La Vecchia Scuola in York

A fantastic restaurant, the staff are attentive without being overbearing, the food is awesome, the best calamari I have tasted in this country. Our main course was beautifully cooked and presented. The icing on the torte is the piano being played in the background. This is a fixture on our next visit to York.

Great place. Large beautiful rooms. Food was fantastic and very good value. Would definitely visit again if in York.

Very disappointed , will not go there again , food cold , service poor

Excellent food and lovely staff. The restaurant looks high end but isn't madly expensive and the staff are friendly and helpful.

Excellent restaurant, good food, attention and price, HIGHLY recommended!

Great place to go if you're looking for excellent cuisine. I went there once with friends and coworkers and enjoyed my time there I would recommend going if people are interested. The service is great and there is a wide variety of food and drinks to have.

Incredible food, delicious cocktails, and the staff were so friendly and attentive! A special mention for the desserts, we had the biscoff cheesecake and the limoncello panna cotta and both were so tasty and perfectly portioned!

Friendly and welcoming. The food was lovely, and I would definitely recommend.

Easter Sunday lunch in the conservatory - what’s not to like? We all really enjoyed our experience - the food was excellent, matched by attentive and helpful service and all at an affordable price. Highly recommended and without reservation. So thank you La Vecchia Scuola!

Went in for lunch today and the staff were welcoming and the food was fantastic and decor was classy

Sat near the window, made to feel very comfortable and the restaurants is presented very well. Enjoyed the Suprema di Pollo, and was really spoilt for choice - so I'll be back. Staff are excellent. One of the best places in York.

I love Italian food and this was lovely food. The service was amazing couldn’t have asked for more. All the staff were very friendly and attentive.

Tasteless food and below average wine. Very good service.

Clams in vongole wasn't properly cleaned

No taste in any of the dishes sadly, over cooked pasta. Chewy panacotta. But very pleasant staff. Wondered if the chef is new as high rating does not match our visit's experience.

Top notch Italian, good value for money the pasta was excellent

Fantastic food, brilliant service and a beautiful setting. A great experience

The food is OK but nothing special. Service good. Atmosphere alright bur it was very noisy

The customer service was exceptional. The staff went above and beyond to help us pick the perfect dishes, and our waitress was simply amazing. She provided impeccable service and even took a few photos of us, adding a personal touch to our experience. Food was really good especially the cream of mushroom and white wine.Overall, we were thoroughly impressed and loved every moment of our dining experience.

First time in this restaurant for me greeted warmly at the door taken to a lovely table for 2 in the conservatory view 🪟 first class outside staff warm friendly the food is to die for will be going back next time in York

Myself and my wife decided to have a romantic minimoon meal at la Vecchia Scuola to celebrate our marriage on the 20/03/24. The restaurant is stunningly dressed in a fantastic old building. The staff are extremely helpful, polite and friendly. The food we had was fantastic and they even gave us some free champagne, tiramasu, and lemoncello to celebrate with. We can't thank all the staff enough and we promise to return for our first anniversary. Thank you

Lovely food in a nice restaurant

Went with friends for lunch. It was exceptional. The food was delicious. The staff are skilled and very friendly. We had a lovely afternoon.

Thank you to Antonio for the 5 star experiance wow what amazing service and the lady waitress Ruby as well

Lovely food, good table service and excellent atmosphere. The only downside was we arrived 5/10 minutes early with our party and were sent away. We stood outside

Excellent food; the staff was very accommodating to allergies. Service was lovely; The atmosphere charming and the solarium was inviting.

Best food ever and they sang happy birthday to me, and got got free shots.

I booked this restaurant as I wanted to try somewhere we hadn't been to before in York. It was York Restaurant Week so we had the lunch special, two courses and a drink for £20 each. What a lovely building! We were shown through to the conservatory which looks out over a garden. Our food was delicious. My husband had calamari, which was quite a large portion. Thank goodness I had opted for a main and a dessert! I had salmon linguini and my husband had the chicken and garlic mushroom calzone, both with lots of freshly grated parmesan. My dessert was home made tirramisu. Service was friendly and attentive. We shall definitely visit here again when in York.

Eaten here a few times in the past and service good went yesterday with friends who had never been before. Booked a table in conservatory for lunch on arrival was greater by a VERY pretentious man who told us no bookings allowed and no room in conservatory was very rude and condescending, told waitress off Infront of us who we had booked it with. This man has No customer service skills. Always had good food and service in the past but will not be going again. Staff service were lovely but not the manager!!!!

We ate here on a Saturday evening and was very excited having looked at the menu. There were some inconsistencies on the printed menu with some dishes not being labelled as Vegetarian, of which options are already limited, on the main menu but the exact same dish being labelled Vegetarian on the set menu in the back, so this could be fixed for customer clarity. With this said the food was fantastic and served promptly, despite the restaurant being very busy. Which brings me to my only other issue; the noise. The atmosphere suffered heavily due to the amount of noise in the building. No soft furnishings to absorb the sound of voices, crockery clacking and the bar. It was hard to hold a conversation with the other people on my table, and this was then further hindered by the pianist, while he played beautifully, just added to the din. I feel a rug, fabric chairs or even curtains would go a long way to solving this and making the space as pleasant as the food and the service (Our server was superb with a good sense of humour). We will be back, just maybe at a quieter time.

Ok, so I wasn't a happy bunny when my 1st Wife decided to book an Italian restaurant for her fathers (83rd ?) birthday meal celebration. I am dairy intolerant, so not the best choice, obviously. That said, the evening 'set menu' was varied enough for me to comfortably, after a nod to the staff, to make sure I wouldn't have any issues, and select a very passable fish fare with trimmings. Everyone else chose traditional, thereby not offending the staff, or indeed management. And yet my 5 ☆ review is for the staff and setting. An elaborate conservatory, overlooking a well maintained garden, with York Minster a hundred yards as a back drop. But the clincher for me was the staff. Truly excellent. Really enjoyed the evening guys, thanks. 😀👍

Friendly staff, good food but not great for vegetarians. Very limited choice which is unusual for an Italian restaurant. It would be good if a few pasta vegetarian dishes were included and also staff made aware of not using a pizza cutter that had been used for a peperoni pizza straight onto a vegetarian one.

Had an amazing day in York with family and friends and a lovely afternoon meal in this perfect lovely restaurant with delicious tasty fresh made food. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐🍽️🥂🍾🍸

Fantastic place to dine and excellently priced. Staff are amazing.

The food was a quite stodgy and generally disappointing. Several of the main dishes were served with 'crushed potatoes', which isn't particularly Italian and when a sauce is added makes everything really heavy. For dessert the 'banoffee pie made the Italian way' looked good but was bland, I struggled to find any taste of either banana or toffee. Sadly I can't recommend La Vecchia Scuola based on the food we were served, but we didn't try the pizzas, perhaps they would be better?

The food was great and service was outstanding. Really enjoyed our meal from the fixed price menu and would recommend it as great value.

Yummy food for a reasonable price and they sung happy birthday which was a pleasant surprise, would recommend and I’d happily go again :)

Superb food, service and setting. Staff amazing.

We came here for 3 course set menu in the evening.Service was very quick and efficient. Food was piping hot and delicious.It was the best lasagne and best pannacota that I have ever eaten. The actual restaurant is massive and is very nice indeed.Lovely place,excellent food at a reasonable price.

Literally tried this place on the hoof as we were passing. First time in York and looking for somewhere to eat. Really really good experience. Can't fault the food and the staff are so friendly. Try it.

Great atmosphere, pleasant staff, competitive pricing, great house wine, wonderful food - an ideal stop off for those wandering the streets and alleyways of old York centre - a gastronomic delight in a setting to behold - an oasis in a desert of fast food.

The staff were really kind, the food was incredible and it had a really nice atmosphere.

Fantastic venue; clean,smart and friendly serving staff.Good quality food and drinks at very reasonable prices and good wines selection,again at reasonable prices.Good seafood selection of pasta dishes.

Very good restaurant, excellent food and great attention from the staff. It is cheap despite being very fine and elegant. I highly recommend it, great place.

Amazing food and great atmosphere. Service was excellent and menu choice was fantastic. Very clean and well presented and staff were welcoming.

Excellent food and quick service in beautiful surroundings

Amazing. This is about the sixth time I have visited but it was my girlfriend's first time. Staff, atmosphere and food all second to none

Sublime! I have always loved it here, brought my partner on Saturday for our anniversary and he said his calzone was the best he’s ever eaten! We cannot wait to be back!

We waited nearly fifteen minutes after being seated before being offered a drink or being asked about the menu. The food was reasonable but not great with the lobster ravioli being far from the standard we have enjoyed before at other restaurants. I had the Calamari which, in of itself was fine, but included coated/fried peices of sea bass that didn't work. The desserts where better. The conservatory was quite loud. To top it all off we where served and charged for a bottle of wine we didn't ordered!

Great food, friendly staff, nice atmosphere

Food amazing would definitely revisit staff fabulous nothing to much trouble would definitely go back when we return to York we'll done to all for the fabulous service

Absolutely amazing, we arrived to a really warm welcome by the booking host, who made us feel very welcome. Our waitress Ali, was fantastic, nothing was any trouble, so polite and very attentive aswell as knowledgeable of the menu, she even helped us choose the right bottle of wine for our taste which was delicious. The service was really fast, being really busy did not affect the speed and efficiency of the service, our starter came super fast, as soon as that was cleared away our main came! So super efficient. Would highly recommend making a reservation here. Excellent value for money too. So when in york, make this your go to Italian.

Went for dinner last night and managed to leave my phone in the taxi and my girlfriend was feeling very unwell, so a pretty stressful trip at no fault of the restaurant, but the staff were so lovely and helpful in anything they could possibly help with, which made me feel a lot better about the situations. The food was also lovely, and came very quickly after we ordered. It is additionally a very beautiful building and the atmosphere was lovely, the quiet ambiance was appreciated by me, I enjoyed the fact they weren’t playing loud music and just let the restaurant ambiance speak for itself, it was very relaxing. Overall I had a lovely visit in spite of the circumstances and will definitely be returning. My thanks to all the staff for their help!

We had a meal with friends to celebrate a 60th birthday. Wonderful experience. Beautiful restaurant, lovely ambience. Excellent service and the food was beautiful & well presented. Thank you to the staff for making our friends birthday meal memorable. I highly recommend this restaurant.

Excellent, friendly service. Lovely food.

We visited here for my birthday with my partner, it felt really special and grand! Set in a beautiful building in the centre of York. Staff were friendly and helpful and the food was lovely, would highly recommend.

We just had a small civil partnership lunch time meal with some friends. The staff couldn't do enough for us to make our day special. The food was excellent. Deffo 5 star. Value for money 5 🌟. Highly recommended and me and my party will be back. Thankyou again for making our day special.

Booked a small wedding lunch menu the staff were amazing and couldn't do enough. Food out standing all hot and tasty. Thank you all amazing day and will recommend to all.

Fantastic food and service as always, we visit here when in York and are never disappointed. Great value lunch menu, kids menu and fab desserts. The tiramisu is 10/10.

We were recommended this restaurant and it didn't disappoint. What a beautiful place We shared a starter .. the pork and it absolutely melted in your mouth We each had a delicious main course and shared a pudding. We also enjoyed cocktails One of the best meals I've ever had in a restaurant! We were celebrating a birthday and the waitresses bought over a scoop of ice cream with a candle in while singing happy birthday which was a lovely touch. If we are ever in york again we will definitely be returning! Thank you

Lovely food, great atmosphere and service

Not been for a few years but this represents the same quality and value as before. The young lad front of house was excellent and welcoming. Called me by my name from when I arrived until I left. Impressive. Wholesome good Italian food. The house...

A fabulous hidden gem in the middle of York! We ate in the conservatory with a gorgeous view of the Minster. Lots of choice on the set lunch menu and everything was delicious - highly recommended

We've been here a few times over the years and this visit didn't disappoint again. Food and service were exceptional. Will definitely return.

Just a bit disappointed with three dishes that our party of 6 had, arancini and risotto lacking a bit of flavour and a pasta dish dressed with butter rather than olive oil. Have enjoyed eating here before so will give it another try sometime

Loved the food so much. The place too is incredibly stunning. The only thing that annoyed me a bit is that we had to wait ages until someone takes away our plates and then again around 15 minutes until someone came again to take our dessert order. Despite only being six people at the restaurant altogether. However, that happens and the food was absolutely amazing. There was probably just a change of shifts and we were unlucky. I am absolutely and 100% sure that this place deserves a visit from you. My order (pictures): lobster ravioli and gluten free brownie

I brought my wife here on a Saturday afternoon for her birthday. We were given a table in the conservatory which had a really good ambience. We ordered from the lunchtime set menu and every course was superb, especially the belly Pork which in itself...

We came here for my partners birthday, and we absolutely loved it. We were given the best seats in the restaurant, and the food was so tasty! Would 100% recommend

Lovely restaurant that felt fitting for our five year anniversary. We mentioned in our booking that it is an anniversary and they gave us a free drink on the house, entirely unprompted. Our spending includes starter, main course, dessert, and a bottle of wine.

Fabulous evening, attentive staff and good food

We came here because we enjoy good Italian food!!! The waiting staff were good, but the food they delivered was extremely poor. My lasagne was awful alot of tomato sauce and mozzarella and very little else. Good Italian food takes time, this was served too quickly after we ordered it to be any good. We were looking forward to this all day and left extremely disappointed. Worst meal we have had in York.

We were staying in York for a few days and called in for lunch. Truly excellent Italian food with such friendly service from all involved. Definitely one to recommend if in York and would return again.

The best restaurant in York!! Tony and Monica were fabulous! The food was fantastic and perfectly presented, the service was uncompromisable, they were so attentive and amazing through out and went over and above to make the night truly amazing! The prawn started was spicy...

An average evening out, food was okay, not a lot of atmosphere, it must've been the time we went.

Great food, great service and good value in lovely surroundings, what more could you want?

Really don’t know what the big deal is about this place. We came and had the set lunch menu. I had the Brie to start with and that was nice, no complaints so far. My partner had the calzone pizza, the dough was raw in...

Great coming back here 😁 lovely service and atmosphere as usual . Food a little disappointing...very tasty but the lasagne lacking a few layers of pasta and mince . I don't like posting negatives but do think good to help improve 👍

Such lovely staff, very inviting, gave us a choice of seating locations to accommodate temp (freezing outside so offered us to seat by radiator!) and genuinely, the best Caesar salad I’ve ever had! Very big portion, didn’t need a starter!!

Always welcoming great food with plenty of banter with the guys.

This Italian restaurant was easy to book online. It is housed in a very attractive period building which has a large and well decorated interior. We were seated in the conservatory area, which would probably work better during daylight hours. Many people seemed to be...

After driving down from Scotland that morning, we dropped our bags off at our hotel and went into the town to do a bit of shopping, as we were very tired after our long drive, we popped into La Vecchia Scuola to see if they...

Been here a few times now, naturally as it’s right in the centre the location is fantastic and the conservatory area inside is a really nice environment to eat. Food is of a really good standard, it’s not a long menu which is no bad...

Excellent service and attention to detail!

Quite atmospheric. Fillet on a skewer was very tender and well cooked. Staff were great, we had a lot of fun. It did get very busy but it was well managed.

Excellent food, excellent venue, excellent staff. Will definitely be going back

It's the second time i'm back here it's a lovely place and friendly staff

Fantastisch, super lekker gegeten!!

Once a year we visit here and it does not disappoint. Service and good gorgeous. Already booked for 2024

Wow, what a fantastic restaurant I came upon during my visit to York. All the staff were super friendly, fast and kind, especially Tony. I was wet and cold from the rain and even though I did not request anything, they got me a heater, hot water with lemon and a dessert, all on the house. Food was very tasty and prices were reasonable. The house wine and dessert were particularly amazing. I will always remember my visit to La Vecchia Scuola fondly. Thanks for everything and hope I get to visit you lovely people again.

Unfortunately we cancel the reservation only because the host was very unfriendly when we checked in 30’ before our reservation time I understand the restaurant was busy but his approach was very rude I will recommend for the restaurant to have a morw polite host Thanks

Visited on 6th December with my hubby. Great varied menu and our meals were delicious but the customer service was absolutely exceptional. We were looked after by Antinello, one of the best guest hosts I’ve come across. I couldn’t believe he wasn’t the manager (...

Lovely food. Would recommend lamb. Rather quiet for the Saturday before Xmas. Will definitely return.

It was New Year’s Eve so obviously this may impact the quality of the food due to it being busy. However the pasta tasted pre cooked and old. The chicken in my pasta had the same issue being dry and over cooked. The food also came out really fast and it was piping hot which makes me believe it was microwaved. I wouldn’t have minded but for the price we paid I don’t believe we got our moneys worth unfortunates I would not return.

Went here recently for dinner, service was very quick and all staff accommated to our needs. Very nice atmosphere with nice decor. Quite pricey but the food is so worth it, espically the biscoff cheesecake!!

We saw this place earlier in the day and liked the look of it. The setting, atmosphere and service was good. The pre starter garlic bread, was expensive and although v subtle in flavour we enjoyed it. 3 had pork belly starter and one had prawns - all tasty. The mains unfortunaly were shocking. No flavour in any of the 4 dishes. Only half of one dish out of the four was actually eaten. The seafood was very chewy and not freshly cooked. My son and I ordered the same seafood linguine and they looked totally different. We could not eat it and sent it back. To be fair the Manager was understanding and offered replacement meals. We asked for lasagne. It was terrible, mainly melted cheese with few sparce amounts of meat! This was not eaten either. I asked that the lasagne was removed off the bill, which eventually they agreed to. We do not like to complain but this was justified. It was overall a very disappointing experience and it was a special occasion - so a dampner to the day. We definitely would not return. It's a shame, as everything is set up for this place to be fabulous. Just need fresh food and a new chef!

Visited before when in York wanted to book for New Year’s Eve based on previous experiences but couldn’t get a reservation so decided to go on the 30th in a way a blessing, food was very poor compared to before starters ok not great. But...

Didn't book ( for once) just before Christmas and luckily got a table as it was packed. Lovely staff friendly and helpful, food was hot and tasty as always. Would recommend this restaurant as its nice and airy and clean with good food.

We came here last year and we had one of the best italian meals we’ve ever had and so we came here again just over a year later thinking it would be no different. Unfortunately this wasn’t the case. The atmosphere was not an issue...

I have eaten here on several occasions but sadly today was disappointing. The service was less than average. Only one main course was brought to the table and there was no sign of the rest of the mains for our party of four. After about...

I have eaten here on several occasions but sadly today was disappointing. The service was less than average. Only one main course was brought to the table and there was no sign of the rest of the mains for our party of four. After about ten minutes we queried this with our waitress and she informed us that we had asked for the pasta to be brought out first . This was definitely not the case. We then had a feeble apology from a second waitress explaining that the mains that was delivered to our table was actually for another table and not ours, and would we wait for our three other mains to be cooked . After a twenty minute wait our food arrived. I can honestly say it wasn't worth waiting for. The Calzone was tasteless and very dry and more pizza base than filling and the sauce served with it was insufficient for such a dry dish. The lasagne resembled more of a mush of meat and tomato sauce than layers of pasta. We had to ask for the bill at least twice before it arrived at the table. Not the best dining experience