News Beat
REVIEW: Festive dinner at The Ivy, St Helen’s Square, York
YORK looks magnificent in every season, but especially magical at this time of year.
With or without snow, the twinkling street lights, dazzling window displays, and decorated trees make this my favourite time of the year in the city.
Many hospitality businesses go over and above to, if not deck the halls, well certainly the dining rooms and bar areas.
Top marks so far go to Oscars in Swinegate where The Press team enjoyed a very festive Christmas night out amid a Santa grotto’s worth of decorations.
But that may just have been pipped to the top spot by The Ivy in St Helen’s Square, where the festive colour begins at the entrance where guests are greeted with trees festooned with lights and windows framed with pretty garlands.
Inside, a full Christmas tree – topped with a giant red velvet ribbon – is the star of the show.
But what about the food – and drink?
The restaurant is running a special festive menu until December 31 (two courses for £55 or three courses for £60), but we opted for the a la carte, which still promised lots of seasonal flavours.
To start, we chose two appetisers to share: truffle arancini rice balls (£7.25) and the zucchini fritti (£6.95). Both were excellent, especially the arancini which amounted to a generous bowl of eight crunchy rounds of warm rice, perfectly dosed with the savoury notes of truffle. The fritti came as a mound of lightly battered straws of courgette, which almost melted in the mouth. This would also work as a substantial side dish for the entire table instead of fries.
For drinks, I enjoyed a special cocktail: the Champagne and pear mojito (£14), which was a gorgeous blend of Champagne, Cuban rum, pear and mint, and came as a long serve which lasted me the entire meal (along with a jug of tap water).
My dining partner had an alcohol-free drink: the pomegranate and pear cooler (£5) which also delivered suitable festive flavours.
For mains, after changing their mind several times and debating the merits of The Ivy fish and chips, the lobster linguine, or the wild mushroom and truffle pasta, my companion ordered the chicken Milanese (£21.95), while I only had eyes for the soy-glazed blackened cod (£24.95) which came with citrus-pickled fennel, tenderstem broccoli, wakame seaweed, and a yuzu dressing.
For sides, we chose the buttered greens (£5.50) and a bowl of truffle and parmesan chips (£6.95).
The food arrived in good time and I could not fault my dish. The cod – which I always think of as bland and in need of some serious TLC and creativity from a cook – was outstandingly delicious. The soy glaze rendered it sticky and moreish and went perfectly with all the other Asian flavours on the plate. The broccoli was a brilliant green and still had a bite. The side dish of greens – fresh peas and broad beans – were welcome too.
The chicken Milanese was decent, but not in the same league. The best bits were the perfectly-cooked hen’s egg which came on top of the breaded meat and the rich truffle-infused mayonnaise on the side. The escalope had been slightly overcooked and was tough and blackened on the edge. We noted a neighbouring table had the same dish and that looked perfect, so we were unlucky.
The truffle and parmesan chips are a bit of a legend at The Ivy, and are a must order on any visit.
These did not disappoint, and were thick and crispy with a soft inner and packed the full umami punch with the double whammy of Parmesan and truffle.
We were quite full, but agreed to share a dessert (for reviewing purposes, of course).
The obvious choice was The Ivy Santa (£13.95) which had top billing on the menu and featured a vanilla parfait, milk chocolate mousse, and white chocolate blondie. Unfortunately, it was sold out, so we chose The Ivy chocolate bomb (£12.50) instead.
This is another Ivy legend, and a piece of culinary theatre. Presented as a chocolate sphere, it soon became a gooey mess of chocolate, ice-cream and honeycomb as our waiter poured a hot caramel sauce over the top. Fun, for sure, and full of the decadent pleasures we want during the festive season.
All in all, we had a good dinner in a gorgeous setting which delivered all the festive feels.
For a special treat where you can soak up all the colours and flavours of the festive period, The Ivy is worth a visit during the holidays.
Reviews are independent and paid for by The Press
Fact file
The Ivy, St Helen’s Square, York
T: 01904 403888
W: ivycollection.com
Verdict
Food: Tasty in the main
Ambience: Very festive
Service: Mixed
Value: A treat for sure
