At this time of the night, the street was crowded with people walking to and from bars and restaurants, and we headed to D'Vine, a contemporary Italian restaurant that had been recommended to us, to find a table.
My friend Lucy has been a fan of this place for a long time and mentioned the £29 Wine and Dine for two courses and half a carafe of wine. Sadly Saturday is the only day of the week we can and the only day the offer doesn't apply, but still the place was crowded when we were shown to our seats.
We chose to sit upstairs, away from the downstairs bar, and the first thing we noticed was the decor. The traditional paint and exposed beams found in many of the city's trendier restaurants are nowhere to be seen. Instead, D'Vine offers a luxurious atmosphere that's somewhere between a soccer player's wife's boudoir and Liberace's dining room.
First there are mirrored walls, followed by glossy wallpaper and crystal chandeliers. The atmosphere is very much that of an overseas continental holiday restaurant, with music featuring chart-toppers from the early 2000s. If you don't like this, don't put it off. I haven't gotten around to eating yet.
As soon as I sat down, the waitress brought me a menu and I chose a bottle of red wine, Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, for £20. Once it arrived, we asked for a few more minutes to ponder our choices. Don't be fooled. We offer a balanced selection of traditional Italian cuisine, from pizza to pasta, grilled meats and vegetarian options.
Jordan ordered a quattro formaggio pizza (£10.95) with a side of grilled asparagus (£2.95) and a mozzarella risotto (£4.95). Meanwhile I had calamari (£6.95) and mixed seafood linguini (£13.95).
One of the benefits of the simple menu is that the food arrived quickly and our menus were quickly and smartly placed on the table. Jordan's sizeable starter was served in a smooth tomato sauce and the garlic was not shaved. It was a risotto full of cheese and covered in lots of crispy breadcrumbs.
My calamari was four golden rings of battered calamari on a bed of rocket with an aioli dip. I ordered it to see how it compared to my favorite version of this dish at Carluccio's, and while it unfortunately fell short, it wasn't far off and the dough was simply better than I had hoped. It was just a little thick. However, the mozzarella sticks were heavenly and I wish that was what I had chosen.
After a quick chat and a few glasses of wine, the mains were before us.
Competition among York's Italian restaurants is fierce, so you can trust good pizza. In this respect, this is the Naples of the North. D'Vine's quattro formaggio is one of the best in the city. Each cheese uses a blend that doesn't overwhelm the other cheeses, and a thin, light dough that's just the right amount of crunch.
The seafood linguini was packed with scallops, mussels and shrimp, and for someone like me who loves shellfish, it was a pure joy.
We shared the grilled asparagus with balsamic vinegar. It was delicious proof that the restaurant sources high quality ingredients.
The desserts we chose were £4.95 each, mine was chocolate fondant and Jordan was tiramisu. Without a doubt, my fondant was the best I've ever had. The sponge and rich sauce intertwine perfectly, and the sauce in the middle is topped with plenty of vanilla ice cream and strawberry garnish. The tiramisu looked difficult to make, but it was surprisingly light. A well-soaked sponge added a boozy touch to this Italian classic.
Before we finish, we need to add a line about staff. The service was nearly perfect all night. The waitress who served us was full of smiles and had just the right level of attentiveness without hovering. There was no waiting for anything.
From my window seat, I could see the open kitchen and watch the food being prepared, so I was reassured that I was aware of the behind-the-scenes technology.
On the night that nearby Lucia's hosted its re-opening, a week after The Old House restaurant opened in Petergate, there's more competition in this part of the city, but don't discount D'Vine . Our meals were delicious. , traditional Italian cuisine. The staff could not have been more attentive and the bill came to a total of £69.65.
Beyond the glitz, this place really shines.
D'Vine, 20-24, Swinegate, York YO1 8AZ T: 01904 633700 W: dvine.co.uk
Food: Excellent 4/5
Ambience: Dazzling 3/5
Service: First Class 5/5
Value: Good 4/5
Reviews are independent and meals are paid for by the press.
