La Vecchia Scuola in York

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

Fantastic lunch. Really good menu and great venue

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

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 🥰

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.

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!

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.

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

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.

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.

What a fantastic place to eat, the food is wonderful my steak was delicious as was all the food, great service/ staff

Overall a good experience. However, when I asked for the uneaten food to be bagged up so we could take it, the waiter gave me some nonsense about health and safety regs forbidding it. Basically they could not be bothered and considering the prices this is very poor and mean. I have never experienced this before, from inexpensive cafes to 5 star haute cuisine. Really, Vecchia Scuola, your customers deserve better.

Having spent 3 days in York and eaten out everyday this was by far the best. Plenty of choice Lovely generous food attentive service and excellent value . All set in a lovely building.

Excellent food in a lovely restaurant

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

We ordered a few starters, along with our mains. I do not recommend the bruschetta as the taste was very bland, and the risotto was also lacking taste. We came here on a Saturday and it was full; had to wait more than 1 hour for our mains. The entire restaurant does not have proper ventilation and air conditioning. It was so uncomfortable that we could not stay for dessert.

A fantastic little gem of a place, staff and food were excellent. Lovely atmosphere will definitely visit again when back in the city

Very tasty authentic Italian food with helpful and friendly staff, we were sat in the conservatory on a lovely summer's evening, very nice.

Beautiful place with very friendly staff and incredible pizza

Beautiful, smart restaurant, fast and very efficient service, great food.

A lovely boutique restaurant in the heart of the city. Our first time here and certainly not our last. For an authentic Italian light lunch, you could do a lot worse than to pop in here. We enjoyed an excellent 2 course lunch with great customer service in a very pleasant environment. All of our food was delicious, and the servings were plentiful.

La Vecchia Scuola is a hidden gem! Delicious food, cozy atmosphere, and friendly service. Perfect spot for any occasion. Highly recommend!

Lovely food and staff. Beautiful place

Lovely food and a nice relaxing atmosphere

Really enjoyed the food. Service was good. Well recommended.

Fantastic food, attentive staff, lovely venue. Exceeded my expectations!

Nice place, good food, but the olives were a let down, soft, and some squashed. Not expected from a restaurant.

My partner and I went here for lunch. It was the lunch special which was 3 courses for £25. I had the calamari to start, my partner had the mussels. The calamari batter was extremely soggy, no crisp or crunch to it at all, my partners mussels were extremely bland. The mains followed, mine was lasagne and she had the calzone. This was one of the worse lasagnes I've ever had. Long story short we complained and said we weren't happy and just wanted to pay for the starter and drinks and leave. Absolutely abysmal even if it was a different menu for the lunch special.

We booked a table back March on open Table requesting a table in your Conservatory for our Wedding Anniversary. We came from Nottingham with some good Friends only to find out that last month they are no longer accepting Open table on bookings. The only table they had was next to bar. We also have a discount card which we were given last year which expires in 2026. But we were then told they are not accepting this as well.. not to be contacted by anyone prior to arriving was very disappointing as this was our 35th wedding anniversary. Sorry to say even though the food is excellent we won’t coming back to this restaurant again when we visit York.

Best meal experience of our entire trip in England! Loved the setting in the garden room, loved our pasta dishes and especially loved our server, Antonio, who went above and beyond to make this the most memorable meal of our trip!

Absolutely delicious; very attentive waiter (until we wanted to pay, then I think he forgot us!). Highly recommend the grilled chicken and the banoffee pie.

Can’t wait to return, came recommended. Fabulous place all round from moment you walk in to when you leave.

Lovely food, and nice surroundings!

Second visit here. Appreciate it all. Great service with charming staff and lovely hot foot.

At the time it was extremely busy so it took a couple of minutes for the head waiter to attend to us. The waitress serving us was polite and attentive without hovering. The food was absolutely divine. Presentation of the dishes enhanced the experience. Should you want Italian dining when in York, this should you be a definite port of call.

Absolutely fantastic food and service cannot recommend this place highly enough

Great service and wonderful food and good value

Lovely atmosphere, friendly staff and the food was beautiful. Highly recommend.

Fantastic service, lovely causal venue, great value for money for the quality of food.

Used to be a long time regular at this place - way back before Covid. Can remember the lunchtime set menu for 2 courses being around £12, then increased by a pound or so around 2019. Went there a few weeks ago to find all the regular staff have gone - suspect a change of ownership. This would seem to be confirmed by 2 courses now costing a whopping £16 - and a sea bass supplement of £3………For ITALIAN food. ????….I think not. !! We don’t intend to go back. There are plenty of good restaurants in York that aren’t taking the p*** to that extent !! Update 12/June 2024 : - While passing today, stopped to review the current "Lunchtime Deal" board at the front steps. 2 courses have now risen in price to just short of £19 !! Definitely made the right decision last year.

Fantastic place , highly recommend

1st visit lovely food staff was lovely too We did feel a little rushed but they was very busy so understand why But would have been nice to have a a little more time in-between courses But don't let any of that put you off visiting definitely worth a visit. All staff work very hard

This is hands down my go to in York. Head and shoulders above anywhere else I’ve been in the city, 10/10 service, 10/10 service, 10/10 environment. Prices are bang on and absolutely worth it, amazing value for the quality of the food! Always excellent.

Food was good, service was excellent, wine was also well chosen. Would go back.

A gem, but if u want a table overlooking the garden...... Book!

We came here for my Partners Birthday meal during our trip to York. The service was amazing from start to finish, all staff were super friendly and attentive. We were sat at a lovely table in the conservatory and both Drinks and Food arrived in a timely manner. The food was absolutely lovely, I had the Paté as a starter, which was nice and smooth with some charrgrilled ciabatta which gave it some really nice extra flavour. We both had a Pizza as our main and loved them, I could have eaten the crust for days it was perfect. To top it off, they came in with some ice cream and a candle and sang Happy Birthday for my Partner, which I didn't even know about but was such a sweet touch, the whole room joined in which was just so much fun. We had a great time and we would absolutely come back.

Oh my goodness! This is the place to go when in York! The service was amazing and the food was delicious! The staff were friendly, warm and welcoming let alone humorous! The atmosphere was great and the venue itself was inviting! Will definitely visit again! Thank you!

Today was my 5th visit too this awesome restaurant and I was in the mood for seafood and I was NOT disappointed! Whether my day is good or bad, I always leave here high spirits (as well as completely satisfied 😊)! I’ll be back! (Arnie voice) 😂🤣😂🤣

Let's be positive first. The garden area with the glass walls was such a lovely setting and ambience. Service was good. My dinner mates said their pasta dishes were good. Now for the brutal honesty. I had the worst pizza from any italian restaurant here. I always finish my pizza but here I couldn't muster it. I even took the remainder home to try and redeem it but it still didn't taste good and went in the trash. It was just way way too greasy and oily. The crust was good but either the sauce was made funky or something else went askew. The topping placement was so awkward. There was like 3 pepperonis stacked on top of one another! And there was 3 gigantic blobs of ricotta. I think I would have preferred smaller bits of ricotta scattered throughout?

My husband and I walked down here from our hotel for dinner. I ordered the pate and lamb, and my husband had the calamari and chicken. Our food was delicious, and the server was friendly and attentive.

Overpriced Lasagne with very little mince very little pasta........with a cream sauce 🤔.

Very disappointed. Icy welcome and the food did not warm up the bill. Gaby was placed in an annex room and not in the main room even though he had booked for 2 weeks. The vegetarian calzone contained green beans: has the pizza maker ever been to Italy? ... To those who read me, go your way