York has been named the UK city with the highest concentration of great restaurants, according to the newly released Tripadvisor Travelers' Choice Awards: Best of the Best Restaurants for 2026. The awards are based on first-hand reviews from millions of travellers over the last year.
The medieval city in North Yorkshire outranks foodie capitals London, Manchester and Edinburgh, despite having a population almost 50 times smaller than London.
Brazilian restaurant ranks eighth worldwide
York's standout restaurant is Casa Brazilian Rodizio, a family-run, authentic Brazilian rodizio-style restaurant that ranked eighth worldwide. The restaurant aims to "provide an unforgettable authentic taste, service and experience for an unbeatable set price!"
One reviewer wrote: "Went out for a family meal yesterday, the food was absolutely amazing, the place was astonishing. The meat tasted rich, and the buffet had so many amazing options." The restaurant has been awarded 4.9/5 stars by thousands of reviewers.
Other York restaurants in top rankings
Other York restaurants performed well in the UK rankings. Buongiorno, Enoteca By L'uva and Damastique made the top 25 in the 'best casual dining' list. Legacy At The Grand ranked seventh in the UK's best date-night restaurants, and Melton's reached the same spot on the 'best fine dining' rundown. The family-run Turkish restaurant Kapadokya 50 was named one of the UK's best hidden gems.
The Michelin Guide lists 16 restaurants in York and its surroundings, three with stars and a Michelin Green Star, including Roots and Mýse.
Young chefs drive foodie revolution
York's rise to become the country's premier gastronomy spot is recent. A new crop of young chefs has been putting the city's food in the spotlight, in backstreets from Micklegate to The Shambles. Among them is Tommy Banks, one of the youngest chefs in the UK to win a Michelin star, who leads Roots York in the city centre. His cooking relies heavily on homegrown produce, farm-to-table tasting menus, and unique preservation techniques.
Another is Ahmed Abdalla, head chef at Legacy inside The Grand hotel, who creates modern British tasting menus with classic Yorkshire ingredients. Joshua and Victoria Overington run Restaurant Mýse, a place that specialises in local Anglo-Saxon culinary heritage.
Eduardo Caetano, owner of Casa Brazilian Rodizio, opened the restaurant 11 years ago. "The philosophy of the restaurant is casa, which means home. When you come in, you come into our home. You are my guest. If the food is not good enough for me, it's not good enough for me," he told the Mirror. "The offering in York is an extremely competitive market, there are loads of places to eat. I love that there are so many family businesses here. For me, York is the only place in the world that feels like home."
Caetano recommended Delrio's Italian Restaurant as a place he loves to eat in York. "I love going there," he added.
Casual dining and markets add to appeal
York's casual dining scene is also strong. Recent additions doing well locally include authentic Neapolitan pizzeria Cresci Pizzeria, which has become a citywide favourite, while the sandwiches of Browns in Heslington remain a cheap, filling option.
The Shambles Market, York's main daily open-air market, is located at Silver Street in the heart of the city. Come early November, it is joined by the Christmas Market, with Alpine chalets filling up Parliament Street and St Sampson's Square. Stallholders bring a real buzz to the city and plenty of gastro-delights, including artisanal hot cocoa, locally made gin, scratchings, high-end crumble and more.
York's pubs also serve up delicious food. The House of Trembling Madness pairs cheese boards and yards of ale, while Valhalla York on Patrick Pool is a Viking-themed ale house serving hearty meat and cheese boards alongside local mead and ales.
York has actively invested in growing its food reputation through events such as York Restaurant Week, now one of the UK's biggest events of its kind since its 2019 launch. The most recent edition doubled to two weeks and featured over 100 participating venues. The previous October's event saw over 22,000 vouchers downloaded, bringing in nearly £400,000 for local businesses, a 70% jump from the year before.
