Sotano Charcuterie & Bar in York

Gorgeous place, lovely ambience for a bar and a wide selection of craft pints :)

Midweek visit. Not much flavour in the smashing burgers, nothing special.. Now, what gets on my T*Ts is why are you serving the chips Luke warm? You must surely know that they’ve been standing for some time while waiting for the burger to be made or is it a service problem? AND why are you putting cooked food on to cold plates? You must surely know food that is meant to be hot will cool quickly when put on cold plates. Not recommended.

Nice spot with a lot of good seating options and great service. Our server - Grace - was wonderful, attentive, and had great recommendations. We sat up on the heated terrace and it had a nice vibe.

A disappointing gift for Yorkshire Restaurant Week. Ordered jambon and black ⚫️ pudding croquettes. Should have received 2 glasses 🥂 of vino 🍷 🙄 but only received 1 each. Sat under a broken light, it was cold 🥶 🤧 and as a disabled person found the entrance of a steep staircase, it was very painful to climb. Food mediocre 😕 Won't return 😒

We were seated at a tiny table, among people, very close to each other. Other tables had much more space. With such dark lighting, reading the small print menu was a challenge. After ordering 5 tapas, wine and water, it was difficult to fit everything on the table. Every dish was salty. Very atmospheric place, very nice service. ☺️

Amazing food, staff were amazing. Would highly recommend. Had a bottle of wine and 5 tapas dishes between me and my partner. Food was amazing, we had the prawns, Akamai, croquettes, bread, olives and chicken&chorizo skewers. All amazing. Then had a surprise cake between me and my partner for their birthday and I really appreciated the thought :). 10/10 recommend

Food was amazing, cocktails were 10 out of 10. All the staff were perfectly attentive too our needs. Will definitely be going back on our next trip to York

Loved it. V good food. Great service. Bit noisy. Maybe I'm old.

5 star rating purely for the waiter alone... we didn't get his name unfortunately.. he was slim with dark hair, polite, said he was old before his time... hopefully that helps you narrow him down.. his was chatty and wellmannered and really made the visit memorable. Cocktails were nice too

Went here for lunch, we shared 6 dishes between us and a jug of sangria sat in the sun on the terrace! Really nice atmosphere and the food was excellent! Staff all really good and attentive

Great subdued lighting, with a relaxing atmosphere. The staff have so much energy, wish I got her name now, as our waitress was brilliant, praise where praise is due. They are knowledgeable about the food and drink and so happy to help. The food was so good, think I was speechless during the majority of it. It did state online that the place was fully booked, but to try as there are tables available. As soon as we arrived, we were seated, so no issues at all there. Definitely going back, if we're in the local area.

I had read the review for Sotano and thought it may be a good place to go for lunch with a friend. We were not disappointed. The staff are very attentive and helpful, the guy who served us was super. He made recommendations and suggestions which were spot on. We took advantage of the lunch offer, of a bottle of wine and 5 Tapas. Usually, I am disapointed by the quality of the wine in these offers. But the Albarinho served was good, well chilled, fresh and fruity. All the Tapas were delicious, and the portions were very generous. As I mentioned service was exemplary, and I would like to give a shout out to the Chef and kitchen staff, who rarely get a mention, for really good cooking and well presented dishes. Thankyou.

Amazing place and the roof top bar/restaurant is a VP wesome! Great food and a great range of drinks and the staff are fantastic and so friendly and helpful I recommend an espresso martini! The best I’ve had 👍🏻

Such a lovely place...the staff couldn't have been more friendly and attentive. The drinks and nibbles were of excellent quality and presented well. We sat on the roof terrace which was a lovely setting. Would highly recommend.

What find ,stayed for tapas lunch & cocktails All delicious Staff lovely & friendly & make a dam good cocktail Lovely roof terrace So good we came back that night for the paella & more cocktails Wasn’t disappointed See you again next year

Lovely gem of a restaurant. We sat out in the rooftop/outside area. Tapas was really good. Great choice, good portions, friendly and helpful staff. A great experience.

Had a wonderful afternoon here. The tapas were excellent. Staff were friendly and polite. Highly recommend.

Beautiful spot which is a hidden gem in the centre of York. Lovely staff who were very kind and accommodating while we had a large gathering for a surprise retirement do. Awesome tapas and top quality fizz and vibes, highly recommend. Also great to see an independent family run business continue to thrive 🙌

I went to this restaurant because of its rating and reviews on google maps. Unfortunately I was very disappointed and I will not give this place a 4,5. A rating of 3,8 would be more appropriate.

Visited on a Saturday at the start of June, we sat on the terrace upstairs great atmosphere and plenty of heaters to keep you warm as it gets cooler. Staff were really friendly and up for a laugh. We had jugs of the rose and red sangria which were both good. The food was a.azing we had 6 dishes of tapas between 2 of us, which was plenty. The chicken and chorizo skewers, beef and pork meatballs, and sirloin steak were really good! Table service stops later in the evening as restaurant switches to bar/club mode but that was fine and there was a bar upstairs, so no issues there. I had a long island iced tea and it had the perfect lemonade to coke ratio. Would definitely visit again as we a great night with amazing food.

A great find with a rooftop terrace that is a perfect sun trap in the right weather. Excellent and attentive service, good value and thoroughly enjoyed!!

A great find with a rooftop terrace that is a perfect sun trap in the right weather. Excellent and attentive service, good value and thoroughly enjoyed!!

Visiting York for the day with friends and wanted a nice eatery that would be easy and tasty and Sotano’s most definitely fitted the bill. We gave Luke our waiter the license to choose which tapas we could try and he certainly delivered some very tasty treats. His service was professional yet friendly, efficient and he ensured our visit would be perfect! Thank you Luke, you’re one heck of a star 🌟 Sontano’s is a hidden treasure most certainly worth a visit, food and ambiance was spot on 🥰

A lovely, sunny afternoon to enjoy this place with friends. We popped in from a coach trip and it was so enjoyable.

Really nice place. We were here late on a Friday evening - good atmosphere, nice cocktails and tasty tapas. Recommend the croquettes!

Sadly, another overpriced “tapas” bar that over promises and under delivers. On the picture, their “Croquetas de jamón”. Can you see the jamón? Me neither. My Spanish mum would be outraged. The calamari was good but small for the price. The best were their “morcilla balls” (kind of black pudding croquetas). Absolutely delicious, but never saw them while living in Spain for 30+ years.

Amazing place to eat. The warmth and ambience along with the incredible food and service made this a wonderful place to visit. Steak was excellent 👍🏻

Great little place with amazing food.

The food was amazing we had a mixed of olives, croquettes and a mixed paella. Our waiter supported us with wine choices by giving us samples. The place was clean. Overall we really enjoyed the place.

This underground tapas restaurant and cocktail bar is well worth a visit. The atmosphere is probably the best thing here. Dark with above lighting creates a nice space to dine or meet with a partner. Drinks were very good - wine and cocktails. Service was excellent 👌. Really attentive service to the table and was there for several hours. Food was very good and went for the different tapas plates. Tapas bravas with both the garlic and tomatoe sauces was a winner. Also enjoyed the padron peppers which are crucial to any tapas. Tuna salad was good but maybe some seasoning in here would have boosted it. The deep fried items were of a good standard as were the sauces. Thanks very much for a nice evening here.

Great little Tapas restaurant. The dishes were generous in size and tasted absolutely fantastic. The staff were extremely helpful and friendly. Definitely visit here if you're in York.

A great find amongst York's many eateries. Food was delicious and great to share between friends. Highly recommend.

After a visit 4 years ago when the food was very good, we thought we would visit again...big mistake!!! Place was like the wild west, tapas were a joke...deep fried frozen c**p and they weren't all served together...do not order the Spanish black pudding balls...they were vile with a synthetic taste...wine was OK though...needless to say we will not be back...we did voice our opinion to the waitress after she asked how the food was and she agreed with us. TBH just give this place a miss

Located in a basement with confused wait staff - tapas served without flare. Made a reservation based upon the reviews but were disappointed when we were greeted by a bouncer on a Friday evening, demanding to know if we had a reservation before we could set foot inside. Once we passed the front door, we descended into an underground venue, and noticed that most of the chairs were backless stools. Our pate came straight from a jar, which it was served in, and the wait staff had absolutely no idea what was going on with any of the tables. Tapas were good, but nothing that would set the world on fire. Truthfully, I’m not sure we’d visit again as the club from next door was so loud all we could hear was thumping mixed with the ambient Light FM of the restaurant. Overall, distinctly average with nothing to make it stand out.

IT WAS LOVELY! We don't get to go out loads due to working a lot and it was brilliant. The staff where fantastic (big shout out to the lady who served us and showed me the cool bottle opener with the wooden handle but all the staff where lovely) to the point where when I paid up I double checked that we had included our tip, the food was unbelievable the little croquetas, my lord when I die bury me in one! and we are definitely going to be back! 5 stars! 😁

Absolutely outstanding food and service. Fred was so professional and warm. Food .... Oh my days..... Amazing! Pork special was to die for 🥰 I'm gluten free and there's loads to pick from. Definitely recommend. This was out second time visiting, first in 2019. Couldn't visit York without coming here x

An intimate almost exclusive feel to the ambience, greeted at the door and all service was extremely friendly and professional. Cocktails on point and a good selection of draughts available. Even made a great whiskey sour on request. Started with the artisan bread which was delicious and came with balsamic glaze and oil - I would have preferred a mojo verde which would have been in keeping with the Spanish theme but was never the less well presented and tasty. Then opting for the pork pate with cherries which seems a strange mix but in fact the subtle flavour of the cherry plays on the palate nicely. We then ordered the cheese croquettes- these are incredible!!! Perfectly round parcels of delicious queso served at a great temperature simply melted in the mouth. Followed by the Spanish black pudding - not one for me personally though the taste is there the texture was relatively gooey this may be subjective but I’m used to more bite with black pudding, again tasty but could be improved. Up next was the calamari- again incredible… probably the best cooked calamari I have ever had and the saffron and dill aioli really works. Albondigas / meatballs after the squid - the meatballs were nice but I was expecting a hint at least of spice e.g smoked paprika or smoked chilli in the sauce which was average and could definitely be livened up to make a real statement dish. The steak came soon after and Cooked pink it was delicious tender and extremely flavourful, could have ate that four times over a real star of the menu. Patatas bravas accompanied the steak and crispy fluffy and light were the order of the day a punchy garlic aioli and an earthy wild sauce rounded off another beatiful offering. Had no room for pudding but if you’re looking for a great intimate friendly tapas experience in York I think you would do well to find better. Fairly priced I would definitely eat here again it felt authentic and made with pride.

So much better than the first. It was slightly salty first time round, but this time has been so good! Great treat out!👍🏼👍🏼

Good vibes and cocktails, also the staff was friendly. We will definitely come back another time.

Great bar, not pretentious and no silly rules on footwear. I saw Alex Malam and Mat play his tunes. He rocked the place.

Great bar, Ruby Tuesdays (live music night) is always worth a visit. Don't miss the old fashioneds and great gin cocktails

Slightly hidden little gem 💎 the people working there were very attentive and the food was delicious! They missed a bottle of wine off our bill and were really grateful when we pointed it out - they'd been such good hosts that we'd had to!

Such a lovely spot to escape to on a cold winters night. The staff were welcoming and food was great. Looking forward to returning next time we are in York.

Amazing place to have some nibbles and drinks

Tasty tapas, black pudding balls, prawns and pork with rosemary and salt the highlights. Let down by some other guests just in there for a drink who were going to the bar upstairs after.

My wife and I had our first date at Sotano York in 2019, then regularly attended their Ruby Tuesday events for the next 6 months since (tapas, wine and live music - perfect!) After moving out of York, we recently came back for our first wedding anniversary celebration… Amazing drinks selection and THE best tapas in York. Myself and my wife are absolute foodies and have tried much of York’s offer, though we can honestly say you won’t get better tapas anywhere else! The atmosphere is perfectly ambient, with great music, ideal for date nights/a good time with friends. The wine is amazing (Barinas is our personal favourite) and their staff are so lovely, genuine and attentive! Anna, Abbie and the rest of the team, thanks for making our anniversary meal so special! This place truly is York’s hidden gem!

Best Sunday lunch in York And best Nachos anywhere Good prompt service Great atmosphere

Very cosy bar with nice staff and a really great environment on the evening we visited, love the design and feel of the place.

Loved the tapas really tasty for lunch. All the dishes were done really well. Even to toast/ chargrill the bread to perfection to dip in the garlic prawns. Definitely a place to go back to. Has a rooftop terrace could be nice on a warm day.

Delicious food, we'll definitely be back! I was riding the garlic high at 3am!

No complaints here, food was amazing, service amazing, not the drink you want on the menu? Theyll make it for you anyway

Good atmosphere, and not too busy with young'uns on a weekend night Funk and soul night on a Saturday is always good 👍

When people ask me for recommendations for places to eat in York... Sotano is always my answer. I love it

Very bad place to go for an open mic. The guy running it was clearly down bad bc i was waiting 5 hours to play while a girl who came in at 11 played before me. Would definitely avoid if you care about musical integrity. Also the sound tech was rude.

Hard to find but once in food and drink are amazing and service was excellent too

All good, food was tasty and service friendly, understanding your needs etc… definitely recommend

Out on the sunny terrace again for our anniversary. Second time here and food is still absolutely delicious.

The food was excellent. The service was spot. I am not a lover of tapas but have most definitely been converted. The patatas bravas were outstanding. I did not take any photos I was too busy enjoying the food and company.

Great spot for a drink and a private chat. Music isn't loud and it's usually old-school hip hop and funk / soul. Staff are really friendly. I love this bar.

A bit dark and noisy and the menu is a bit of a rip off - the £15 cheese board only had 2 cheeses on it. But the staff were brilliant and the rest of the food was really lovely

Great little place tucked away off little stonegate. Difficult to find at first as 2 sets of stairs lead to it from different businesses below. Great friendly staff. Drink/eat inside or out, with heaters to control if it gets cold (watch out if you have a bald head!). A definite return....

Had an amazing evening here on Saturday during a weekend stay in York. The food, atmosphere and service were all brilliant. Had a couple of minor hiccups with our food but nothing that would stop us going back and the waiter went above and beyond to make sure it was remedied. Couldn't ask for more. Dear management: unfortunately I didn't catch the guys name but the tall dark haired waiter who looked after us is a credit to you.

Amazing food and venue. The staff are brilliant and the food is top notch. Good value for the quality.

Went with a group of 6 for some Friday night tapas. Got seated without a booking just after 5 in the downstairs bar. Food was spot on, the only small criticism would be the small menu. Don’t particularly need 3 variations of patatas bravas. Kept the dishes coming and we worked our way through a few bottles of wine for a great time. Would recommend 👍

Good pub to dance I did get confused when I went toilet and ended up outside 😅

Food was just ok, nothing to write home about. Service and drinks were great tho.

Amazing place and vibe, really loved it, especially on the open mic night. Was a bit expensive but seemed like a really great place to go to

Perfect place for a stop for a bite and a glass of wine. Average food. Staff wasn't rude, but unsure what was happening. They definitely were not happy.

My husband and I visited this weekend on a recommendation from a friend. Thank god we went! It was gorgeous! Food was 10/10, best tapas I’ve had outside of Spain, would recommend the puntillitas fritas y safran- loved the saffron tartare sauce- the patatas Bravas Sol y sombre, just gorgeous! The atmosphere was fabulous, the weather was brilliant and we sat on the terrace with a glass on sangria, it was just lovely. The service was spot on and staff were lovely and friendly. We can’t wait to visit again. Deffo a brilliant place if you like good food and wine!

Extensive tapas menu, so many great quality options to pick from. Bartenders even take cocktail requests which is a bonus! Thanks to our lovely waitress (recently returned to this restaurant) she made our visit better!

Amazing attentive service. Food fantastic xx

I have very mixed feelings about this place. Staff were amazing, friendly and attentive. Sangria was good too, however food was just fine. Don’t get me wrong it wasn’t horrible but it was lacking passion and identity. It was borderline generic and really uninspiring take on Spanish cuisine, which was a disappointment . It’s giving pub in Benidorm vibes more than anything with people screaming…ekhm singing on karaoke and music blasting loud enough you can hear it outside. The place itself has a potential, quality of product is there but execution is lacking. If the owners would put more focus on restaurant part and ditch club/pub aspect it could be a great place to eat. As it is now, I’m giving it 3 stars (with one being just for service.)

Great staff with creative cocktails. The tapas were great and the pate was some of the best I've had. This was the best food we had on our trip to England.

Lovely place hidden away. The black pudding balls were amazing! Nick was great and very knowledgeable about the dishes and drinks

Gorgeous Tapas. Its a bit more expensive than some restaurants but worth it. Also the wine and gins were really nice and the staff were very pleasant and helpful xx

I was away with friends and found this beautiful place. The food was delicious and the staff were very friendly and accommodating, there wasn't a lift which was a little difficult with my mobility issues however I managed the stairs and enjoyed the atmosphere of the DJ.

We had our booking and arrived on time. Ordered our drinks, the place was beautiful and such a lovely atmosphere. We had our first drinks and then we ordered our food soon after arriving really... Nearly an hour went past and we'd already had to order another set of drinks, then we thought we best question where our food was? Not one to complain or ask but people had come and gone by this time... They came and apologized saying it hadn't been put through the till, which we was like no worries but we've got to be somewhere before 8, if it can be fast tracked which they said they'll sort it ASAP and said not to worry... Another 20 minutes or so went past and still no signs? And during this they took our table water away... We questioned where it still was and we're waiting still?... They went away and came back and said sorry we've not put it through as we thought you was leaving!!??... Which is crazy as we'd had the conversation with the waitress that we still wanted our food... So we left hungry and not actually eaten, then having to rush to our show booking we had to make sure we got our seats. Just really disappointed as the food smelt amazing and the place was perfect and exactly what I'd envisioned when I booked it for this special occasion. Very let down :( Would have loved to have eaten here... But this really let us down.

Cool, underground vibe for this open-mic night. It was 'Happy Hour', so a glass of wine and a coffee came to just £5. Awesome 👏🏾👏🏾. Highly recommended if you want somewhere a little more intimate and listen to, and support, some local musos do their thang.

The food was excellent. Some of the staff were abrupt and not too friendly. Owing to this, I would not return.

It was a bit cramped and dark for the middle of the day. Even thought it was freezing for and minuse 3 outside the door! However, I had the best pint of Goose at the perfect temperature. I got a plate of loaded nachos just so I didn't look out of place because it seemed every table was eating. I wasn't expecting anything to write about but I was unexpectedly surprised. Large oval platter full with naxos, giant dollops of gayacmole, sour cream and salsa on the top. At first this was off putting but I then realised there was also loads of melted cheese and jalapeños under this......My only criticism would be that if someone isn't too keen on 1 or more of the top 3 ingredients they are stuffed. However,......the topping were fresh and obviously made on site that day. Absolutely gorgeous....10 out of 10.

Great, friendly service and delicious food. The staff were friendly and welcoming. The chicken and chorizo skewers were so good we ordered a second dish. Cocktails really yummy too :)

Lovely little place, great food, great atmosphere, friendly staff, good selection of drinks. Reasonably priced on some things and a little over priced on others but still a nice experience.

Friendly staff, efficient pleasant service and good food

Gone downhill in our latest experience. Albondigas was bland and lacking season, as was the croquettes, its breadcrumb coating was thick and tasteless. Steak was overcooked and the patatas bravas was not seasoned. Service is poor. They missed a number of dishes and offered shots to apologise (it felt like we were in a club...). Staff didn't know the dishes by name. Our party of 8 will not be returning.

Great food fantastic service and reasonably priced. Shout out to Thomas and Abbi made it a lovely experience. X

I had dinner at Sotano with my friend on a Saturday night. We had a reservation but when we entered we were given the most uncomfortable table in the dining hall. I sat for the entire night on a little stool in the middle of the little area we sat and I was, of course, in the way for other people to move from their tables and go to the toilet. I asked the staff if we could sit somewhere else but they said the other two big tables were booked. In the end, while my friend and I were given that unpleasant table, I noticed that three big tables were given to couples while the other supposedly booked table was empty throughout our dinner. We could have had dinner over at that table but, for some mysterious reason, we were not allowed on that table. I am sure that few people from the staff noticed it but did not act on it. Very disappointing. Furthermore, I shall say that prices are not respectful of the concept of tapas. I have been to Spain quite few times and I know the tapas culture, which is little bites at little prices. Here, the bites are little but the price is not. Especially the galician steak which is £10 for quite literally 5 pieces of meat, and that is it. All in all, staff was friendly but did not try to accomodate our request and quality of the food was good, but when you get the TRUE tapas experience you can tell the difference.

Great cocktails, gin supply and tapas.

The absolute WORST bouncer experience I’ve had in York, we put our rubbish in a bin upon request and when we return we are refused entry by the rudest bouncer I’ve ever encountered, no manners horrible treatment and no explanation, we wanted to join for drinks and to support a local DJ, the man in a flat cap and light wash denim was a nightmare and was rather nasty to our whole group, won’t be going again

3 friends and I visited here, yesterday for lunch. We ordered 2 lots of the special of 5 tapas and a bottle of house wine for £40 per special, which worked out at £20 each and it was worth every penny (10 tapas and 2 bottles of wine in total). Excellent value, tasty food and lovely staff. Would definitely go again. PS only took pictures of our little group but will capture the food next time. Sorry.

Went to see the amazing Pete le Freq. Be back on a regular basis.

Food was tasty. We went on a Wednesday with two-for-one on burgers. Service was good.

Food and service was very good.

Good range of whiskey and gin nice chilled atmosphere

Absolutely fantastic! We come here often and food, service, and atmosphere are always fantastic. Thomas in particular is always lovely! Lots of good food options and fantastic cocktails, go for the Queen bee!

A delicious speedy lunch on the sunny terrace. V tasty and friendly staff

The staff were super friendly, felt very well cared for. We had the 5 tapas and a bottle of wine for £40 offer. Food and drinks were very good but credit for the overall experience goes to the waiting staff. We stayed and kept ordering.

Went for drinks and lunch. Staff were amazing. Food OK but a bit expensive for what we received. We sat outside on a lovely sunny day but it just smelt of smoke. Won't be rushing back.

Great food and service at a very reasonable price

Great food, friendly staff, loved the rooftop seating. We had a lovely bottle of house white wine at around £17. Especially loved the Padrón peppers roulette - some hot, some not! Highly recommend

Well well… After looking around for some time for a 30th birthday venue (we wanted a smart casual dinner and dance vibe) Sotanos was the winning candidate. The staff were a dream, the lady who was working security on the door was an absolute legend and the most friendly person we have spoken too in ages. If anyone says all bouncers have bad reps, well they need to have a coffee with this lady! The lads upstairs tending the bar were really nice (great taste in music) as were the staff who catered the food. There was no problems coming a bit earlier to hang up balloons and lay out cakes, while at the end of the night the staff kindly wrapped up all the leftover food while everyone was having a dance downstairs so we didn’t even need to worry about that - perfect for a hangover leftover breakfast. Really impressed 👏 Sean (August 19th 2022)