Love it or hate it, TripAdvisor is influential and being rated the number one restaurant in a city is a huge honor.
York is full of fine dining restaurants and celebrity chefs whose Michelin accolades go beyond hot dinners.
However, as of now, no restaurant has achieved the popularity spot of TripAdvisor, where the general dining public voted en masse.
That honor goes to Bongiorno, a small Sardinian bistro tucked away in the suburb of Woodthorpe, about three miles from York city centre.
It's been in this position for a few months, so I thought it was time to check it out.
It is always recommended to make reservations in advance for this restaurant. The restaurant is small, with space for only about 20 people.
Our party was 4 people and we made a reservation for last Saturday at 7:30pm. Storm Jorge was throwing everything at us and even the short dash from the parking lot to the restaurant got us soaking wet.
Bongiorno is tucked away in a square with shops surrounding an open parking lot. There is a Tesco nearby with a cash point, but it's worth knowing that it's cash only. I say this to be forewarned as we did not and had to rush out into a storm after the meal to withdraw money from the ATM.
I thought it would be a small shop, but it was more compact than I had imagined. We were ushered into an alcove in the corner and settled into our seats, doing our best to avoid getting caught in the nets and shells lining the blind-covered walls.
A laminated menu listed starters, pizza and pasta mains priced from £5.50 to £10.50, and specials were written in chalk on three blackboards above the bar. The problem was we were now in an alcove so couldn't see the board and the waiter was busy serving other customers. So we had no choice but to twist the road and go back to look for ourselves. And I'm glad I did, especially since the main course special sounded appealing.
And when our waiter Danny, one of the owners, joined us and started explaining each one in detail, we were convinced.
To start, we had the special prawns (9.50 lbs.) – 3 giant prawns, which are crustaceans. It was satisfyingly meaty, sweet and salty, with a hint of smokiness from the expert grilling. Really amazing.
Other appetizers at the party included tomato garlic bread with burrata cheese (£7) and tomato-braised eggplant (£6.95), each of which were praised as “delicious.''
As the designated driver, I watched my friends enjoy a bottle of Canon Nau (£22.95), a well-received Sardinian red wine.
Moving on to the mains, the seafood pasta special was reported to be “one of the best seafood pastas ever”. Black spaghetti with a mix of mussels and shrimp simmered in tomato sauce flavored with Italian wine. It was topped with one giant shrimp.
Another special we liked was the pasta with sausage ragu (£13.95), which was said to be delicious but the portions were small.
I ordered the fillet steak along with another friend. TripAdvisor reviewers specifically raved about Bongiorno's steak, so it was time to see if it lived up to the hype. At £24.95 each, this was the most expensive item on the menu, so I was hoping it would be worth it.
I had no regrets. This was one of the best steaks I've ever had. It was high quality meat that was carefully cooked. Perfectly seasoned and cooked exactly as I asked: medium to medium-rare. The outside was nicely grilled, the color and flavor were good, and the inside was juicy. My friend had asked for it to be cooked rare and again it was delivered accordingly.
There were two nice accompaniments on the side: buttery, glossy kale and super rich mashed potatoes loaded with creamy Sardinian cheese. Together, the whole dish was a complete joy.
To finish, we shared a selection of homemade desserts (£4.95 each). The tiramisu was the last part, with cream and strawberries on top, which I thought might have been added to cover up the small amount of pudding that was actually in the bowl. Another friend of mine was very happy with the Italian marzipan cake, but also wasn't put off by its bright green color. Of the three, my warm almond cake was the best choice, topped with vanilla ice cream, dark cherry, and chocolate sauce.
The service was great – when we received it! We had to ask for drinks several times and had to wait a long time for our food to come. It took a while to receive the bill at the end of the night. Then I had to dash to the cash point to check out.
On the drive home we all agreed that the food was really good but we wouldn't be rushing back. The restaurant was uncomfortably small. It was so cold that we sat in our coats until Danny turned on the heater. And the service was a bit forgettable. As for value, expect to pay city center prices. But you're paying for quality.
After all, eating out is about more than just having a decent meal. Environment and service are equally important, but Bongiorno did not meet those points.
Buongiorno, Acomb Wood Drive, Woodthorpe, YO24 3XN
Phone: 07985 797754
W: buongiornoyork.co.uk
Food: Very good 4.5/5
Service: inconsistent 3/5
Atmosphere: Cold/Small 2/5
Value: Fair 3.5/5
Reviews are independent and meals are paid for by the press.
