Plonkers Wine and Beer Bar in York

Really nice little bistro, no fuss service and great food. Steak and ale pie was amazing!

Really poor experience, staff looked so miserable, we wanted to eat and there was nothing showing on the menu for gluten free - just ask staff , crazy they have all these signs to be respectful etc yet they can't get the basics right. Were a little rude to my children also at the bar when they asked for a menu, seemed to be an inconvenience. Asked about gluten free as my husband has celiac disease, the girl answered ' I don't have a clue and ill ask' odd really as 1 in 2 have this so I am sure they have been asked this before- hardly unusual - even small amounts of gluten can cause MS or diabetes, I was shocked by her shrugging attitude to allergies. She came back and wasn't really sure still and said oh well we can maybe swop this with that - very dangerous and very scary!! If you have any allergy this isn't the place for you - left without eating and went elsewhere that took it much more seriously.

This little bar has stolen my heart from the moment I stepped in , from the warm, inviting ambiance to the impeccable service, every detail at Plonkers is crafted to the highest standard. But what truly sets this place apart is its exceptional food and vibrant atmosphere. At Plonkers I found myself delightfully surprised by the culinary offerings here. Each dish we ordered was lovely, bursting with flavors. The menu boasts a tantalizing array of options, to ensure everyone has something to choose from. One of my personal favorites was the Mixed Bean and Sweet potato Chilli, a mouthwatering creation that perfectly balanced savory and spicy flavors. Paired with a nice glass of Merlot, it was a match made in culinary heaven. But what truly made my experience memorable was the lively atmosphere. Whether you're looking for a cozy spot for date night or a vibrant setting for a night out with friends, Plonkers offers the perfect backdrop for any occasion. In summary, Plonkers is more than just a place to grab a drink; it's an experience. With its delectable food, inviting atmosphere, and exceptional service, it's a true standout in the York dining scene. I can't wait to return and indulge in another unforgettable evening at this little haven. Thank you very much to all Plonkers staff

Overall a nice trip to Plonkers, the sun was beaming, the, I guess you could call it ‘garden’ by the river is stunning, it was very busy which is a testament again to its popularity. The staff were also lovely, especially considering how busy it was and how rude some of the other customers were because of this :| I have one main issue, the wine I had was god awful, it was the house (I assume) white, Sauvignon Blanc, awfully acidic, especially for £7.50 a medium from a place that considers itself a ‘wine bar’. I'd have rather scathed a barely palatable wine from Spoons for a fraction of the price. I have to say I can't speak for all of the wines there though, if you do go don't go for the ‘house’, and you should definetly visit if you want fantastic York laid back vibe in the sun by the river (one the few days of the year that it's out), there could just be some better choices of wine stock at the offered price points. Thanks for a great day Plonkers.

Staff are nice and friendly. Food was excellent and reasonably priced.Nice place to eat.

Went for lunch today 16-03-24 lovely staff always available,great service and the burritos were amazing.

I booked a table for me and my friend after work. Everyone was very friendly and extremely helpful. The food was nice, nothing fancy, but pub grub at a reasonable price. A couple of people got a bit loud, but it's to be expected with groups and lots of alcohol. I would recommend and would visit again. Thank you Plonkers for a good evening.

Great food, great ambience, the staff were polite, friendly and professional. We will definitely go back.

Amazing food such a large portion and fresh. Fab friendly service and varied playlist. Great start to our days sightseeing.

Gorgeous little place and the food was good too! X

Excellent pub fare and a selection of drinks. Cozy, lively atmosphere, lots of snug seating. We went on a Sunday night and they had ran out of a handful of choices for food and drinks as their weekend was busy (no surprise as they're popular!), but still had a good variety. Shout-out to barman Anthony who took care of us when we were there

Lovely affordable food and friendly staff. Would highly recommend

Great little bar/bistro in the city centre, good selection of drinks (Minuty was excellent), service was excellent & the food very good, would certainly recommend

Bar staff need to smile and be pleasant

Lovely food. Recommend the burrito and the cookie pie

I love coming here. The food is good, and staff are friendly. Handy for the theatre opposite, we came to eat here before we saw a show

I have had an extraordinary time. The place is charming and with top quality service. The dishes are abundant and very rich.

What a great find! From making a reservation to arriving & having a superb meal, we couldn't fault Plonkers at all. The employees were exceptional, even though it was a busy time. They all seemed to care, which is a rare asset. The service was 2nd to none. The food was really tasty, and home cooked. Thank you - we will return :)

Had pre theatre meal. Great choice on menu including plenty of veggie options. Food was lovely and good sized portions . Cosy atmosphere. Recommend booking in advance as it was busy.

When we arrived the restaurant was packed, this was obviously due to its proximity to the theatre. By the time we'd ordered it had started to calm down. A lovely young lady came and took our order. The food arrived very promptly, it was lovely and hot, I had piri piri steak kebab, it was excellent, the steak was tender and very tasty. We all thoroughly enjoyed our meals and loved the atmosphere. Our only slight issue was our puds weren't warm enough, but this was quickly resolved and apologised for. We had a lovely evening and definitely plan to go back again soon. My stand out for the evening was the staff, we were looked after by 2 lovely young ladies. Nothing was too much trouble, their customer service was excellent.

A great pub / bistro with great food you know when you just want “normal” food not things you have to look up on Google to find out what it is and you don’t want art work 🤣 or chips performing acrobatics. Service great to friendly attentive

Came for Sunday Lunch, enjoyed the food and a really good draught beer. Only knocked a star down because the seats were a little uncomfortable

Staff were absolutely amazing So conscientious. The bar had a lovely ambience and was quite busy. However the food was very poor. A real let down. We’ve been here previously and had lovely food. This time the quality of the food was very poor. I had a dish that I have had eaten previously and thoroughly enjoyed. This time it was unrecognisable. Very disappointing.

Well plenty of Timothy Taylor signs up in pub, but no Timothy Taylor beer. Plenty of Theakstones signs up but no Theakstones beer (old perculier). Do have Greene king beers available. Why they don't market as a Greene King pub don't understand. Despite this a good range of real ales available. Seems popular.

Sunday 18th February So pleased we pre.booked as really busy. Delicious food & excellent service. My friend & I both had Sunday lunch 😋

Fabulous food at an affordable price. Great spot by the river.

Excellent food, quick service and lovely environment.

Great food and really nice staff will visit again.

A last minute booking and it was fantastic! Super friendly staff and a great selection of food! The portions are huge especially the children’s. Great quality! Highly recommend!

Great sharing platter and were given time to enjoy and did not feel rushed to leave. Good service, polite, friendly and attentive

Some of the best food I’ve had in a long time. All homemade to serve. I ordered a beef roast and was amazed by the portion size especially for a kids meal. Great standard for money especially in York. Would recommend to anyone in the area. Thanks to the amazing and welcoming staff who catered to our every need 🫶🏻

Really quirky old pub, the food was amazing as was the fast service. The place has a really nice old feel, low ceilings and full of charm and character. Really great prices for both food and drink. Highly recommend.

Visited for a family birthday treat on 10th Feb. Great food, from the kebabs, the sharing platters, the mussels, the burgers, the homemade Steak & ale pie and the burgers all came hot and tasted fantastic, lovley deserts though due to the popularity of the place it was disappointing that there was no cheesecakes left, minor issue as the others tasted awsome! 3 of the party all agreed the homemade stake and ale pie was the best they had every had! Staff where very attentive and provide excellent 👏 service finishing off a great family day! Highly recommend.

Party of 8 Lovely welcoming staff and chilled environment. Nice menu selection. The meals were served lovely and hot and we were served together, no one was sat waiting for their meal. Portions were good value. We've big appetites and some of us were beaten! Would definitely recommend and we'll be back!

Went to Plonkers for my birthday with family and had a fantastic experience. Staff were attentive and the food was fantastic had good size portions too. Would recommend fantastic value for money.

VERY friendly and helpful staff, Orders taken promptly and correct food & drinks arrived at the table. Slightly slow with the food but it was pretty busy. Food was good, our party of 4 all enjoyed their meals. We were asked if everything was Ok a couple of times, no issues getting the bill and getting it paid. Will go back.

Absolutely fabulous . First time here for many years .Food was excellent and service top notch . Perfect location fir York Opera House matinee Can strongly recommend this

Really lovely homemade food. The service was quick and food hot. Good selection of food including several vegetarian options and good wine selection although a little pricey . One small thing was no selection of alternative milks due to it being a quiet time of year. I.do think that needs to be revised. Would return and recommend.

First time pre theatre meal. It was so nice to be served home cooked food. I had the mince burrito it was huge! I had to leave half. My sister had fish and chips very good too! I ordered a portion of chips but unfortunately couldn’t eat them, will defo be back

Plonkers is a great place to go for a yummy home cooked meal. We went for my boyfriend’s birthday. Had a lovely time. The surroundings are really nice and cosy. The staff are very friendly. We enjoyed our time there, afterwards we went to York dungeons which is just at the top of the street. Would definitely recommend to all my friends and family and will be returning soon.

Great welcome from the door staff and escorted to the table with menus speedy service from the bar staff for drinks and food order. Food was great for pub food on the go with everyone happy with there choices.

Booked for pre dinner food at 6pm. Table was available prior to 6pm. Staff excellent even when bar area got very busy. Food portions good and well worth the money.

Delicious food and outstanding service. Very glad we picked Plonkers from the list of available places that the Open Table app showed.

Visited this old favourite with friends for a cosy Sunday lunch and wasn’t disappointed. Although it’s referred to as a “carvery” on the menu the main course comes ready plated up. Don’t be put off by this as the portions, presentation and quality are equally impressive. Served by friendly and attentive staff and complimented by an extensive selection of fine draft beers plus impressive choice of wines, resulting in a thoroughly enjoyable and very reasonably priced meal out. Highly recommended.

It was the loveliest Sunday dinner we have had in ages eeating out.

We’ve been here and eaten here loads of times before, food was good and staff friendly and helpful as always, just unfortunate we were sat next to a group of very loud on the verge of being very drunk 8 people, busy as you would expect on a Friday evening so couldn’t move elsewhere, luckily for us they left after about an hour so the remainder of of time there was much more enjoyable.

This is our second visit to plonkers, and we were not disappointed, very nice atmosphere, and nicely decorated Food was excellent, we had the mixed Sunday roast, our new favourite place to eat in york, we will definitely be back Only slight down side was the people that sat next to us had a dog, which they allowed up on the seats, at one piont it had its paws on the table, I love dogs, but I don't this is really isn't good when guests are eating so close by

One of the only places that would take bookings on a Saturday night. Decent menu, good service and tasty food. The only small failing was a lack of choice of real ales, but would definitely book again

A lovely pub near to the river, very close to York Dungeons. The pub is small but friendly staff, there was a warm welcome. Dogs are allowed and water was provided for them. We found a table where the order for drinks was taken. We enjoyed a sharing platter of homemade nibbles and a side of chunky chips between the four of us. There was plenty of food. Prices were reasonable and it cost £42.00 in total for food and drinks for 4 people. We would visit again.

We decided to dine here because the menu wasn't over elaborate. Varied, but not fancy: steaks, lasagne, home made pie etc. Excellent range of drinks & good value. We were glad we had booked a table as it was a theatre night, so busy when we arrived. We ordered steak. It was perfect & served with home made chips, tomatoes, mushrooms & onion. Attentive service.

Food was absolutely gorgeous! Lad behind the bar was very attentive (didn't see any other staff as it was relatively quiet). Our food was absolutely lovely and great value for money. Wine also great, price for wine perhaps on the slighly higher side but it's a wine bar so it's what I'd expect really, and the food not being too expensive made up for it.

We have been going to York for many years and have never come across plonkers before I am so pleased we have found it now the food was beautiful I had the hanging chicken it was tender and tasty with homemade chips to die for and my husband had the steak he said it was perfect the service was spot on and all staff very friendly we will definitely be returning on our next visit. 😁😋

Enjoyed meal and everything about our experience. Will call again when in York

We booked a table before going to The Grand Opera House for dinner. Quick, friendly service and was no problem that we’d arrived early and didn’t feel rushed which is good.

Good food, well priced and friendly service and had drinks too as well Definitely recommend it, worth another visit for sure

I love this place eat here preety much every time we visit foods always beautiful staff are slways friendly cant recomend this place enough

Nice, simple food, great value, with great service in a nice, contempory venue.

Came here for a work Christmas meal, food and staff were both amazing! The place is a little small for a big party but it looks great inside. If you don’t mind splitting into smaller tables it would be great. Recommend it for food or drink for a small group.

Excellent as always, lovely food and great staff, we will always visit this wonderful bar every time we are in York

Loverly little place recomend the chicken skewers.

Fantastic service even though downstairs was getting rather wet with flooding. We were seated upstairs which was good and the staff worked very hard and the service was excellent. We had steak and ale pie and chips and burritos. The food was excellent

Had amazing food with great service, although there was a slight delay between starter and main as they were battling an act of god. Amazing fish and chips and hanging piri piri steak. 10/10

Fabulous meals, wonderful fresh beers, and warm service. Lovely atmosphere. Highly recommended. Would visit here again in a heartbeat.

Excellent food and very competent and helpful staff who juggled lots of different jobs well. The steak pie was beautiful as was the fish. Proper chips too. Would recommend…

Best meal in York! Delicious food, great staff, lovely night out!

We had to reschedule last minute to later in the day. Dealt with efficiency and kindly. All staff although extremely busy were friendly and courteous. Menu had a great variety and items ordered were delicious. Definitely recommend!

Plonkers is a great little bar in a lovely setting - very friendly staff, lovely food and tasty drinks, try the cocktails!

Nice setting and lovely service with a smile. Food was a let down - dry and overcooked.

An excellent meal as always. Their steak and ale pie is probably the best I've ever tasted. The staff are friendly and efficient.

Food absolutely geourgeous best sunday dinner I have had for a while staff were very good we will definitely come again when we visit york

Noisy and cramped atmosphere; poor quality food which arrived cold; nice staff but they are run off their feet so didn’t have time to be attentive. We were Requested to leave the table after an hour having barely had time to lay the fork down. Certainly no chance to have another course. Really poor considering we had booked the table beforehand. Forced to finish our drinks away from our table with no seat. To add insult the table was still empty when we left.

Door staff had a very off attitude for no reason. Food was ok

Cold food which we waited ages for. Then asked to vacate the table after 1 course as they had other bookings despite booking our table days beforehand. Would not recommend.

A very pleasant experience. The staff were very attentive and the food was nice. Would recommend eating/ drinking here.

Food always lovely here, staff very welcoming and friendly, even when very busy. A wonderful place to spend time with friends for good choices of drink. Great food at very reasonable prices and generous portions.

Great friendly atmosphere and the staff were great. The food was really nice and arrived pretty quickly. They had a singer on which really made for a great energy especially because there were some Christmas parties going on as well.

We had an amazing roast dinner here on a Sunday. Stumbled across this place but so glad we found it. Would definitely recommend!

Good atmosphere. Friendly & welcoming staff. Had steak pie which was delicious and served promptly. Good choice of menu.

Apart from my own steak pie this was one of the best I have ever had. Recommended

As usual the food was good. Had the turkey dinner and Christmas pudding and it was lovely. Good choice of drinks and friendly helpful staff. Will be going again soon.

Very accommodating attentive staff food was lovely

Nice wine bar near to the river , friendly welcoming staff , went in for a bite to eat whilst visiting York , food was hot and served quickly , large portions steak and ale pie very nice , couldn’t finish it as full up , chips crispy cooked well , husband had lasagna which was very nice too , would recommend 😊

The Food was really nice but wasn’t a lot of it, I was hungry again shortly afterwards

Steak pie is great value for money, service is quick and hassle free. If you want pub grub this is the place.

Lovely meal, fantastic service and great friendly staff. Good value for money.

Excellent staff so accommodating food was lovely x

Great service and squeezed us in for a drink before dinner service. Fully booked so thankful. Food looked good but was not available to us unfortunately Worth a visit.

Plonkers is a great place for a drink or a bite to eat!

We love this place it’s the third time for us but the first time for our family. Always a great atmosphere, very friendly and helpful staff and great food. We look forward to our next visit. Thank you so much for making our visit extra special

Thank you to Plonkers for putting us up for our end of year Christmas Cricket do! Nothing was an inconvenience, amazing food at a great price. Very accommodating for us all and we had a great night. Plenty of Turkey, Christmas puddings and ducks (cheers Si)! Thanks to Steve and the Team, we will definitely return very soon!

8 of us ate here yesterday and there was something for everyone's tastes, food came out in good time and was warm and delicious. Service and staff were excellent and very attentive, we had a great time and highly recommend

We had a lovely Sunday lunch at Plonkers. Nothing was too much trouble for the kind and friendly staff. The food was delicious and the service great.

Always visit when in york lovely pub , staff ate friendly. Food was lovely too

Excellent menu and the food was first class. Friendly and informal atmosphere. We weren’t rushed which was very much appreciated and we arrived very early and were quickly accomodated. The ploughman’s was outstanding.

Great spot to chill and eat in York. Staff always friendly and very quick service. The food was excellent chilli on a cold day perfect

Great food and great service. We were recommended to go there and we weren’t disappointed Thank you

Lovely place, fantastic efficient staff. Good size food portions, only grumble is that drinks are a bit pricey, but then it is the centre of York. Acid test is would we go back? Yes, in a heartbeat, and we will!

Down a sidestreet but really cosy with good service and excellent food. Steaks were really well cooked and big portions.

Beautiful food in a beautiful setting. Would definitely recommend.

So helpful we arrived early and they fit us in. Service was excellent and food was good.