La Vecchia Scuola in York

We had a wonderful meal in this beautiful building to celebrate my brother’s birthday. The ambience was perfect, delivered by attentive waitresses who couldn’t have been more charming

Very friendly staff! Lovely food definitely coming back again.

Warm welcome ..... Great service and good. Lovely atmosphere.

Great meal yesterday for my Wife's 60th Birthday. All staff were very friendly and helpful, especially to our Grandkids! We will be back, no doubt. Peter & Lynne

Couples dinner on a cold January evening, food was very good - sauce on Arancini was luke-warm, Carbonara was excellent as was the Sea Bass. We enjoyed a fair priced bottle of wine too, no dessert. Staff were also first class Our only issue - the room was very cold. We had a fan heater at our feet which helped, though the other side of the table was freezing, with draft coming from the toilet end of the room. Almost all diners came in, took outer coats off and quickly put them back on. The building is old and no doubt in spring & summer no issue but the evening was spoiled by the cold. It’s why we didn’t order dessert preferring to leave and go elsewhere to finish our evening. That aside, would recommend the food & service

Found this wonderful Italian on Wednesday whilst walking around York, and booked a table for that evening. Everything about La Vecchia Scuola is just spot on - the decor and atmosphere, the service and the menu/food. We both had Starters and Mains, and certainly needed our best appetites - the portions are enormous! Every dish was cooked and seasoned to perfection, and we found everything value for money. A thorough recommendation for anyone in York who is looking for quality, authentic Italian cuisine

first time in here after we could not get a table at our usual Italian in York. amazing place. great atmosphere.. lovely and attentive staff.. we did wait a little while for food but that's because it's all fresh from ordering.. definitely well worth the wait. absolutely delicious food. I had the bolognese and geoff had the lamb dish.. perfect.. can't wait til we go back.. 5 stars don't give this place justice.. absolutely 10 out of 10. xx👏👏👏👏

Unfortunately the food was very disappointing, considering the price and high service charge on the bill. The starters (arancini & bruscetta) were the only redeeming course. For main, I ordered Alfredo, pasta was soggy, dish lacked any flavour and was sitting in a pool of mushroom water. The lobster ravioli arrived lukewarm at best and was extremely fishy, the Lasagne seemed to be only 2 layers and was mostly cheese. The tiramisu had no coffee flavour and was mostly cream. We dined the weekend before Christmas so the restaurant was very busy, however the service from the waiting staff was very good.

Ate here today (28th Dec) had the lunch offer two courses. Absolutely fantastic food, service and the staff were lovely. So delicious I forgot to take pics! Highly recommended!

Exemplary in every way. This place exemplifies what restaurants used to be like before covid. Amazing service. Amazing food and great atmosphere. Can't fault it in any way - thoroughly recommended but ensure you book as it's THAT popular.

I really like this restaurant. We are regular visitors before Christmas. It's not cheap, but the food is delicious, the wine is excellent, and the service top notch.

If it weren't for gourmet mode, it couldn't be better than this. Location, service, price +_+b

We arrived earlier than expected due to the bad weather, but we were given a table straight away. Food was good, as was the service. Quite a busy restaurant.

Delicious meal at fab pricing and very accommodating staff both times I have been. Atmosphere up and down as sometimes super busy and other times more quiet but regardless you get amazing service!

The food was amazing and came in big portions, the drinks were also very good the prices were reasonable i definitely recommend coming here 5 stars!!

Really great food and service. Surrounding are excellent . Friendly and helpful staff.

Lovely Italian, happily recommended for family events. Freshly prepared food and impeccable service

Our group of two couples were wondering about York looking for a nice place to eat, we called in to the restaurant on the off chance of a table , we were accommodated by a very friendly front of house gentleman and shown to a table in the conservatory dining area …… All staff were very helpful and professional, and the food was all authentic and extremely good . Our overall dining experience was pretty faultless and will definitely pay another visit next time we are back in York …. Just brilliant

Managed to get a table despite being very busy, noise level is very high, but adds to the atmosphere. Excellent, courteous and friendly service from the waitress. Meals arrived quickly and can only say delicious, well presented and piping hot. We were a party of four and all had different meals which we all enjoyed, have to say the garlic cheese was mouthwatering. All in all a perfect find on a very busy evening in York.

A lovely restaurant, great menu and service. I really enjoyed the calamari and zucchini starter and the sea bass.

Walked in, 5 people, no reservation, staff very helpful offer us a table. Then he asked us if we celebrate something and we told him that one of us is got birthday today, so we've got a prosecco bottle on the house. Food was very good and not too pricey, staff very friendly and helpful with everything. Definitely recommend and will go again.

We ate here on the evening of the 6th Dec. It was extremely busy on arrival. It is very bright inside and we felt that it lacked ambience. It didn’t feel like an Italian restaurant. I had the smoked salmon to start, it was nice but nothing special. To follow I had the sea bass. That was absolutely amazing . I would definitely recommend it. The cheesecake dessert was also very nice. The service was average. This may have been because the restaurant was so busy but we didn’t think the waiters were overly friendly and attentive. Regardless, wee had a lovely evening but would only give it 3.5 stars due to the elements it was missing.

Had a table booked for 1.30 with four friends. Got there a bit early and were sat in the conservatory ( would prefer not to be there as very noisy, but so busy we had to go with it) We had to call a waitress to order and after an hour again ask a waiter to find out about our food. A table who came after us were already eating. I ordrerd lasagne. I've had this at various other places and made it myself. This was burnt black on the bottom and round the edges, thick rubber like cheese on top, which I had to scrape off, and most weird of all, swimming in tomato sauce under the meat on the bottom. I ate what I could, no point asking for something else or I'd still be there. When the waiter cleared the plates I said it was disappointing with the burnt parts and why was there tomato sauce in it. He said, well what should it be? so I said bechemel. He said the chef does put that on and then pours tomato sauce on too. He said he'd have a word with the chef. That did not happen because by the time one friend had a pudding and the time it took to get the bill, no one ever came back. The one star is for the other dishes my friends had, which being pasta were not messed up.

Fantastic meal in a very busy restaurant. Wide variety of menu choices. Good service despite the fact that it was packed. All dishes very tasty, wine reasonable. Definitely our new favourite Italian restaurant

Very disappointing Beautiful building but the food was expensive for what we received I ordered lasanagne which was tasteless to be honest I've had better from a supermarket ready meal it was served with a bit of limp rocket and a small piece of garlic bread My Husband ordered a seafood linguine bowl thats if you could find any seafood 4 prawns 3 calamari rings and 4 muscles in a with tasteless tomato sauce. Will not be going again

Busy but not too loud. Food was delicious and service promt

Our favourite place to eat when visiting York! The food is always excellent and the staff are just so, so lovely!

Found this place while shopping. Went in for lunch. The whole dining experience was excellent. Staff were all friendly and helpful. It was very busy but no wait time. I had a steak which was cooked to perfection. Tiramasu for dessert was delicious and the wine was lovely. Very good coffee to end the meal. Whole experience was amazing. We will return. Highly recommend.

We ate here tonight (6 Dec) and have to say the staff were excellent...the food looked amazing. However I ordered a spaghetti Bolognese and was enjoying it until I started to find little splinters of wood, when I queried it I was told it was oyster mushrooms. After my 3rd piece I couldn't eat my meal. After closer inspection and a question to the kitchen we were informed they were rosemary stalks..I'm no chef but I know rosemary stalks should not be left in food.

Delicious food from starters to dessert including drinks. Friendly and attentive staff and beautiful decor and atmosphere

Second visit to this absolutely brilliant place, and even though the place was extremely busy, service did not suffer. Food was delicious, we had sea bass, wine was very nice. All the staff were very good, Olah ( hope I remembered your name correctly) was our waitress she was a lovely waitress, even put a candle in my desert and sang happy birthday, with a colleague.

Had a glorious lunch yesterday with my friends. What a superb restaurant this is. Excellent food and service. The prices are fantastic too. Thanks for a great meal

From the outside you'd be forgiven for walking past as it didn't stand out at all. Inside however is a different story! The building is beautiful and lots of different areas to sit in depending on whether you want quiet, romantic or a little more atmosphere. The staff were all friendly and helpful and the food was fantastic.

Nice restaurant, although disappointing we got seats close to a cold draft the waitress had attitude towards the other customers she was very cheeky, really disappointing how they don't cater for allergens the menu was very limited for people with allergins , my husband got a burnt garlic bread that was unedeble , the spaghetti bolognese had to much pepper in that overpowered the taste

We visited this weekend for our daughters 30th birthday. Absolutely beautiful place and the food was delicious. By far one of the best Italian restaurants we have been to. Next time we are in York, we will definitely pay another visit.

Not your average Italian restaurant, it was ok, but not what I had hoped for or expected. Some slightly odd combinations. We were comfortable enough in the centre of the conservatory, but we noticed people people moving away from the windows whenever another table became available, it was a very cold night. Service was very good. Toilets were bitterly cold and not to be delayed in!

We have had a wonderful meal in this amazing restaurant. The food, staff and atmosphere were first class. Thank you. Buonissimo

Lovely restaurant with attentive,polite and friendly staff. Food delicious...friendly atmosphere within the restaurant.

Fantastic food, food excellent. Staff attentive and helpful.

Beautiful 3 course meal, staff where amaze balls. So friendly. We went on the 21st of Nov. Will definitely return 100% recommend this hidden gem.

Had lunch and it was really nice food, good portions and service. Couldn't fault it at all

Just been for a meal absolutely perfect food ,lovely place staff excellent, will 100% go next time we visit 👌

My experience at this restaurant was very disappointing, mainly due to the poor attitude of one of the servers. I came here with friends to celebrate a birthday and wanted to light some birthday candles. The first time I asked a server if they had a lighter, as we wanted to light the candles, she coldly replied, "No," with no further explanation. What confused me was that every table in the restaurant had candles burning, so it was clear that there were lighters available. Later, we asked another server, and she was very friendly and happily brought us a lighter. The other servers were all very helpful and polite, which made it even more frustrating that only one server’s attitude was so negative, affecting our overall dining experience. While the restaurant's ambiance and food were great, the inconsistency in service left me with a poor impression. I hope the management can address this issue and ensure that all customers receive friendly and professional service.

Came here tonight as we are staying in York for our annual Christmas shopping trip , after being delayed for over 30 minutes from our original booking time due to traffic and panicking thinking we have lost our booking, we arrived to the most warm loveliest welcome! And got told to chill, relax and celebrate our trip! Food was absolutely amazing some of the best Italian food we have ever eaten! All staff were so attentive and friendly! It added to the experience!! Overall would 100% recommend if in York! Upon leaving we asked could we have a taxi rang this wasn’t a problem and staff waited with us and talked to us about the history of the building! Overall a brilliant experience! Thankyou!!

Food piping hot and delicious. Had the garlic mushrooms and lasagne very good food !

First time coming here. I found the service very attentive and welcoming. The food was wonderful with flavours which were very fresh and also luxurious to make the meal delicious. Thank you very much to the staff and chef.

We didn't book but it probably would be wise. Lovely lunch in a fabulous old building

wonderful food and place to eat,friendly staff and nice atmosphere,certainly visit this Italian restaurant again when back in York.

Starter under cooked calamari warm and main steak full of fat couldn't cut it disappointing 😑

A lovely place to eat and relax. Very reasonable prices Close to all the attractions and shops

Fantastic food, all served by excellent staff, mussels were delicious. Will definitely revisited

Excellent food and service. The staff were attentive I would highly recommend this restaurant 👌

Fantastic lunch. Really good menu and great venue

Great value, big portions, tasty food. Very busy make sure you book even at lunch time

Had an amazing experience last night celebrating several birthdays. Everything from the cocktails and wine to the delicious food was first class. The service was very attentive and we couldn't have asked for a more special experience. Thank you to all staff, the Manager and the very very kind gentleman who so kindly gave us the surprise of our life in his generosity ( you know who you are) . Would highly recommend 👌

3 course dinner for Restaurant week (basically it equate to a free drink with the offer). All of the food was prepared and served beautifully and tasted amazing.

Very disappointed, after being shown to our table the waitress came over to say the grill was not working so we could order anything from half the menu. Kalamari starter was meant to have mussels aswell but couldn’t find any and the kalamari was soggy. Main was ok but very rich and a little to much cheese

Great food and service. Lovely setting and a very informative member of the team explaining the history of the building.

Lovely meal, great service and generous portions. The two course lunch menu is excellent value.

This restaurant was very difficult to get a table at and we can see why! The food is absolutely incredible!! We went for a friends birthday dinner celebrations and we are so glad we managed to dine here. We each had a starter and a main course all of which very reasonably priced. There was a slight mishap with the tablet the waitress ordered from so my main didnt arrive with everyone elses (..technology, it happens!!) But the staff were very apologetic and we were well looked after, and my carbonara was 100% worth the wait! The staff came to sing happy birthday and even brought out a little birthday dessert along with Limoncello shots and a bottle of Prosecco. I cannot fault this gorgeous restaurant in the slightest and I can't wait to come back with my family. Your staff are a massive credit to La Vecchia 👏

Having briefly sheltered in the entrance on Tuesday, we booked to go for dinner on Wednesday. None of the online nonsense which is quite irritating - someone at the end of a phone; and there was a genuine Italian host for me to practise my feeble Italian language. Quite busy for a Wednesday and very nice atmosphere. Sometimes for 4, menus are not to all tastes, but here lots of very appealing choices on the menu and we were made very welcome. The 2 and 3 course set meal choices are more than sufficient and while we chaps had the prawns to start; arancini, lamb and sirloin mains; the ladies had pannacotta with limoncello to finish. Four 2 course set dinners plus drinks and service under £40 per head very reasonable. Abbiamo passato una bella serata; e complimenti al cuoco ! Lo consigliamo !

All the food and appetizers were great, the only thing that surprised us is that unfortunately they don't allow you to take your food away and you have to leave the leftovers.

Staff very pleasant and food acceptable but very average with most of the good tasteless. We were presented with a menu which apparently wasn’t available on Friday evenings. Why did the staff give us this option in the first place? Given the plethora of restaurants in York we’ll probably not be returning here.

What could be nicer than dining in an old school house, beautifully converted into a restaurant, yet keeping lots of original features. From the moment we entered we were welcomed by charming staff. We opted for the 2 course evening special which did not disappoint. Calamari and pate for starters and good sized portions. Seabass and lamb for main. A lovely evening and if we visit York again we will return.

Definitely the best Italian we've been to.

If you’re looking for somewhere great to eat in York, this is the place!! The food was fantastic! We went with the chicken risotto and lasagna paired with a nice glass of wine with the Banoffee pie for dessert. Antonio (Tony) was positively delightful, he went above and beyond to made our experience one we’ll definitely remember!! Highly recommend!!

Visited on a Friday evening, as a walk in the Gentleman greeter found us a table for 2, a lovely venue and great food, my wife had Risotto and I had Pollo vechia, both were delicious, a side order of green beans, we had the house white, and tiramisu for dessert, we will definitely return on our next visit to york

First time here and really enjoyed my meal. The staff were super friendly and polite. Will come back when I’m York again.

We had an excellent meal last month when celebrating our wedding anniversary. The ambiance, with the Minster within sight, is very nice. We were given a couple of free glasses of prosecco when the staff realised it was our anniversary - so very good communication by the staff. The lasagna was simply superb. Thank you very much much for a superior experience.

Wonderful Italian restaurant in York. Beautiful garden setting. Food was outstanding as well as service. Highly recommend!

Centrally located, great food, great service, and nice atmosphere. Can get busy so I would definitely book in advance. I would highly recommend a visit if you're ever in York.

Excellent food and quick service in beautiful surroundings

Here's an improvThe food was delightful, but the service was truly exceptional! From the moment we arrived, we were warmly greeted by the Maître D', who made us feel like longtime friends. The staff were incredibly attentive, always smiling, and made sure we had everything we needed without being intrusive. By the time dessert came around, we were too full to order, but the Maître D' insisted we try their signature cake, offering us a complimentary slice. It was absolutely delicious and the perfect ending to a wonderful meal. Highly recommend!

We loved this restaurant and can't wait to go back. The service was excellent: friendly, efficient and extremely helpful. Our dinner was delicious: among other things, we had a couple of different risottos, a Margherita pizza that was perfectly customized for our picky youngest son, Fritto di Mare and pate. This is an authentic Italian restaurant and one of the very best places we ate during our ten-day trip.

We loved this restaurant and can't wait to go back. The service was excellent: friendly, efficient and extremely helpful. Our dinner was delicious: among other things, we had a couple of different risottos, a Margherita pizza that was perfectly customized for our picky youngest son, Fritto di Mare and pate. This is an authentic Italian restaurant and one of the very best places we ate during our ten-day trip.

Very slow service to the point they had not put our order through to the kitchen

Very slow service to the point they had not put our order through to the kitchen

We have eaten at this place on a couple of occasions whilst visiting York. The service is good and the restaurant is clean . On our last visit we did notice the quality of the food didn’t seem as good my meal was like warm and my wife’s was crispy and over cooked. We no other left food on our plates which we wouldn’t normally do. The portions are not massive but enough. Will probably try another Italian restaurant next time.

Just perfect! Delicious food and stunningly presented. Wonderful service and great ambience. Thank you!

One of my favourite restaurants! I've been here many times over the past 7ish years, exceptional food (especially their carbonara). Friendly and professional service, lovely building looking onto private gardens, would highly reccomend! Improvement opportunity would be to have a wood fired pizza oven to do more authentic pizzas, but the pizzas are still good.

I cannot praise this restaurant highly enough. The service and food were first class. Beautiful surroundings. The vegetarian calzone was excellent. My meat eating friends were equally impressed with their dishes.

Absolutely superb, the building is awesome, front of house welcoming, the staff attentive, the food mouthwatering. Highly recommended

Fantastic restaurant in the heart of York. Good food and excellent value.

THIS IS NOT A WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE RESTAURANT ANYMORE *Please update it on google to avoid future inconvenience*

Really liked it here, want to return

I have to say, what a beauty this place is. The food was mouthwatering! So beautiful, quiet and gorgeous building. Spotless with friendly waiters/waitresses. The best Italian in York 👌🤤. If we ever come to the north again we would love to sample another dish off the menu! I am still dreaming about that gorgeous pork belly. Thank you so much for a lovely experience 🥰

Good service and ok atmosphere but unfortunately REALLY disappointing food. The bruschetta as a starter and very underwhelming. Lacking in flavour. Just whole cherry tomatoes on rock hard bread. Wasn’t finished. Chicken Alfredo for mains was inedible. Two of our party got it and we couldn’t finish it. No flavour at all. No consistency in the dishes. One of us got loads of sauce and the other had none. Really bland. Lasagna was terrible. Basically no mince in the fish and very watery. Wasn’t finished. Staff were pleasant and lovely, but unfortunately didn’t make up for really disappointing food. Wouldn’t go back.

We popped in on the off chance as a walk in customer on out visit to York. A front of house staff just completely ignore us whilst we were waiting to be greeted, eventually a manager came over and they had a table available. Our orders were taken quickly. I feel the quality of the food didn't quite reflect the price, nor did the drinks at a diet coke costing an eye watering £5.25!. The food was yummy and fresh but I expected a wow factor, and there wasn't one. Staff were attentive but seemed to lack at building rapport with customers, almost robotic which I wouldn't expect on an establishment like this. There is a lot of competition for Italian restaurants on the same street that may well have better food, however the gardens at the back are beautiful!

We decided to try La Vecchia Scuola after a recomendation from some freinds. The resturant is located close to the Minster, and is a big building. On arrival the a member of staff greated us and asked where we would like to sit, as it was a hot day we opted to avoid the conservatory area as it was too warm. After looking at the menu, we opted for Brie empanato & Bruschetta pomodoro for starters, and Maiale smaltato, Branzino limone for mains and to finish Tiramisu della casa. The service was excellent, and the food quality was amazing, we opted for the Lunch special menus which is good value for money at £24.95 for 3 courses. They have a good selection of wines and beer to accompany the meals. It was our first visit and we will definatly consider again.

Good food and quality commensurate with the price. Very good table service and what set this restaurant apart was their very careful and attentive approach to food allergies. Once having mentioned my partner had a fish allergy one of the kitchen staff came out before preparing the food to explain one of her items was prepared in the same fryer as shellfish. That wasn't a problem in my partners case - and demonstrates they are attentive to allergy needs. Gets my vote.

A great lunchtime meal here, good food & wine, great value.

On holiday in York, we came to La Vecchia Scuola for a meal on our second night. The waitresses were very attentive and the atmosphere was extremely friendly and welcoming, especially when two other guests celebrated their birthday and everyone in the vicinity joined the staff in singing happy birthday!! I would particularly recommend the bolognese which is flavoursome and light, and of course the home-made tiramisu. Would definitely return if holidaying in York again!

one of the best italian meals I have had. The quality of the food was exceptional. Excellent service provided as well. Will definitely return.

Lovely place to eat in the centre of York, but beware! We were celebrating a graduation and hadn't been told that we'd need to vacate the table after a couple of hours and the staff were quite abrupt about it. We didn't order desserts, which was probably fortuitous for the group following on!

Nice ambiance in lovely building .Staff friendly and attentive. Food good. However following my meal-pate/chicken/panna cotta I was sick. Very unusual .

Worst Italian food I’ve ever had. Bruschetta bland and like a doorstop, couldn’t be bothered chopping the tomatoes up. Chicken Alfredo pasta was tasteless and I struggled to eat it. Food was brought out within minutes obviously not freshly prepared. Will not be returning ever again. My dining experience was over within 30 minutes, then went back to the hotel to be sick.

Visited as a couple for mid week lunch to celebrate my birthday Restaurant busy but nowhere near full Interior and ambience very good Ordered the sharing starter of anti pasti this was nice HOWEVER My husband ordered Lobster Ravioli as a main . On arrival was suspicious as every ravioli was identical in shape and not indented to indicate handmade. Fulling tasted strongly fishy not how lobster tastes at all more like fish paste We asked the waitress if the dish was homemade on site she stated not. So basically this restaurant is charging £20 for main course pasta that is store bought, delivered in a plastic bag and warmed up. If that’s what we wanted we could get it at Pizza Express for half the price. My husband only ate a very small amount of the ravioli due to this and it didn’t taste nice. Complained politely to the waitress and sent it back advising how disappointed we were that an Italian restaurant of this nature would not serve homemade dishes or make its own pasta on site She told us it is rare nowadays to find restaurants that don’t do this?!? No apology given, basically argued with us Sorry but we live in York which is FULL of excellent restaurants that make fantastic homemade dishes . If we wanted reheated store bought food we can do that at home Hubby had to leave our table to go and find a manager to remove the cost of this from our bill - bearing in mind he didn’t eat it as it was awful no offer of this from the staff initially Wish I’d seen the previous poor reviews on here saying exactly the same about the lobster ravioli so seems not just our experience as there have been many complaints We intended to stay for dessert but changed our mind as this spoilt what was intended to be my birthday meal especially the attitude of the staff After requesting the bill I was brought a complimentary piece of Tiramisu with a candle which was a nice gesture but again not the best Tiramisu I’ve had just average and I doubt this was homemade either 1 star given due to the drinks menu having a very extensive range of alcohol free options as I don’t drink Won’t be returning here

Came in for lunch by Chance and wasn’t disappointed, Friendly service and excellent food.

The food was really good, though the portions were rather big. The service was fast and the place was nice.

I had a lovely meal here at the weekend. Everything was fresh, homemade, and tasty (plus loads of vegan options). The portions are on the large side. Thankfully, 2 of us were sharing a starter. The service was outstanding. Staff were incredibly knowledgeable and professional. The building is also beautiful. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend to others.