York's Arras is praised for its imaginative, good-value lunch by our reviewer MAXINE GORDON
YORK has loved and lost many restaurants over the years.
Sometimes the loss of one much-treasured place is remedied by its replacement.
That certainly was the case when fine-dining eatery Arras set up home in the former Le Langhe, arguably one of York's best Italian restaurants, which closed ten years ago.
Anyone missing the fine Mediterranean cuisine at the Peasholme Green venue would have been appeased by the delicious and adventurous plates offered by Arras chef Adam Humphrey.
Adam and his wife Lovaine ran the original Arras in Australia. It was named after Arras in East Yorkshire where Adam grew up.
Exterior of Arras in York. Photo - NQ
I remember reviewing Arras back in 2017 and raving about the quality and artistry of the food.
Re-reading that review, one line sticks out: "Time will tell whether locals give it a warm welcome".
Ten years on, it is safe to say, locals have taken Arras to their hearts.
Not only is the main restaurant still going strong, its spin-off bakery/coffee shop, Little Arras, in Goodramgate, is a destination in its own right.
I had a rare Wednesday off, so visited Arras for lunch with one of my oldest York friends, K.
Lunch is a great time to try Arras if you haven't done so already.
Its special menu – £32 for two courses or £39 for three courses – is good value considering the evening prices are £66 and £78 respectively with the cost of the five-course Arras Kitchen Menu listed at £90.
Note, the restaurant opens Wednesday to Saturday only.
So what can you expect?
Prepare to try interesting combinations and ingredients that will satisfy the culinary curious.
It was the end of September and the weather was sunny and hot – quite a contrast to the cold and wet start to October.
The sunshine flooded in through Arras' windows and made the white, almost gallery-like, space seem brighter and more modern.
For drinks, we each enjoyed a small glass of crisp and beautifully balanced English sparkling wine (£12), which we ate with slices of home-made bread and butter.
To start, K chose a dish to match the mood: a light and summery-sounding pasta dish, red pepper cavatelli with a warm marinated vegetable salad.
Pasta starter at Arras in York. Photo - NQ
Normally chatty, the fact that silence fell over the table as she tucked in was a sign of deep approval.
The small shells of pasta acted as mini spoons, each little nook a home for the soft and silky ribbons of peppers that were in the salad.
Looking up from a clean plate, she said: "Every mouthful was delicious."
My starter was quite fabulous. Simple on paper – cured salmon with seaweed and cucumber salad, wasabi, soy, and crispy rice noodle – it was essentially a deconstructed plate of sushi with long strands of prawn cracker on top.
Cured salmon starter at Arras in York. Photo - NQ
The salmon was cold, silky and sweet – and it was a generous portion. I loved the teeny blobs of fiery wasabi cream and sweet pickled ginger gel that dotted the plate in green and pink. They were fun to spread over the salmon, seaweed and cucumber as I layered up the flavours on to my fork.
There was a third choice on the starters menu: game terrine with carrot marmalade; I only wish we'd had another diner with us so we could have tried that one as well!
These were good portions too – worth saying, because often fine-dining plates can be pretty to look at but fail to satisfy your appetite.
Again, there was just a trio of options for mains: I was really torn between the char siu cauliflower with mushroom, pumpkin, black bean, and peanut sauce, and the pork fillet with fennel Lyonnaise and whipped haricot blanc.
Selecting the meat dish, I had no regrets. Two rounds of perfectly cooked fillet were a delight when paired with the quenelle of slow-cooked fennel and onion, which oozed a soft, mushy sweetness and was an imaginative swap for the apple sauce usually paired with this meat.
Pork fillet at Arras in York. Photo - NQ
K absolutely loved her choice: the market fish of the day, meaty and substantial and sitting upon a homely terrine of potato and cabbage and bouillabaisse sauce. A handful of mussels around the edge was an extra bonus.
Fish of the day at Arras in York. Photo - NQ
We were really full now, and if we hadn't been reviewing would have skipped desserts.
But we were glad we didn't.
There were two on offer: K chose the apricot flan and I went for the spiced parsnip and apple cake.
Recommended reading:
- Dinner at celebrated North Yorkshire chef's restaurant: worth the splurge?
- I returned to this popular York restaurant after five years – here's what I found
- Hospitality heroes honoured in glittering York awards ceremony
Again, she had no complaints. In essence, the dessert was a deconstructed French apricot tart with a buttery biscuit base, set egg custard filling, with apricot sorbet and roasted apricots on the side. K's verdict: "Not overly sweet but very delicious."
Parsnip cake at Arras in York. Photo - NQ
The apple and parsnip cake was moist and went a treat with the little pieces of apple compot and the lightly flavoured parsnip ice-cream served alongside.
Over coffee we reflected on a very fine lunch, with attentive and knowledgeable service – and hoped York people would continue to give Arras a warm welcome for many more years to come.
Reviews are independent and food paid for by The Press
Fact file
Arras, The Old Coach House, Peasholme Green, York
T: 01904 633737
W: arrasrestaurant.co.uk
Verdict:
Food: Imaginative and delicious
Service: Informed and professional
Ambience: Bright and modern
Value: Good, especially at lunch time