Nestled between an array of restaurants and bars, just a short walk from York’s historic The Shambles and located amongst one the many cobbled streets, you will find the most instagramable doorway; the doorway to FORAGE.
When I was asked if @coxys_kitchen would like to sample the food at York restaurant FORAGE, it was definitive yes from me!
My moto as a cook is “Be wise not wasteful” [#bewisenotwasteful]. I do my best to cook as sustainably as possible and food waste is a huge no no, so it’s no surprise that I already had a vested interest in the FORAGE concept.
As the name suggests, the restaurant uses locally sourced and foraged ingredients, bringing fresh and eco-friendly flavours to their diners.
The restaurant first opened its doors as a pop-up restaurant and cocktail bar in September 2021 and is now a permanent fixture in the heart of York.
Having taken the obligatory Instagram shots in front of the beautiful flower wall, we headed inside to be greeted with a warm welcome. We were asked to take a seat in the bar while our table was being prepared. In no time at all, the table was ready and we were led into the main restaurant.
Kitted out with modern tables and chairs, twinkly lights and a few quirky pieces of wall art, the space is nice, if not a little stark. After such an amazing entrance, we both felt it was a shame that the foliage and flower theme wasn’t quite carried through for a warmer, more relaxed feel, which would match the delicious food we were about to tuck into.
To kick off proceedings I ordered my go-to cocktail, a Negroni. This one with a forage twist and aptly named ‘Wild Negroni’, arrived on a smoking wooden board. I do believe the board was supposed to be clad in smoky moss, but even without, it didn’t take away from the theatre and the drink was just as I like it, strong and heady!
My dining partner was driving, so ordered the ‘Yorkshire Garden’ mocktail; a take on a Mojito, but just as good as any alcoholic Mojito cocktail.
On with the food – contemporary European dishes cooked over fire, most of which are designed for sharing. The dishes are served tapas-style and brought to the table as and when they are ready, allowing you to graze as you go and catch up with friends between courses.
To wake up the taste buds, we both ordered the ‘Curried Crab Tart’ from the small plates. A tasty bite of creamy Harrogate Blue [cheese] and curried white crab meat, packet into a wafer thin and crunchy tart case and served in a crab shell.
Once the now empty crab shells had been cleared, we were brought the other dishes all at once. It would have been better if the dishes had been brought in stages, allowing us to graze – as the concept suggests – and have short breaks between dishes. Nonetheless, the food was delicious, so here’s what we had:
- Forage fried chicken with smoked chilli mayo
- Pan fried scallops with pea and wild garlic puree, potato scraps, curry and sea herbs
From the cooked over fire section:
- Onglet steak tacos with Shirazi salad, pickled chilli, harissa yogurt and coriander
- Ribeye with confit garlic and wild garlic pesto
- Flame grilled prawn with herb zhug
- Coffee rubbed pork chop with wild garlic kimchi
And on the side:
- Confit potatoes with wild garlic emulsion
- Spring greens with vadouvan butter
- Truffle emulsion
- Wild garlic emulsion
Despite the dishes being smaller and designed for sharing, we could not manage a dessert, but as neither of us have a sweet tooth, we didn’t feel like we were missing out.
All the food was outstanding but our personal favourites included the steak tacos, ribeye, pork and prawns. The two side dishes were spot on and the emulsions work well with all of the dishes, allowing you to add as much or as little as you like to suit your personal taste.
After letting our food settle while we finished our glass of Malbec, I asked the waitress about the hidden bar, ‘Wild By Forage’. We were soon led upstairs, where books are a doorway to a small, but perfectly formed cocktail bar, decked beautifully with plush seating, flowers, foliage and plenty of ambient lighting – now this place really does carry the theme!
The bar is home to a specially designed cocktail menu and we both chose the ‘Smoky Old Fashioned’ to finish what had been a wonderful evening, sampling some of the freshest and tastiest sharing plates we’d had in a long time.
If you’re looking for somewhere that serves fantastic freshly foraged food and/or simply delicious cocktails with a twist, then you must pay this place a visit.
Check FORAGE out and Book Your Table HERE.
Review and some images by Sarah Cox @coxyskitchen
All other images supplied by FORAGE
