Where to go for date night in York
Apr 25, 2025
Looking for the perfect date night in York?
York, with its historic streets and independent charm, offers so many romantic things to do and great places to eat for couples. This blog post highlights some of the best independent restaurants in York, perfect for sharing plates, intimate conversations, and memorable moments.
Whether you're craving Spanish tapas, authentic Italian, a cosy spot for cheese and wine, or even a romantic outdoor date in York (weather permitting!), we've gathered some of our ideal spots for a date night.
Get ready to discover some amazing independent spots for an unforgettable date night in York.
Pairings Wine Bar
Award-winning, wine-led restaurant, Pairings Wine Bar is in central York, run by two sisters who are passionate about pairing wine and good food.
Their pairing concept allows you to try a selection of wines and spirits alongside each other, much like a beer or sherry flight!
What we love about it is that they recommend food pairings with your wine, hand-selected boards and platters: cheese, fish, veggie and Yorkshire boards are just a few they offer, making something for everyone!
Self-guided food tour around York City Centre
Uncover York's hidden culinary gems on a self-guided food tour, tasting the best kept local secrets at your own pace.
Using the app, follow a map to each stop, with exquisite flavours and fascinating facts included every step of the way.
Find out more about a food tour.
Ambiente
Sharing food, for or against on a date night? We reckon, for! It makes the perfect romantic spot, and if you're lucky, your date might wow you by choosing for both of you! Ambiente is one of our favourite spots to go grab tapas and enjoy some sangria!
They've got two venues in York, Fossgate (more contemporary) and Goodramgate (set in a historic Georgian building), both with their own charm, take your pick of the two.
Our top tip, if the cod cheeks are on the menu, order them! They are one of the best tapas dishes we've ever tried and very much worth ordering.
Tabanco
By the people behind Ambiente Tapas, Tabanco takes inspiration from Southern Spain's tabanco bars. If you're not familiar with the concept, they're an informal tapas bar, serving sherry and other drinks.
Perfect for a sunny day, this wonderful slice of Spain, in York, has an outdoor courtyard, perfect to stop for a quick visit or a platter of tapas dishes.
As you'll read elsewhere in this blog, we love Ambiente, and their food never misses the mark! Tabanco is a different look and feel, still with all the same qualities as Ambiente.
Love Cheese
One of our favourites in York, Love Cheese is a quaint cafe come cheese bar. In the front, you've got a wonderful display of all cheeses on offer, whilst tucked away at the back they have a 'Speakcheesy', a moody, dim-lit room, perfect for date nights. Their menus feature wine, beer and cheese, and they often host events, which would be a great date activity!
Last time we visited, we tried a combination of Italian and French cheeses, recommended by a wonderful member of their staff, who are always so accommodating and patient whilst we choose.
