Review: New Spring Menu at The Ivy, St Helen's Square
What I loved about it:
If you want to eat amazing food in a sophisticated, friendly and relaxed setting then The Ivy really is a must.
Location:
Suitable for:
Value for money (out of 10):
Website:
Step Into Spring with The Ivy
Nestled within St Helen’s Square in the heart of the city, The Ivy is comfortably positioned in a prime location next to the likes of Betty’s tea rooms and other foodie hotspots. From the moment you walk through the door you know that you are somewhere special. Quite possibly one of the most popular restaurants in York, people are often charmed by the beautiful floral displays and seasonal foliage. Within easy reach of the cities main sights and attractions, this wonderful restaurant has a significant reputation with restaurants in several UK city’s including Harrogate, Leeds, Edinburgh and Manchester as well as their signature brasserie in London.
We were greeted in the entrance area by a couple of members of staff who showed us to our seats, although the restaurant was busy you still felt as though you had plenty of space and weren’t too close to the next table. We were sat by the window and it was lovely watching the world go by. Overlooking the Mansion House, home to the Lord Mayor of York, the ever so scenic square looked stunning with people enjoying food and drinks al fresco in the nice weather.
The Ivy offers a sophisticated dining experience without being too pretentious, it is glamourous but cosy and combines an air of tradition and luxury. With amazing art work decorating every inch of the walls it offered an energetic and fun feeling to the evening. The dining rooms are spacious with a 1920’s charm with a glitzy bar and plush furnishings offering a vibrant pop of colour.
Our waitress was excellent, she offered fantastic food and cocktail recommendations and the service was great throughout the meal – we really couldn’t fault it.
We ordered a couple of cocktails from the new Spring menu, I went for the Sparkling Peartini (£12.50) which was Grey Goose Le Poire, Italicus Bergamot Liqeuer, Lillet Blanc, Lemon and The Ivy Collection champagne, and my partner decided on the Blood Orange Margarita (£10.95) which was a twist on the classic Margarita with Olmeca Altos Plata Tequila, Cointreau, blood orange syrup, lime and orange juice. Both drinks were exceptional, full of flavour and we would have definitely ordered the same again if we hadn’t have wanted to try some of the others. The French Garden with Hendricks Gin, St Germain Elderflower Liqueur, sugar, lime, cucumber and The Ivy Collection Champagne, was also absolutely beautiful.
For starters, I ordered the Twice Baked Cheese Souffle (£8.75) which has become a firm favourite of mine. It comes with gratinated mature cheddar, Gouda and Edam cheese with cream sauce and grated black truffle. I think I could also go as far as saying it is the best Cheese Souffle that I have ever tasted and is definitely one for the cheese lovers. My partner chose the Duck Liver Parfait (£8.50) which came with toasted hazelnuts, truffle, pear and ginger compote, which was served with a slice of toasted brioche. This dish also went down extremely well.
There really is no shortage of delicious dishes when dining at The Ivy, and for my main course I opted for the Chicken Milanese, (£17.50) which arrived with a generous portion of truffle and parmesan cream sauce and a fried egg. My partner ordered the Korean Glazed Chicken (£17.95) which was melt in your mouth marvellous and the meat was beautifully cooked. We also shared some truffle and parmesan chips to accompany our meals and these proved to be a great addition.
Those with a sweet tooth will enjoy choosing from an incredible range of desserts. A firm favourite on the menu, the Chocolate Bomb is a very popular choice. A huge chocolate shell filled with vanilla ice cream and honeycomb, placed on a milk foam with hot salted caramel sauce poured on top. It was absolutely divine and well worth the £8.95. The Ivy even say it themselves that this decadent dessert is not to be missed and they are absolutely right – it really was incredible. My partner went for the Black Bee Honey and White Chocolate Cheesecake (£9.25). A key new addition to The Ivy Spring menu, this bee-autiful dessert features UK Black Bee Honey, accompanied by a mango sorbet, honeycomb and edible flowers. It was light, creamy and very indulgent. I must also admit that I am not a huge fan of honey, however this dessert was very subtle and the flavours went together nicely. The mango sorbet served as a bit of a pallet cleanser and went impeccably well with the cheesecake. I’d definitely recommend for diners to try this dessert this Spring, it really was delicious. The Ivy, St Helen’s Square continues to be a total foodie favourite and is a must visit destination.
We were kindly invited by The Ivy, St Helen’s Square to sample their new Spring menu to review, overall it was a joyous evening out and we really enjoyed it. To book a table at The Ivy, check out the link in the handy links list below.
The Ivy, York
St Helen’s Square
York
YO1 8QP
REVIEW
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