The Ivy York Review 2026: What to Expect, Dress Code and Honest Verdict

I’m glad I’ve finally been able to visit The Ivy York. It’s been a while since we’ve been to a restaurant on our own for a meal with Leo. Just the three of us! It is something we would love to do more, but having a toddler can make it a bit difficult as they don’t understand ‘sit still and be quiet’. When we go with family, there are plenty of people to take turns in keeping him entertained, so it’s easier. I’ve always wanted to visit The Ivy in York, but we’ve just not had the chance!

So when we got to visit and review a restaurant on OpenTable, The Ivy was the first thing I thought of.

What is OpenTable?

OpenTable is a website and a mobile app that lets you search and book restaurants worldwide. Search by current location or by putting in a postcode, town or city as well as typing the restaurant name or style of cuisine to bring up your search results.

You can see photos, reviews, parking info, opening hours and lots of other information right in the app, and you can quickly book your table at the touch of a button.

It’s so easy – you don’t have to make any phone calls or fill in forms on individual websites. As your info is all there when you sign up, you just select your time, and the number of guests, and confirm (with the option of adding any extra information should you require it).

There’s no need for a deposit, and should you need to cancel at al,l you can do so in the app. We had to cancel our original booking as Leo was ill, and it was very easy to do so.

We used to use OpenTable all the time before COVID (and before Leo!), and we’ve used it in Venice and London.

I love that you can search by city, so we used OpenTable York.

About The Ivy York

The Ivy St. Helen’s Square is a restaurant in the centre of York, England. It is part of the well-known Ivy Collection of restaurants. This branch is located in a historic building in the heart of York, overlooking the famous St. Helen’s Square.

The Ivy in York offers a range of contemporary British dishes, as well as international cuisine, using locally sourced ingredients. The menu includes a variety of dishes, including steak, fish, and vegetarian options, as well as a range of cocktails and wines.

The interior of the restaurant is designed with an art deco style, with a mix of marble, brass, and velvet furnishings, creating an elegant and luxurious atmosphere. The restaurant also features a private dining room, which is perfect for special occasions or corporate events.

The Ivy in York is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, as well as afternoon tea, and offers a pre-theatre menu for those attending nearby performances. The restaurant is popular with locals and tourists alike, and reservations are recommended, especially during peak times.

The Ivy in York offers a high-end dining experience with an emphasis on quality ingredients, attentive service, and stylish surroundings, making it a popular choice for those looking for a special night out in York.

The Ivy York

So, onto our dining experience. We jumped onto the bus to York as it was too hot to walk and spent a bit of time around the minster gardens so Leo could run and play.

We decided to book our meal at 3:30 pm on a Tuesday afternoon to suit Leo’s nap, and also we didn’t want it to be too busy or too late while having a toddler with us.

When we entered, the first thing we noticed was the jackets the staff were wearing. They had jackets made from a yellow floral material, almost like curtains, but it looked so good! It worked so well with the rest of the decor of the restaurant. It was just getting to the end of dinner time when we went, so it was quite busy, but as our mains came, the dinner time crowd were leaving it was quite empty before the evening service, so a good time to go with a child. On arrival, they took the pram for us and took us to our table.

The Ivy York menu

The Ivy St Helen’s Square in York is an all-day restaurant, but what you experience depends a fair bit on when you go. Lunch and dinner (Monday to Friday from 11:30am, weekends from 4pm) is the full a la carte. Weekend brunch (Saturday, Sunday and bank holidays, 11am–4pm) is a slightly different, slightly more relaxed affair. Both are worth knowing about.

For dinner and lunch, the classics are the way to go. The traditional Fish and Chips (around £19.95) is done with their original 1917 batter — it’s been on the menu since the original Ivy in London opened, and it’s genuinely one of the better versions you’ll find. The Ivy Classic Shepherd’s Pie (around £19.50) with Cheddar mash and red wine sauce is proper comfort food done with good ingredients. The Chicken Milanese with truffle sauce (around £20.50) — crumbed chicken breast, fried hen’s egg, Parmesan — is reliably good and one of the more accessible options on the menu.

For fish, the teriyaki salmon with tenderstem broccoli is a lighter option, and the oven-baked sea bream with chimichurri and gigantes beans is more interesting than it might sound. For vegetarians, the Asparagus, Courgette and Broad Bean Linguine with a plant-based white wine sauce and pine nuts is a proper main rather than an afterthought.

From the grill, the Ivy Burger (around £19.50) is a decent option, and steaks run from an 8oz sirloin (around £29.75) up to a 12oz rib-eye on the bone (around £38.95). It adds up — expect to spend around £60–75 a head for dinner with soft drinks — but the quality is consistent.

Worth flagging: Monday to Friday between 11:30am and 6:30pm they run a ‘1917 Set Menu’ — two courses for around £19.95. That’s really good value for this level of restaurant and setting. If you’re flexible on timing, it’s the smart choice.

Weekend brunch (Saturday, Sunday and bank holidays, 11am–4pm) is genuinely lovely. Eggs Benedict with pulled ham or Eggs Royale with their smoked salmon, buttermilk pancakes with berries, yoghurt and warm berry sauce, or poached eggs with avocado — alongside the full a la carte if you’d rather. Weekend brunch fills up quickly, especially in summer and at Christmas, so booking ahead is definitely worth it.

Smart casual dress code. The building on St Helen’s Square is beautiful. It’s the kind of place you’d take someone for a proper occasion, or use the set lunch for a more casual treat.

What we ordered

We ordered drinks and then our food. The starters came really quickly!

I had the roasted scallops with crispy potato rösti, pea purée, parmesan sauce and grated truffle, and my husband ordered the crispy duck salad with five spice dressing, toasted cashews, watermelon, bean sprouts, sesame seeds, coriander and ginger. The duck salad was amazing,g and I was jealous! The scallops were okay, but they are not the best I’ve had – they were cooked nicely but the dish tasted a bit bland apart from the pea flavours. I find ordering scallops is always a risk like that.

For mains, I ordered the veal sirloin, which was grilled veal steak with pommes aligot, crispy prosciutto, tomato, red pepper, sage leaves, and red wine sauce.

Now, this dish was amazing! I wasn’t sure whether to get my usual steak with peppercorn sauce or not but decided on this dish for something a bit different, and I’m so glad I did. Pommes aligot is a creamy, smooth cheese-mashed potato, and it was delicious! Leo loved it too, and he probably ate more than I did. Can this just be on as a side please, as I’d like more? The whole dish was delicious and worked really well together.

My husband ordered the monkfish and prawn curry. It was in Malaysian curry sauce with choy sum, shaved coconut, chilli, and sweet potato crisp. He really enjoyed it, and the monkfish was delicious. He shared some of his rice with Leo.

We also got the fregola and cauliflower couscous with red pepper, coconut yoghurt and coriander for Leo. It was a side dish, rather than something from The Ivy Kids menu. He’s not been eating much since he’s been sick, and I didn’t think he would eat anything from the children’s menu, but he’s been loving couscous lately. It was a bit spicy, so we mixed some with my husband’s rice, and he also ate some of my potatoes, and then we finished what he didn’t eat.

We do this quite often, just get Leo a side and then give him bits off our meal as children’s menus are usually the general chicken and chips/sausage and mash, etc, and we usually just give him the same as us.

I’d love it if restaurants could make children-sized portions of normal meals (where reasonable) rather than things that come with chips. Leo hasn’t eaten a chip in his life. I don’t know what his issue is, but he just doesn’t like them! Though I’m sure they would have swapped chips with rice had we asked.

Anyway, he enjoyed what he ha,d and as he’s been off his food, he’s not had a massive appetite anyway.

Although saying that, the children’s menu at The Ivy York was pretty decent. You can view it here. It features the typical burger, pasta, sausage and chips, but there’s also a pan-fried cod fillet, lamb and beef bolognese and a few other bits. But a child-size portion of a main would be great!

They also have a dedicated vegetarian and vegan menu, which is always nice to see!

FAQ:

Is the Ivy Child Friendly?

Yes, I found it very child-friendly. Our waitress was great with Leo and offered him crayons and colouring.

Is there a dress code at The Ivy?

The Ivy York dress code is smart casual. There’s no strict formal requirement, but it’s the kind of place where people are often celebrating something, so it’s worth making a bit of effort. Jeans are fine as long as they’re clean and smart. Shorts and casual t-shirts are generally permitted in warm weather. Flip-flops and sportswear would be out of place. When in doubt, err on the side of smart — you won’t feel overdressed at The Ivy.

Is The Ivy expensive?

Expect to pay around £120–£150 for two people with drinks in 2026. It’s not cheap, but for a special occasion it’s worth it. They also offer a pre-theatre menu which is better value if you’re going before an evening show nearby.

What is the Ivy York menu?

You can view The Ivy York menu here.

How do you book The Ivy York?

You can book The Ivy York online via their website at ivycollection.com or through platforms like OpenTable. Booking in advance is strongly recommended, especially for weekends, evenings, and special occasions. Walk-ins are sometimes possible for lunch on quieter weekdays but it’s not worth the risk.

Final Thoughts on The Ivy York

Overall, we loved our meal at The Ivy York. It was nice to try a new place and also try some different food rather than sticking to the dishes we normally get.

The waitress we had was lovely. She noticed Leo getting a bit frustrated (we had exhausted all our books/toys/tricks!) and asked if we wanted some colouring for him, and brought them some coloured pencils and colouring pages.

Really enjoyed The Ivy St Helen’s Square York menu and would love to go back and try some more!

If you’re wondering whether The Ivy York is worth it — yes, for the right occasion. It’s not an everyday restaurant and the prices reflect that. But the food is genuinely good, the service is attentive without being stuffy, and the art deco interior is gorgeous. We went on a Tuesday afternoon with a toddler and it worked perfectly — the staff were brilliant with Leo. Just don’t show up in tracksuit bottoms and expect to feel at home.

If you are looking for something similar that is less expensive, you may enjoy Ate O’Clock York.

Related posts:

• Best places to get breakfast in York
• 24 Amazing Places To Eat In York