Skosh

“I want Skosh in London (along with its Yorkshire staff)” declares a southern fan of this perky eatery housed in a reimagined Grade II-listed building not far from York’s historic Micklegate Bar. It’s not big or flashy, but with “incredibly creative” food, real friendliness and a buzzing vibe, “you cannot help but smile” when eating here. The name is a contraction of the Japanese ‘sukoshi’ (meaning ‘a small amount’), so it’s no surprise that the (open) kitchen goes down the small plates route, gleaning influences from around the globe for a palate-teasing menu stuffed with “tasty innovative morsels”.

There’s a big ‘wow’ factor here, whether you’re nibbling on crab puris with broad beans and tamarind, crispy Saddleback pork with fig ketchup or spring peas and radish with lemongrass, coconut and Thai basil.  Alternatively, fill up on bigger servings of hanger steak with kimchi turnips, grilled Goosnargh duck breast with rhubarb jam and chilli oil or tandoori-style Galician octopus with pickled gooseberry purée. Cheese is given a modish makeover, while sweets might bring mango lassi with a saffron custard doughnut. In short, “fantastic food in a wonderful city”.

York boasts more than its fair share of British history, but in recent years it has also become a haven for food fans. As you soak in the sights of York, either through Shambles Market or past Micklegate bar, you'll likely walk past Skosh, housed in its own Grade II-listed building. Skosh has built a real cult following thanks to chef Neil Bentinck's international small plates - Bentinck's globe-trotting style takes inspiration from Europe, Asia, the Middle East and the Americas, and he blends these influences into a smart menu full of bold, colourful dishes.

The restaurant is bright and welcoming, with a large, busy open kitchen at the back that is always full of life. The menu at Skosh is designed to be super flexible, so guests can order and eat everything together, or enjoy dishes at a more relaxed pace. Dishes are split into vegetable, fish, meat and raw, with a handful of snacks and desserts also on offer. Snacks include the likes of wild garlic flatbread with Yorkshire pecorino fresco, and Whitby crab puris with mango and tamarind, before moving onto dishes like salt-aged beef rump tartare with cauliflower, preserved chilli and furikake, duck egg and potato congee, and chargrilled galician octopus with pear and black bean from the rest of the menu. 

Afters include some more savoury cheese-based options (gorgonzola dolce cheesecake with fig chutney ice cream) as well as classic sweets (pineapple cremeux with Madagascan vanilla, chilli and passion fruit).

The wine list is compact, with wines divided into different flavour profiles to make it easy to find what you're looking for, as well as an emphasis on locally-brewed ales and lagers.