The Woodman in York

Overall just ok - the service was very friendly and attentive and the food was well presented but it was very much style over substance. Most of us found our food to be quite bland, though they were very apologetic about one meal that went unfinished and took it off the bill, which was appreciated. A few vegan main options available but no vegan desserts

We had the steak deal that included a bottle of wine ,excellent food ,steak cooked to perfection and very friendly attentive staff and it's very dog friendly

Interesting I went last night and I loved the place. Young waitress was so smiley and friendly and made me feel welcome. And the food delicious. So as I am in a campervan alone at nearby campsite I decided to go again. Different waitress. And the manageress who was also on duty last night seemed to be in a bad mood and boy was it felt. The young waitress did not yet have the skills to realise being a bit friendly especially to a woman eating alone is the way to be, and the way to get a tip. The manageress was rude she even took the salt off my table to give it to someone else and then plonked it back on my table as though I wasn’t there. Unbelievable. And the food tonight was just average pub food. But it was the general rudeness of the way she served me and not even acknowledging that I had been the night before. Bad management I felt.

Perfect venue for a family catch-up. Fabulous garden with play equipment for the kids. The car park is pretty small but there are plenty of alternative places you can park. Delicious food!

Superb Sunday Lunch! Best I’ve had in years. Thanks.

What a great find. After shopping at the outlet and needing some food just 8 minutes down the road. The staff and food were great and all at a good price.

Perfect amazing food staff lovely definitely be back

Aggressive, unwelcoming and difficult. This is how I would best describe the manager working today, such a shame as we live in the village and have started to make this our regular for taking the family out for lunch. Made us want to leave before we even got our food.

Lovely tasty meals, atmosphere and helpful staff. A good variety on the menu to serve all tastes. We were a large party, everything was cooked fresh to order and delivered together.

Amazing food at a very affordable price. Would highly recommend it. Would love to return soon.

Unfortunately the front of house lady was prickly and quite grumpy. The food was nice; its a shame the atmosphere was so bad. The younger front of house staff were pleasant.

Came off the A64 looking for a nice pub for lunch last month. The Woodman was a wonderful find. It was early and they quickly accommodated us. The 2 waiters were welcoming, very pleasant and attentive. We enjoyed a well kept and great local beer while choosing our food. There was so much more to the menu than we realised, as so many items were completely cooked from scratch. The fish goujons were stand out! We loved the variety of sharing platters and chose the ‘From the sea’ one as our starter and had lots of great main courses to choose from. We each had a lovely meal freshly cooked and with perfect vegetables. We were not rushed and had great service throughout - nothing was too much trouble. Thank you 🤩

Visited while on a short break to celebrate our anniversary. Could not have been more disappointed. We both ordered steak which was so tough as to be virtually inedible. No-one asked us how our meal was. and when we came to pay, the hostess was indifferent to our presence, did not ask if we had enjoyed our meal, did not even smile, just handed me the bill. I should have complained, but did not want to spoil our anniversary any more than the experience already had.

IAM A COACH DRIVER AND ON RACES DAYS THIS IS THE BEST PLACE WITH PARKING FOR A STOP OFF WITH PASSENGERS, MAKE SURE YOU PRE BOOK ;)

Enjoyed another great meal at The Woodman, Bishopthorpe (steak night). We always get a warm welcome, great service and food. It is so nice to be remembered when we go back as we travel quite a way to eat here..Thank you to Laura and the team.

Only stared 3 for atmosphere as we were sat outside, but I'm sure it's great. Food was excellent cooked to perfection, we had the Sunday lunch. I would advise to book though, we went spurr of the moment and it was busy with Food and were hosting a christening party, we arrived 1.50 and had to wait until 2.30, then Food arrived after about 20mins later. We certainly will go back again. The staff and Bar lady can't be more helpful.

Fish and chips and shepherds pie was good but the Platters were very tasteless. Sadly the proprietor was in an extremely obvious bad mood. Very Irritable with her young staff who were delightful and doing their best 😔

Great pub and the staff are always welcoming! The garden is large and is great in summer. There is also a play area for kids which is useful for families. Very dog friendly!

Great food, well presented. Excellent service, very friendly place. The " boss lady" was very welcoming & she has a great team. Nice pint of Landlord Always a great Sunday lunch!!

Visited for lunch with family. Wasn't particularly busy. Young staff were friendly but an older lady must have been having a bad day. Not a large menu but that's not necessarily a bad thing. We all enjoyed the meals that we chose.

Excellent food and service as usual 👌 family meal

Visited with a friend it was absolutely gorgeous. The chips are soooooo amazing! Very friendly staff, will be returning 👍🏻

I used this pub on Friday 17th May 2024 I ordered a pint and a half of cider the girl that served me said it cost £7.95 which I thought was a bit much but I paid on my card I then checked my bank account on Sunday to find I had payed £17.95 at this time it was to late to go back to the pub as I had moved on please be careful and check what you are paying so you don't get ripped of like me

Had a Sunday roast best pub lunch we've had in a long time staff friendly and attentive pet friendly our dog loved it we would recommend 100 percent well worth a visit thanks you guys

A disappointing meal compared with our visit last year. The steaks were tough and the starters of garlic prawns and chicken wings tasteless. We had to ask 3 times for water to be brought to our table even though we asked for it when we ordered our wine. Fish and chips were good however but probably won’t be rushing back as there are plenty of other pubs/restaurants to try in the village.

Great service, but food lacks imagination, however a new menu is about to come and change this aspect.

The food is great and the staff are very friendly and welcoming. Always enjoy going here for a family meal.

My chips were luke warm, and the pastry on my pie was difficult to cut through. My friend requested no tomato on her burger, and when it arrived, it had tomato in it. It took them another 20 minutes to bring another one.

Third time at The Woodman. Excellent service and the food is outstanding. Love it here.

Only criticism would be the toilets, could do with a freshening up 😉

Visited the Woodman today for a nice afternoon tea. The steak and ale pie was amazing. The chips were lovely too. Nice and thick. Great service and very reasonably priced. Lovely staff. Cannot fault the place! Also has an amazing garden for kids with swings and climbing frame etc.

Called in by chance and so glad we did. The lady at the bar was friendly and welcoming. The food was superb with generous portions. It is far beyond the standard fair you get with a chain pub. It was a wait for the meal to be served but so worth it. The beer (Yorvik Blonde) was good as well.

We had a funeral tea here. The food was excellent but the amount of food we got for the price was not good. The amount of food was not worth the money we paid

What a wonderful pub this is. We were visiting York for the weekend from Bristol, I only found it via a Google search and decided to take my chances. Well I’m so happy I did! The food and service were both fantastic. Definitely worth a visit and if we’re up north again we will most certainly be coming back.

We were heading back home to nearby Dringhouses after a morning shopping and decided to try The Woodman for lunch. This was our first visit and we were very happy with the friendly service and the tasty food. The chips were especially delicious! We’ll be sure to come back again 😊

Went to funeral tea there , well catered for

Beautiful pub, great food and lovely staff! Dog friendly too

Went without booking with a family of 6 (4 kids) at 4.30pm. amazing service. Colouring for the kids. Amazing freshly cooked food. Large portions! Great experience.

Website etc said open. Walked for over half an hour to find it in darkness. Thankfully, the Marcia across yhe Road was not only open, but welcoming and friendly. Go there instead .

Had a lovely meal. Food was right up our street and well made. Will definitely go back.

After a morning at York outlet we decided to find somewhere close to wat for a birthday meal. So glad we did! The food was amazing and the service was super friendly without being "in your face" we wish we lived closer so could go every week! Definitely a lucky find for us!

Took the kids there for tea. Lovely warm welcome and delicious food. The kids had the meal deal. We didn't have time to stay for pudding so they kindly gave us some yummy brownies to take away.

Fantastic place. Hadn’t been for a while but called in. A very busy bustling place full of character and atmosphere. Our food was hot and very tasty. The staff were very accommodating. The landlady was very pleasant. Taking time to chat even though they were busy. Definitely recommend

Been before but not for a while. The place hasn’t changed at all. The decor is homely and the staff are amazing. Nothing is too much trouble. Our choices were hot and well presented. Would definitely recommend

Second visit here for lunch after a shopping trip to York. Got a table straight away as it was quite quiet. Drinks were served again at the perfect (cold) temperature for lager and white wine. We ordered our mains and the landlady actually remembered us from last time and that I had ordered the same meal (the lovely mixed grill)…it was early October the last time we came here so that is certainly a good memory for customers! As last time, good food served fresh and a bit of local background from the friendly landlady ( told me all about the ice sculpture trail in York which was happening that day). Can’t fault it!

Have visited this Pub many times over the years and after our son visited recently and came back with a glowing report I decided to pay a visit after a long absence and try it myself again. On entrance a smiling reception from the ladies behind the bar was a brilliant start, there is a good range of beers and lagers on offer , myself opting for a pint of Timothy Taylors Landlord bitter which was excellent and obviously the Landlady knows her stuff when it comes to keeping and serving beers. The food on offer was varied and not overpriced and veggie options are available. I chose the Steak and Ale Pie and was not disappointed, the pie in short crust pastry was packed with meat, the chips were great along with the garden peas, in short the meal was delicious. It would probably be a good idea to ring and book a table rather than be disappointed if very busy. Good sized car park at the front of the pub and large beer garden at the rear. All in all a great venue, smiling and helpful staff, great beers and great food. What is not to like.

Very nice food at a reasonable price

Just googled a pub nearby as we were at York outlet for the day. What can we say amazing. Food was incredible and were still talking about it two days later. We had a Sunday roast the beef was cooked to perfection. And so much veg with cauliflower cheese too. And the staff were great nothing to much trouble. So big thank you to all will definitely go again if nearby.

Dropped lucky on Saturday night (probably because there was just 2 of us ) Busy pub / restaurant for dinner It’s got a lovely cosy atmosphere and a varied menu , the starters of mushrooms and the beetroot hummus were amazing big portions Mains of duo of beef and steak were cooked to perfection, great house red too !! FOH staff couldn’t be better Defo come back when we are in York again ,

We made a last minute booking last night and were delighted they could fit us in. It was relatively quiet when we arrived, but still had a warm and cosy atmosphere. Between the five of us we had an assortment of dishes and there was nothing to complain about with any of them. Generous portions and mouthwatering flavours The two young gentleman who served us were an absolute delight. Extremely pleasant and very efficient. We will definitely be back!

We visited The Woodman as a group of 17 last night to celebrate my son’s 30th birthday. We happily paid a £5 per head deposit & pre-ordered starters & mains. The staff were happy for us to bring balloons & some table decorations & brought my son out a birthday dessert with candles, a lovely touch. The whole evening was fantastic, the staff were brilliant, we had everything we needed & nothing was too much trouble. The food all came out together & was delicious, everyone really enjoyed it. Thank you for making our evening so special, we were able to enjoy celebrating together, while the staff managed our large group with ease. I would definitely return in future.

Dined here a few times when previously visiting York. Always been excellent, and new years eve was as previous. Super friendly welcoming staff,great food.Highly reccomend

4 of us turned up without a booking on Boxing Day hoping for a bite to eat , they saved the day and welcomed us and we enjoyed superb meals with first class service , 5* experience !

Excellent place for a family lunch. The staff were so friendly and welcoming and the food was great. Just to mention that some of the starters are quite large, so if you are a pudding fan factor that in!

Stopping nearby in our caravan we decided to call up to Bishopthorpe. The Woodman is a gem of a pub. The landlady is very welcoming and knowledgeable. We couldn't stay for food but definitely will next time. The pie looked amazing. Highly recommend Also very dog friendly

Excellent pub, highly recommend

We booked to bring my Mum for lunch but unfortunately at the last minute she was not feeling well . Husband and I decided as we were in York we would still go for our lunch and so glad we did . We had the farm sharing platter which was amazing value with so much food from 4 thick cut pieces of Ham, sausages in honey scotch egg and an Asian beef that was so good . There were various mixed salads loads of Chunky pieces of bread and a big slice of pate that was too strong a taste for me but my husband enjoyed. I will bring my sister next time to try the fish platter . This is the 3rd time we have shared a meat platter and each time they have been different but all really good value .

Tasteless pate as a starter. Did say which they took of the bill. How ever out main come total over season. The chips where covered in salt was so over power on the whole off our meals. So I said something to the staff who took and just laughed at me. I asked why she was laughing. She said not at you at the situation. No one else said out and I’m the first to complain. Paid £40 for some break and 2 drink as the rest was t edible. Your customer service is completely shocking.

Funeral lunch for my father and they were very accommodating and kind. Buffet lunch was very good and service excellent

All four of us enjoyed the food. Posh Fish Pie, Gammon, Beef pie and a sandwich and chips. Nice that we weren't hurried at all. So time to chat with our friends. Including puds and coffees we were there for 3 hours. As they say, they don't do fast food they do good food.

We stopped here for a Sunday lunch and it was lovely. I would recommend and if in the area definitely go back.

Just had an amazing Sunday lunch. My Son has severe allergies (serious ones, not just an intolerance).. when booking I told them my requirements and the landlady went above an beyond... When we arrived, they were re confirmed and they went through the measures they had taken. We felt very safe and he had an amazing dinner. The rest of us had one of the best Sunday dinners we have had in years. Thanks to everyone. So pleased

Not the warm welcome we were expecting by the lady with the dark hair , she was abrupt .. bad start … the young man who took orders and brought out the food was nice but didn’t ask if anyone had any allergies which is a standard thing for restaurants nowadays , wait for food after order was taken was 50 mins which was a bit too long in my opinion . I was looking forward to the twice cooked chips but I got some white undercooked chips … the flat iron steak seemed to be cooked well but was tasteless ,we asked for barbecue sauce and salad cream but didn’t have any and they use a pot of sachets for condiments which is a bit cheap for the cost of the meals which in my opinion was overpriced , sorry woodman won’t be returning , very disappointing PS , I didn’t complain on the night because I was in company and too hungry to send it back …

Absolute gem of a place, first class food definitely come back again xx

Was quiet but staff friendly, food lovely

Here for a funeral wake. Average buffet food, nothing outstanding. Absolute zilch wifi!! Landlady didn't seem concerned as long as it didn't affect her usage!

We recently booked the Woodman Inn for the our Aunts Wake. We visited the Inn before booking and were made welcome and given all the information we needed to complete the booking. We rang the week before with numbers and the menu we had chosen. On the day the buffet spread was amazing and there was plenty of it. The fish goujons were especially good as was the lemon drizzle cake. Everyone who attended commented that they enjoy the food and we would definitely recommend a visit. Once people dwindled away, the family stayed and some had an evening meal which again was delicious with good service. We found the staff helpful and friendly, we will visit again

Booked for Sunday lunch and all had a fantastic 3 course meal. When we arrived it was really busy but we were served quickly and had our order taken within 10 minutes of sitting down. The food arrived and all was fantastic, the childrens roast dinner was a huge portion and very much enjoyed by our 2 year old. We had a great time and felt extremely comfortable and already looking forward to returning

Another lovely meal with friends (and our dog) last night at the Woodman. Comfy cosy atmosphere on a chilly evening. Food was great as always and the staff are welcoming, friendly and well organised. The chef or chefs behind the scenes really know their trade. The bar always looks inviting and has everything and more than you would expect, including a couple of guest beers which change regularly to offer the opportunity for beer drinkers like myself to try some less familiar but always tasty treats. We will be back 😃. Fantastic place. Fabulous food. Owner super friendly and accomodating. Staff well trained, respectful and friendly. Highly recommend this pub. Best pub food in York area. Lovely garden which is great for a sunny day too.

I simply can't fault this pub other than the waiting staff's inability to engage with the eyes of the diners. My 95 year old father absolutely loved his Steak & Ale Pie, and my Roast Beef Sunday Lunch was perfection personified. Add a wonderfully curated...

The food was absolutely gorgeous and very filling - definitely recommend a visit. Staff are very welcoming and friendly Loved the fact they'd got colouring crayons and books if you brought children to keep them occupied.

Kerb appeal is amazing. Well looked after modern looking establishment. Interior very clean and modern also. Owner (dark haired lady) was quite unfriendly on arrival. Only asked for the WiFi code, head bitten off quite harshly. Then backtracked saying too expensive and signal was terrible...

The food was good. I had roast beef Sunday lunch. Very good. Decent size plateful, prepared carefully with attention to detail. Tender beef, cooked medium (just right, moist, slightly pink), generous portion. Large Yorkshire pud. Well prepared roast potatoes, crisp outside. Selection of several vegetables,...

Whilst at designer outlet, googled near by pubs with home cooked food, Rang on the off chance they had a table for 2 adults and a baby. Luckily for us they managed to squeeze us in. So glad we found this place. The food was amazing, the waiter/ess were welcoming and always busy. Food was served with a warm smile and interacted with the baby. The lady who runs it, was run off her feet, but still had time to regular talk to all customers and ensure everyone including us were happy and comfortable. Great find! We will certainly be returning, we both even said the drive from Leeds will be worth it each time.

I would have given 5 stars, if the front of house lady with the dark hair hadn't been so abrupt....looking back in the reviews other people have experienced this too. Complements to the chef, our food was delicious, well presented and looking at the other...

Called in for lunch after a shopping trip. Lovely pub with nice atmosphere. Service was great, the lady who owns the pub was very friendly and ran front of house it like clockwork! The food came quickly and was excellent, everything was fresh and high...

Booked a meal for three on Wednesday evening everything from the staff to the meal was excellent. The young male staff member ( sorry I did not get his name) was attentive and polite , drinks when order were prepared swiftly and brought to our...

Really lovely lunch here today! Warm welcome and friendly attentive service, great atmosphere and decor and yummy food with wide choice of food. Husband especially loved his steak and ale pie which was a proper pie with pastry top and bottom and generous filling of...

Visited with my sister for our first time. It was great relaxing meal and the staff, particularly the owner were very friendly. The food was delicious and well presented. The rice pudding with winter fruits was divine! Will definitely return. Highly recommend.

This is a gem of a find and it’s very dog friendly too. On arrival our dog Rosie received a brilliant welcome from the landlady. Service was excellent from the newly (well) trained staff and the food was beautiful. This is a pub with better...

Food was average, service very slow but the manager (the lady with dark hair) was extremely rude and patronising - we will never return

Great little spot. Great menu, relaxed friendly atmosphere, great service

Decided to try out the Woodman Inn for food as heard great reviews! Well… now experiencing first hand I can vouch for the reviews! Great evening with the Mrs for a date night. On entering met with polite and bubbly staff. Atmosphere was of a...

Would highly recommend this pub, the food is outstanding, service really good, atmosphere was great , just a really well presented family run place. Will most definitely be returning 😁😁

Very attentive staff who welcomed our dogs and looked after us all. I didn't receive the main i had ordered but all the food was delicious!

Popped in for lunch today with two friends, prior to attending a funeral at the local Crematorium. Amazing place, lovely atmosphere, great menu, great service. Its spotlessly clean with some really lovely touches,.Food was really good. It's a really relaxed setting. Nothing not to like....

We visit Bishiothorpe 2 or 3 times a year, mainly for York Races. We always return to The Woodman as the menu/food is outstanding! All the staff work tremendously hard, and this resonates in the warm welcome you receive during your visit. The beer garden...

My parents stay in bishopthorpe a lot, on 2 occasions this year we have visited the woodman. We have always been welcomed by a friendly, knowledgeable member of staff. The owner Laura is such a lovely woman. Nothing is to much trouble. The food is...

Came here last weekend with my Parents! We aren't from the area but luckily stumbled upon this little Gem! It was very busy due to the lovely weather and the owner politely told us there may be a 30min wait for food as they were busy, The food arrived after no time and all the staff were helpful and polite! Not to mention the food was amazing! Very accomodating of my parents two dogs too! Can't reccomend this place enough! Lovey atmosphere. Lovely people and amazing food! Will deffinatly be back!

Fabulous service and food . Totally recommend

Proud to call The Woodman our local. Such a warm and lovely atmosphere. They have a great selection of drinks and the food is incredible. Always feel very welcome and the service is perfect every time. Even at their busiest times they keep smiling and provide a calm and fast service. We are so grateful for their hard work and great vibe. Nice place to chill out and enjoy yourself. Thank you to all the staff for such a lovely pub.

We had a social gathering here recently and gave the owner of the pub a good notice of such event. The staff were lovely, the food was ok but the real issue was the owner/manager. Moody, angry and selfish. The owner appeared to be rude and a lack of attention. This person in question was snappy with a poor demean-a. When ordering,this person gave a lack of attention and was annoyed when ordering drinks and food. I feel bad for the other members of the staff as they seemed happy and had a positive attitude where as this owner has the exact opposite. This person clearly didn’t want to work here and really pushed a negative atmosphere on our event. Avoid and will not be coming back until at least a new owner is in place. Edit after reply: The organiser was forced to have a deposit of 20 people for food. Less than this had food so would of made a deposit unnecessary. As a pub knowing that ‘x’ amount of people were coming you would like to think that having some food organised would be a given. Also, the person who came back for Sunday lunch was forced due to leaving their car there.

Really nice country pub. Staff very friendly and accommodating. The food was excellent. We had a starter and main you could tell that everything was cooked fresh. Too sum up excellent service and terrific food. We will definitely return.

We went there with my 3 year old daughter as they have a playground setting in the garden. The food we had was OK, nothing special but we had a horrible experience on our way out. I visited the bathroom and my daughter was playing...

Just had fabulous meal cannot fault food or service highly recommend a visit the manageress was really attentive Thank you so much

Really great pub, eaten here for years now, great for families and couples. Wonderful staff, great beer and location. Big garden with playground.

The lady who runs this pub is very rude. 5 of us went in for lunch and drinks at the weekend. The pub had about 15 other customers, so was quiet. We ordered drinks from the friendly barman and were told the food was table service. We waited for almost an hour, nobody came to take our order, so I went back to order food at the bar. The lady then abruptly said there was a 30 minute wait before we could even order food. Another 30 minutes went by and so I went back inside to be told to wait another 30 minutes because she was busy. We should have left, but we stayed and ordered the food, which was average at best. The young girl and boy who were waiting & serving were apologetic and pleasant, but the landlady was very rude, abrupt and not apologetic about the major delays we encountered. Nothing was knocked off our food or drinks bill. We will not go back again, and would recommend others to stay away until there is a change of ownership.

Sehr schön! Ein schöner, gemütlicher Biergarten, leckeres, ausgefallenes Essen, freundlicher Service, kühles Bier. Danke!

Had fab meal here last night The food is top class and the service was brill , all the staff were so friendly Definitely will be coming back especially when the new menu goes live Thanks again ….

High expectations were not met.!!!!. feeling very very disappointed!! We decided to have my father's funeral wake here because family had travelled along way and with the woodman being only down the road from York crematorium this felt perfect!! Lovely pub!!! Shame about the hospitality !! First of all the manager wasn't there to greet us !! Very rude!? The lady behind the bar hardly spoke two words. No one came over to see how things were . All ok?? No cold drinks for the kids . Just tea and coffee but not all kids want tea. very let down by the food. Cold cheap pizza not even the kids wanted! Sandwiches were ok but no crisps or coleslaw. No colour , no care , no thought Come on!!! Lovely chocolate cake but nothing to eat it with and no cream. Just lacked care . Not worth the money to be honest. I think we would have been better ordering from the bar and sharing hot pizzas between us and fries as the reviews seem to be good for the pub food ! At least it would have been more appetizing . So yeah , won't be coming here again!..