Eating out: What’s the best pub food in York? Fish & Forest at the Gillygate

I had heard great things about Fish & Forest in Sparks, York, but the fish and game pop-up had relocated from Piccadilly Container Park before I had a chance to check it out.

This place resurfaced on my eating out radar when a neighbor reported having a great meal at its new outpost in York's The Gillygate pub, which opened a few months ago. “Cozy, relaxing and great food” was their verdict.

We made a reservation online on a Saturday night (no phone number listed on the website) and got a table for 3 at 7pm. The dining room is small, with only six tables and one private dining area for six people, so it's worth booking in advance.

But it has to be compact, as it's a two-man band, with chef Stephen Andrews in the kitchen and French front-of-house veteran Johann looking after the food. If there are better managers in the city, please point them my way. Johan was friendly, enthusiastic, knowledgeable, and looked after all of us in a charming and easy-going manner. Check regularly to make sure everything is running properly. He genuinely wanted our feedback. This is a sign that this is a serious venture that wants to make its mark.

And that's no surprise.

We thoroughly enjoyed our evening at Fish & Forest. Our neighbor was right. The venue has a “cosy, relaxed atmosphere.” The dining room is not trendy, but rather has a chic feel, exactly what you'd expect from a traditional English pub. In contrast, the food is straight out of an upscale French bistro. The menu is small, with only 4 appetizers, 6 mains, 3 desserts, and 4 side dishes. The three of us worked on most of it.

There was only one vegetarian option in the starter and main selections, so my vegetarian teenage daughter bloated her belly with wild mushroom fricas (£6) and cauliflower curry (£15). There was only one. However, it was not difficult as all the dishes received high praise. The starter is a comforting bed of mushrooms, cabbage, scallions and onions, topped with a smooth buttery sauce, topped with a heaping pile of straw chips (think chipsticks, but thinner). It was. The curry dish contained generous chunks of cauliflower covered in aromatic spices and roasted until tender. It came with a small side jug full of spicy and tangy sauce. Beneath the cauliflower was a combination of tender cabbage and onions and a sweet raisin jam that held the whole meal together.

My husband Nick started with salmon tacos (£7.50). Two small flour tortillas are topped with meaty, juicy pieces of fish dotted with peach and chili flavors. It was tasty but didn't pack the flavor punch I like: sardines, focaccia and tomato (£6). It was a fancy sardine on toast and was one of the tastiest snacks I've had in a while. The focaccia looked like it had been pan-fried, so it was crispy and oil-soaked at its best. The fresh sardines were buttery tender and perfectly cooked, allowing us to greedily spread them out on an attractive base. Homemade tomato sauce added a tangy flavor.

We got a draw on our main choice. We each cleared our plates completely (a recurring theme throughout the night).

Nick's sea bass (£15) is one perfectly cooked fillet, sitting atop a pile of sumptuous vegetables including leeks, onions and cabbage, pan-fried with plenty of butter, just the right amount of seasoning and bacon. It was plated. Add lardon for salt and flavor.

My dish wasn't very delicate, but it was delicious. Trio of Halibut, Salt Beef and Fondant Potatoes (16 lbs.). The hearty fish was pan-fried until just the color of toffee, and the inside was glistening white. The potatoes (yes, only one, but it was huge) matched in color and, like the best potato chips, were golden and crispy on the outside, hot and soft on the inside. Salt beef, boiled, salted and cut into generous slices, is an interesting addition, served with a thin pour of St. Vincent sauce (kind of like watered-down tartar, but also mixed with green herbs).

Finally, we ordered two of the three desserts (we didn't like the sorbet option). The rice pudding (£7) was perfect and the addition of caramel sauce and peach slices gave it amazing flavor. Meanwhile, the chocolate delice with caramel, orange and Chantilly cream (£7) was a dish worth fighting for (I did it with my husband). This deliciousness was as decadent as it gets. It was rich and smooth, with a lingering dark chocolate bitterness that was sharpened by the addition of salt. The rich caramel spread, light cream, and fresh orange pieces brought balance to a wonderful dessert, adding the sweetness and sharp acidity that you remember when you return home to the cold.

At around £30 per person, a three-course dinner at Fish & Forest isn't cheap. Due to the pub setting, these are similar to fine dining restaurant prices. But this is restaurant food and it's worth it.

Fish & Forest, The Gillygate, 48 Gillygate, York

W:fishandforestrestaurant.com

Closed on Sundays and Mondays

Food: Very good 4/5

Service: Top notch 5/5

Atmosphere: Cozy 4/5

Value: Worth 4/5

Reviews are independent and meals are paid for by the press.