so was the music.....kicked off our night out with a very good vibe 🤩

Belly pork Sunday lunch was excellent Gravy was rich thick and tasty Yorkshire pud big home made and fluffy Greens cooked perfectly Honey glazed carrots were sublime. Highly recommend Good atmosphere Very relaxed but modern Good portions too A certain must try... Up a side street in York centre Well worth seeking out, and they also have deals on cocktails and food deals throughout the week as well Perfect!

Excellent lunch for three. Burger Wednesday so we took advantage of 2 for 1. Excellent haddock burger and a Halumi burger. Lovely food and a nice atmosphere. Great staff

Hey, we just stopped by for a drink. The vibe and music were great, as usual.

Roof top terrace lovely in the sun

Good food good drink options nice food and a nice rooftop terrace

We waited over an hour for food despite being a booked table, with some on the table waiting even longer, being served as we were about to leave. We were offered a free drink to compensate but they only asked half the table what drink they would like. We eventually spoke to the manager and got half price off the food. They weren’t busy and as I say, we were a booked table, so it was pretty shambolic. They were nice enough, and the food in itself was tasty, but the whole thing was just so infuriating. We won’t be back.

In York for a couple of nights visiting friends and this was the first stop on my tour for some food and drinks. Maddy our server was excellent and maintained fantastic customer service despite what sounded like a very hectic shift, a credit to the business

Maximum high burger ,5 patty magnificence

We went here on a really sunny day and were offered a seat inside or on the roof terrace. We opted for the roof and the burgers, which were on offer. A really chilled place with really friendly and helpful staff. Food was good too.

Came across this bar by chance. What a find!!!...roof top terrace, gorgeous food and drinks. What more could you want?? Amazing place.

Whenever I'm in York Kennedys are a must go! There burgers are the best ever ! Buy one get one free on Wednesdays. Great place, friendly staff, great atmosphere.

Nice roof top bar to sit out in and have a drink. The food looked good although we didn't eat.

Food was very tasty, though burgers could have had larger amounts of each ingredient. My girlfriend got a vegan burger, which was very empty which was disappointing

Customers and staff made this pub an awesome night out.

Visited on Saturday for the first time. Staff were friendly and welcoming throughout our time being there. Really nice atmosphere. I didn't get chance to go to the beer top garden, but saw that it looked really good. Our food was okay, chips a little uncooked and steak a little over. We enjoyed our time there.

Looking for something to eat and a few cocktails 🍸... I found this place.. well it's 2-4-1 burger 🍔 😋 Wednesday... and 2~4~1 cocktails 🍸.. yep I will have some of that... food was good hot and fresh.. cocktails was very good. No skimping on the alcohol here!. Seriously, try this place. The staff is very friendly, knowledgeable and suggested many drinks 🍸 to have thanks

Service left a lot to be desired; no engagement or warmth, no one checking in on food, long wait times with no communication in advance, refused twice to honour a publicised discount for kids eat free in half term and just kept bringing the same bill asking for the same money until eventually amending it. Largely due to inexperienced young staff. Food was good but could have been warmer. Veggie salad contained ingredients not listed on menu.

nice atmosphere and really freiendly staff!!

Staff were rude and unfriendly, seemed like they didn’t want us there even tho we came 2 hours before they were supposed to close. Bar tender with long hair glared at our group the whole time and decided to ID everyone in our group even people who were in there 40s, which led to us having to leave because one of our group didn’t have their ID even tho they are 32.

Lovely place enjoyed my time there 😀

We came here for Sunday dinner, first off the music was ridiculously loud and not needed. However, that didn’t take away from the great service and great food. The menu could have been a little more transparent when stating honey glazed carrots and asking it turns out they don’t use real honey, which is great for vegans, but the question still had to be asked. I had the chestnut roast, I wasn’t holding out much hope as I am not a fan of nut roasts but this was amazing. So flavourful and rich, the plate was in the small side for roasties and veg.

We noticed a two for one offer on burgers here and decided to try it out as never been before. Nice cosy interior, plenty of seating. Staff were friendly and welcoming and the menu had loads of variety. The burgers were amazing and the portions so big that one meal would’ve done two adults! Would definitely definitely recommend

We ate here with the kids a few weeks ago. Lots of options on the menu. Food was excellent and staff were great too. Would definitely recommend.

The worst food I had nowadays. The quality of food was disgusting. The chicken burger smelled old and the taste was can’t imagine. I was totally upset with food and over priced according to the portion. Service was great but I am not recommending anyway for the food. For the manager- please at least use the fresh meat for cooking .

Lovely place for lunch with very friendly staff and comfort food. Try the wainwright beer. We had Tika Marsala, steak and the kids menu.

Terrible experience, was seated then at the drinks order was told that the Sunday roast was not available... another server butted in and said we were pre booked so we could have it.... we then sat for 30 mins waiting for food order to be taken only to be told that now it wasn't available again, the first round of drinks came with 2 wrong drinks. Then the table that arrived 15 mins after us get served the roast dinner... the meals were served and we asked for condiments, 10 mins later a server came over to ask if everything was OK and we reminded them we wanted sauces.... she said she would get it immediately and then turned to take a food order from another table. Waitresses were polite but experience and service was terrible, food was reasonable but left a sour taste in mouth after being told we couldn't have the roast we came for and the table booked after us was alloud to.

Looked like York's answer to a drug dealers den,just a tourist but one drink & I left the venue,far better pubs in York.

Aggressive bully boy bouncers put a single woman on the floor, thought it was big & clever goatee beard ringleader avoid I was pushed in the chest & assaulted & seriously they thought this was ok,avoid.

Lovely place. Tasty food. Amazon service.

Delicious food and portions are perfect. Had the Korean chicken smothered fries and chicken tikka. Great flavors. Could use Guinness on tap, wasn’t a fan of the stout.

great place to grab a drink or some food

Held my birthday party at Kennedys in March (24), the Kennedys team were incredible at helping to pre-plan arrangements and on the night, the team made it a night to remember. The bar staff provided a seamless service, the canopes served were amazing and so many guests feedback on how good the food was. If you want to hold a party and create the most perfect memories then Kennedys can offer it all.

Incredibly hostile security at the entrance who stopped us to comment on our clothing and harassed one of my friends for not having their ID with them. We were going for dinner that we’d pre-booked and weren’t drinking, so this harassment was unnecessary and did not make a good first impression. Service was friendly, the waitresses were kind and helpful but it took a long while for food to be served. The food itself was alright - not bad but nothing amazing. Atmosphere was good but live music was ridiculously loud given that people were still having dinner - would be good for drinks. Overall disappointed and will not be going back.

Had a lovely night out. The food was fantastic. By far the best part was the service. Lewis did a fantastic job with ordering our mains and drinks, he was exceptionally polite, friendly, and patient. We were seated and ordered our deserts with Emily who was equally excellent, we were happy to pay the service charge because of how great they were. Give them both a raise!!

Place almost empty when we arrived. Waited 45 minutes for a couple of buns and some nachos with stuff plopped on top. LBT bun was mediocre. Halumi bun was tasteless with some wet stuff in it - I was famished but abandoned it rather than punish myself further. Cold cheesy stuff cemented the nachos together, making them pretty inedible when they could be prised off the plate. Waiter was smiley apologetic but considering we'd had to chase the food three times it may have been appropriate for someone in a supervisory role to make an appearance - possible wasn't anyone. Dark and drab brown interior didn't add to the experience. Seems more of a tourist trap than a serious food outlet.

Called in on a Friday afternoon to take advantage of the January special of 50% off food, We were the only 2 in which seemed strange and thought did people know something we didn’t about this place! We ordered drinks and 3 of their small plates to start, the pardon peppers, chicken & chorizo skewers and the sourdough bread they were excellent and well presented, we then ordered the burger and the Korean chicken flat bread both again excellent, by this time the place had started to fill up and the atmosphere was good. When the bill arrived there was a service charge which worked out around 15% and to around £9.00 the server said it could be removed we asked the server if they got it or it went to the restaurant, she said they got it so we paid it as we were going to tip them £5.00 anyway as they were so nice. The service charge is not stated anywhere on the menu which may cause confrontation from some customers. All in all a good experience and a bonus with the food discount.

Four of us called in for lunch. We all had burgers which came with chips. Freshly cooked to order. The staff were very attentive and friendly. The meal was too large for two of us was quickly packed in foil trays to take home. Not much atmosphere as it was on a lunch time . It was clean and tidy. The only thing I could say was it was a little chilly . At the moment 50 per cent off or two for one on burgers Monday to Wednesday so definitely worth a visit

Walked in no booking but seated very soon, shared a steak sandwich, fried and drinks . Great service and delicious food, steak cooked perfectly. Ambience ok, but areas of light and dark and very echoey, just a not for anyone with autism issues. Dark stairway and dark walls to facilities. But excellent service and food x thank you to the young lady who served us. X

Very good food and friendly staff

We went to Kennedys to celebrate my husbands birthday on Thursday 18th Jan. We shared an offer on two steaks and a bottle of wine. The steak was cooked perfectly and the rest of the meal was equally as good. Whilst the rest of York was very quiet Kennedys was buzzing so the atmosphere was great add that to the staff being cheerful and efficient and you get a smashing night

Enjoyed a lovely lunch today. The small plates are delicious! Good and friendly service and a great cup of coffee to finish. The Sunday lunch looks amazing and definitely something to try when we are next in York. Thank you guys 🙂

Unreal bar, unreal music and Tommy the bar manager has a great band that just sells the place!

The worst meal I’ve ever had in my life. No exaggeration. Do not get the curry. Tastes like water. My boyfriend liked the steak though so that’s why the rating isn’t lower. Service was great but a point off for the chef. Music was way too loud and I’m in my young 20s so I don’t hate loud music. Spare your tastebuds and go drink fizzy water. Would have more flavor.

We ate the most fantastic beef roast on Christmas Eve 2023, served by the owner herself! Karen was absolutely lovely and her team were professional and polite. Quick service, a nice atmosphere, central location…. We had a lovely time and didn’t want to leave. Thanks Team Kennedy’s!

So friendly people and burgers were so delicious.

Young blonde bouncer was an absolute legend great guy service at the bar was terrible music good

we came to york for the day and managed to get a last minute booking for Sunday dinner. We were seated quickly and we were looked after by Lucy, her service was great, we had a really good time and she looked after us really well. We got the beef and the pork which were both lovely, we asked for extra cracking on the side and Lucy managed to do this for us which was lovely! Defo go in if you get the chance!

Extremely poor service, waited 15 minutes for someone to take our order. Plenty of staff but seem to have the knack of avoiding eye contact. Burger did not look anything like the photos and one 1 strip of bacon. Minimal sauce. Only good thing was the piping hot good portion of fries which were actually served on the plate instead of a metal.bucket

Lovely lunch, solo, but I was really looked after well.

Booked this for a group event for 35 guests. We had the back room which was a great space for us. The service leading up to the event and throughout was brilliant, a pleasure to deal with the team at Kennedy's. Thank you for making it a really great night!

Steak I ordered was perfectly cooked and seasoned. Service is at the bar, but took a while to clear the old dishes off our table, the server was trying her best! Standard bar atmosphere inside.

We waited 50 minutes for our food to be served. Bad service. 👎 Food was OK..

Nice place for a drinks or we didn't have anything to eat but it looked nice

Me and the hubby went out for birthday lovely young waiter was very helpful and cute ;)

The food was lovely. The girl who served us was lovely too. BUT OMG OVER £100 ?! a £10 service charge which you won’t be told about till after btw! But the atmosphere is good. !!

Came for Lunch, got the large plate feta cheese salad and lamb tacos. The salad was really good! Enough cheese for veggies, lots of tomatos! Lamb tacos were meh. Wouldn't order those again.

Was at a party here this weekend and we had a wonderful time. The music and atmosphere was brilliant. Also, I lost my purse, they found it and kept it safe for me. Amazing service!! Can't wait to return!

the bouncer was homophobic towards my friend this evening

Portion sizes for the skewers were extremely disappointing. The chicken bhajis were great, halloumi fries were acceptable. Bill was calculated incorrectly and a service charge is added at the end. £6 for a pint is also quite steep.

We had lunch here. We were 7. 4 of us had the belly of pork brioche. The chef had killed the brioche, it was so dry and the pork was a bundle of blubbery rind with very little meat. Very dissapointing. Will not be going there again. Something that you would think is very easy to make, a nice soft fresh brioche with well cooked belly of pork🤔

Amazing burgers and fantastic prices

Really good tapas. We had peppers, prawns & chicken. Really tasty. Staff very friendly and helpful, would recommend.